15 June 2011
We have now set out how the UK Government will improve the way it responds to man-made and natural disasters. The plans make it clear how we will provide effective help to people devastated by earthquakes, floods, tsunamis and war.
The new proposals follow Lord Ashdown’s review of the UK’s humanitarian emergency response which was commissioned to ensure that we can continue to meet public expectations - to deliver maximum benefit to those affected while getting value for money for the UK taxpayer.
The new plans include:
Better prepared countries
Many countries where the Department for International Development works are at risk from disasters. The UK Government will now focus more resources into helping them build up their resilience to natural disasters and conflicts.
Cutting-edge technology
The government will appoint a team to identify and develop the most up-to-date innovations for disaster response, including satellite mapping to track the movement of people affected by flooding and use of mobile phones to get information to victims of disasters.
Deployment of more varied UK experts
A wider pool of specialists including surgeons, scientists and weather experts will be sent into disaster areas alongside the International Search And Rescue teams, which are currently drawn together from Fire & Rescue crews across the country, to expand the scope of the UK response.
Better UN leadership
Call for a radical overhaul of UN leadership – backing the agenda for change that the UN’s Emergency Relief Coordinator, Baroness Amos, has set out – to ensure international response helps those most in need, when they need it.
Rapid response facility
A new facility to provide rapid assistance to humanitarian charities in the first 72 hours of a crisis will get more help to people in the “critical window” following a disaster. British NGOs will be ‘pre-qualified’ to receive emergency funding, ensuring aid gets to the front line faster.
Armed Forces
Greater use of the special skills of the Armed Forces, where appropriate. Andrew Mitchell paid tribute to the involvement of the Armed Forces in recent humanitarian responses. In Pakistan last year they flew in emergency bridges to flood zones, reconnecting stranded communities. In Haiti they shipped in vital heavy construction materials and life saving supplies.
New partnerships
With governments around the world, including new partnerships with China, Brazil and Gulf States, along with the Private Sector and charities to bring as much expertise and support as possible to crisis situations.
Responding to the review
Lord Ashdown presented the results of his independent review - known as the Humanitarian Emergency Response Review (HERR) - to Andrew Mitchell, who commissioned the report, at a launch event on 28 March 2011.
The forward-looking review has helped DFID and its partners to examine how best to deal with disasters and emergencies of the future – delivering a response that is fit to deal with the unexpected and new humanitarian challenges of the 21st century.
It is predicted that by 2015 around 375 million people will be affected by climate related disasters every year. While other 'rapid onset' emergencies and the impact of conflict will affect many more.
The UK public has a history of responding generously to support those in desperate need after disaster strikes. And the UK government is one of the top three humanitarian donors in the world.
Lord Ashdown's report called for a step change in the way the international humanitarian system responds. Stressing the importance of improving the leadership of the international community effort in humanitarian emergencies, he said that "for too long the performance of the international humanitarian system has been inconsistent and far less than the sum of its parts.
"I hope that this report will enable DFID to continue to take the lead internationally in preparing for the challenges yet to come, and in building the new partnerships to drive forward international humanitarian reform - particularly around leadership and coordination."