Image of survivor courtesey of the Guardian

Effective disaster response

There  is always a lot of blogging about disaster relief   this is my contribution to that discussion. My primary concern is giving the right kind of help  in the right way. I hope you find it useful.
The Haiti Earthquake went to most peoples hearts.
Having saturated the news for a week,coverage will start to die away soon. The need for relief will not.

Haiti was one of the poorest countries in the world before this disaster. Life is even more perilous there now.
No matter what your circumstances you can make a difference.

OK what to do if you want to help long-term? – going out on a limb I’m going to say adopt a Haitian orphan…

OK that’s not going to fly for most people (me either), but even with limited funds you can still make a difference.

• Phase 1- Give what you can
• Phase 2- Support those that give
• Phase 3 – Get the message out and keep supporting

Phase 1- Give what you can

Most people even on a limited budget can afford to give something and I think most people have (I’d like to say thank-you now for everything you’ve given just in case the people you gave to didn’t have time).

I think you should give something if you can afford to give it. I’m not saying starve yourself, your life and your family are just as important. It’s not for show, you know your circumstances. If you can only afford a dollar give a dollar.

It’s good to know that your money isn’t being squandered so give carefully.

There are many great organisations the ones I support are:

Shelter box : Shelter box are on the ground now in Haiti providing Tents ,heat, light, shovels etc. They do exactly what they promise no waste. Your money actually buys a box (£490)a tent a shovel etc. You can see exactly what your contribution provides and even track your box.

International Red Cross : – Saving lives without hospitals is going to be a real challenge, both now and over the coming months. The international red cross and affiliates offer one of the only realistic ways of getting relief to these people.

World Food Programme : – Some food supplies are already there but they are going to need food when the current stocks finally make it out of the airport. The WFP already had one of the best support infrastructures in Haiti and they offer the best way to actually get food into the bellies of survivors in the medium and short term.

Haiti has many systemic problems but for now it’s just about buying the survivors enough breathing space to even consider some kind of future.

Phase 2- Support those that give

It’s not just about direct monetary donations. The red-cross and similar charity’s have shops supporting them. Supplying their stores with quality goods you no longer need is a great help.
Also consider buying goods at their stores (books, games, DVDs etc), charity shops have come a long way recently. It’s recycling, good for the environment and the money you spend can make a real difference. I’m not saying that all charities are equal, again the red-cross has a good record and is my charity shop of choice.

If you have time or skills to offer you could also apply to volunteer. Consider offering skills or services as well as just time. Even if you can only offer to help for a fixed duration you don’t know how useful that’s going to be until you ask. If you can’t afford to work for free how about offering a discounted rate. Don’t be offended if they say, no thanks.

Phase 3 – Get the message out and keep supporting

OK your helping where you can directly and indirectly what next? Get the message out and commit medium term.
See if you can get others interested in helping and keep useful interest alive beyond the immediate news cycle.

Don’t get me wrong giving money if you have it is important but there is always something you can do to help if you are keen.