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Natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, cyclones, and pandemics usually entail the destruction of people’s homes and the displacement of families. Besides that, communities lose what they have worked for many years. At such times of chaos and lack of safety, help is necessary immediately, hence the presence of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).
NGOs are those who come first and leave last. They reach the areas that are most difficult to access, provide relief where it is needed most, and stay long after the relief trailers have left. Apart from giving food or medical kits, their work is reconstructing, renewing hope, and making people self-reliant again.
Disaster management involves different aspects besides the actual response to the disaster. It includes being prepared, intervening rapidly, and maintaining the commitment after the crisis. NGOs play a crucial role in each of these stages.
They accomplish it in such a way that we can understand better their work and why their work is essential for the recovery and the rebuilding of the communities.
NGOs in Disaster Management
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are basically groups that are independent, non-profit, and work for the welfare of the society. They are the ones, who in the situation of a crisis, give the most help to the suffering people. Whatever it may be — providing emergency shelter, handing out food, rescuing the families trapped by floods, or helping to rebuild the houses and schools — NGOs do it all, that too, very often, in the face of limited resources but with an overwhelmingly strong spirit.
Their link to the communities is, perhaps, one of the most powerful weapons they have. NGOs usually engage with the locals, fully understand their challenges and are able to respond quicker than the big government systems. Their being flexible and having the support of the local area enable them to respond swiftly and also to adjust their actions depending on a change in the situation.
Moreover, they are the ones who deliver the message from people to the decision-makers – presenting the realities of the ground to the governments, and making sure that the aid is given to those who need it the most. To sum up, NGOs make disaster management more human, sensitive, and efficient.
Importance of NGOs in Disaster Management
When a disaster happens, time is very critical. The first hours can be the factor that will make the difference between the saving of lives or the loss of lives — and non-governmental organizations are those that are mostly the ones who come first to the scene.
NGOs are essential because of the following reasons:
- They are very flexible: NGOs have the capability of going quickly. Their lesser size and the decentralized nature of their structure give them the ability to make decisions rapidly and to send the help right away.
- NGOs are reliable to the communities: As NGOs are the ones working closely with the people throughout the whole year, trust is already established. This makes the coordination easier and the distribution of relief more attractive.
- They extend their help beyond the initial shock: It is true that many agencies leave when the crisis is over, however, NGOs are still there to facilitate the return of normalcy in people’s lives — they not only bring back the houses but also the schools and the livelihoods.
- Disaster Relief NGOs with Specialized Skills: From medical relief to child protection to mental health support, a majority of these organizations possess profound expertise in specific areas of disaster management.
Moreover, they are also playing a preventive role by educating people about the risks, the safety measures, the evacuation plans, and so forth.
In fact, they are not only a resource for coping with disasters but also a resource for building community resilience.
Related Blog: The Critical Role of Disaster Management in Flood Situations
Roles of NGOs in Different Phases of Disaster Management
A gradual process disaster management entails prevention, response, and recovery phases. Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) are the major protagonists who are visible at every juncture of the process and, therefore, making sure that the required help reaches the people at the appropriate time.
1. Before the Disaster: Awareness, Mitigation & Preparedness
Not only are the NGOs going to the frontlines in the disaster, but also they have been already working in the communities long before the occurrence of the disaster – raising the awareness, preparing the communities, and lessening the risks.
In order to familiarize people with the most necessary reaction during an emergency, NGOs perform a wide range of activities like training workshops, safety drills, and awareness campaigns in the educational institutions and villages. Most of those organizations also provide first aid classes, disaster drills, and communication exercises so that the communities will be proficient in the correct steps to follow when a disaster takes place.
Apart from such involvement, NGOs also take part in mitigation measures-by-the-example such as planting trees that can prevent soil erosion or building check dams that are able to control floods. They convince people to use safer construction methods and support local authorities in identifying which areas are most vulnerable to disasters.
This stage is the power transfer to people again – equipping them with the required knowledge and the right attitude that are necessary for self-protection of them and their families.
2. During the Disaster: Response & Relief
Usually, a disastrous situation is followed by disorder. People find blocked roads, downed communication lines, and panic spreading fast, the most frequent occurrences of the immediate aftermath of the disaster. In such scenarios, NGOs take the initiative first most of the time.
Performing search and rescue missions, provision of emergency food, water, clothing, and shelter, and setting up of medical camps are among their activities. In addition to all these, some NGOs aim at the provision of mobile health units and establishment of trauma counseling centers that may assist the victims in regaining not only their physical but also their emotional health after the disaster occasioned.
Because of their intimate relationships with local communities, NGOs can reach remote and inaccessible areas faster than big agencies. Alongside local volunteers, they make sure that the relief operations are well-planned, open to the public, and effective.
At this moment, NGOs become the core of the humanitarian response which is the main factor in the recovery of the disaster-stricken community. In addition to just bringing the supplies, they engage the ones who are lost through the provision of care, comfort, and reassurance.
3. After the Disaster: Recovery, Rehabilitation & Rebuilding
The period after the great peril is definitely a time of hardship, and it is when the NGOs will be the most important support as the slow and long way to recovery unfolds.
With NGOs, the rebuilding of houses, schools, and hospitals can be done through safer, weather-resistant materials. Besides that, quite a few of them provide people with financial support, skills training, and livelihood programs for those who want to restart their businesses or need to find a job. Moreover, a few of them decide to fully dedicate themselves to the mental health of the traumatized people, especially children, and vulnerable groups.
NGOs never allow children to stop going to school after the disaster. They are making it feasible through the establishment of temporary learning centers and the provision of school requirements.
Furthermore, their constant presence in the communities affected by the disaster is not only a promise of the people’s recovery but also their return stronger, and they will be more resistant to any future disasters.
Challenges Faced by NGOs in Disaster Management
Non-governmental organizations, to be sure, put in a lot of effort, but they run into several challenges while handling disasters.
- Funding Problems: The majority of NGOs are operating on the basis of donations, and in reality, the funds become scarce after the attention of the media is turned away.
- Coordination Difficulties: The presence of a large number of organizations in the area makes it difficult to assign roles and to avoid the repetition of the work that has already been done.
- Access Issues: The victims can be in a place where the road is broken or the area is dangerous, and thus reaching them can be very difficult.
- Lack of Workforce and Equipment: It is not all NGOs that have enough trained staff, equipment, or vehicles to be able to respond to the large-scale emergencies.
- Bureaucratic Obstacles: The process of obtaining permits or government clearances can sometimes be the reason for the delay of the immediate action.
- Volunteer Exhaustion: The long and difficult disaster operations can lead to the staff and volunteers’ burnout.
In spite of these difficulties, NGOs do not cease their efforts and they are continuously adapting, collaborating, and innovating in order to ensure that the support is always available.
How Individuals Can Support NGOs?
It’s true that being a uniform-wearer and working in an office are not necessary in making a difference. The work of Non-Governmental Organizations can be supported by anyone.
This is the way:
- Give money to the cause — even if it’s just a little that you can spare. Every cent is put to use for necessities like food, medical supplies, and the rebuilding of the community.
- Inform others: Posting on social media is one way to share the most recent news that has been verified, donation links, and the stories of those who have been successful.
- Get familiar with the basics of being prepared. Learning first aid through a workshop or disaster awareness is one way you can then help other people during an emergency.
- Help the NGOs that are open and honest. Take the ones which are accountable, ethical and really on the ground making a difference.
It is like a ripple effect that is created when people take responsibility for the community. This is the way that we become stronger, safer communities that are able to face any challenge, together.
FAQs About Role of NGOs in Disaster Management
Q1. How do NGOs use technology in disaster response?
Technology has been a significant factor in changing the ways that disaster response is carried out. Not only is it possible for them to get to the healing of the disasters faster, but also the help nowadays is really smart. For instance, NGOs are using the means of flying in a fire and to give a view of the destruction, GPS for the area that the victims are in the fallen places mapping, and mobile apps for the harmonious works of the volunteers. On top of that, with the help of social media, the responders can talk up the changes almost in real-time and at the same time, inviting donors to join the relief activities.
Q2. How do NGOs contribute to disaster preparedness?
They start with making the people ready for such scary situations through the realization of a great variety of different instruction programs such as training, safety drills, and community awareness activities. Moreover, NGOs are also allowed to extend the next level of preparation by helping in the establishment of warning systems as well as the building of communication networks which are user-friendly and fast in information sharing during the disasters.
Q3. What types of NGOs participate in disaster management?
Without a doubt, a wide range of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) have not only watched attentively but also, funnel their resources and energies toward the issues of disasters-local ones that the community is the backbone of, national level, and large-scale international NGOs like the Red Cross or CARE. Although each organization has its own unique side such as healthcare, shelter, education, or food security, ultimately, they all flow to the same concept — assisting the affected people in going through the recovery process.
Q4. Can NGOs work with multiple disasters at the same time?
Large similarly typed NGOs are more than capable of continuing their operations in different locations at the same time. Internally they divide their work among different groups, get locals cooperation which is specially for each location, and as for volunteers, they empower their work. The small-scale NGO-hand-in-hand with the large ones, usually striving to be in the safe area during double crisis situations, where they can support each other by combining their resources and expertise.
Q5. How do NGOs influence disaster management policies?
NGOs that are the first to help and have a direct relationship with the community, understand the problems that the people face. They use this data as a stepping stone to advocating for more secure policies, they get involved in lobbying activities that aim at the improvement of the infrastructure while, at the same time, being the first to suggest the idea of community-driven disaster planning.
Conclusion
Every disaster dazzles two narratives — one of grief, and one of fortitude. NGOs are the cause that the second narrative is told. They intervene when the world seems to be collapsing and help the people find the courage to start over.
NGOs are the ones who do it all. They are there before the disaster by spreading awareness and training the communities, during the disaster by providing emergency services, and after the disaster by reconstructing the homes. It is their love and their vow that recall to us that in the deepest pits of sorrow, humaneness is the most brilliant.
However, they cannot accomplish this goal without support. The real, significant changes come about, only when governments, businesses, and individuals, unite in help to their plans. Because, as a result of cooperation, the storm of misfortune can be exchanged for the recovery — and the hopelessness for the hope.
Support Disaster-Affected Communities – Contribute to the Sakal Relief Fund Today!
At the Sakal Relief Fund (SRF), we are convinced that the real power is in unity. For several years, SRF has been cooperating with the great-spirited NGOs to bring relief, reconstruct the dwellings, and rejuvenate the creatures of the people all over India.
The money you give can be utilized for providing food, shelter, and even care to the families who have lost their homes in disasters. Every single donation, irrespective of the amount, gives hope to someone who is in dire need.
We, the people, need to gather our forces to help those who are always ready to help even in the most difficult times. The reason being, when we are united, every helping hand is really impactful.
