The idea of investing in a disaster before it occurs isn’t a new one; it makes logical and even financial sense. While between 1991 and 2010 the financial impact of disasters was around $846 billion, just 0.4 percent of international aid spending during this same period was on preparation.
The number and scale of natural disasters are increasing. More than 98 million people were affected by disasters in 2015, with 22,773 people dying as a result. While this is still a tragedy, it is much lower than the annual average of 76,424 deaths over the last 10 years. This is largely down to successful disaster preparation and early warning systems, but global aid spending still does not reflect this. If we want to continue minimizing the impact of disasters, we must see a shift from the traditional idea of humanitarian aid. We need to see more innovation, the development of partnerships and greater coordination with local community actors to drive pre-emptive action, rather than reaction to disaster events.
Typhoon Haiyan remains one of the strongest typhoons ever to make landfall. The surge storm that followed made more than 4 million people homeless, damaged or destroyed over 1 million homes and killed a staggering 6,300 people. The impact was violent, and the loss great, but it wasn’t entirely a surprise. The Philippines is one of the most disaster prone countries in the world, typhoons are not a rare phenomenon.
About the author
Razmi Farook
Razmi Farook has worked with the British Red Cross for over 10 years. During that time, she has held various posts, including that of humanitarian diplomacy coordinator for Asia Pacific and most recently country manager for Syria and Lebanon. Razmi’s new role as head of Asia region involves overseeing operations in nine different countries including Philippines, Afghanistan, Mongolia and Nepal.
