Specific-purpose committees , either permanent or temporary, established under the authority of disaster management groups for specific purposes relating to disaster management. Figure 2. Local governments — through their respective LDMGs — have primary responsibility to manage a disaster at the community level. If local governments identify gaps in their capacity or capability to manage a potential disaster and require additional resources to manage an event, they can request support from their DDMG.
This allows for the rapid mobilisation of resources at a local, regional or district level. If district resources are inadequate or inappropriate, requests for assistance can be passed to the state via the State Disaster Coordination Centre SDCC. Response clusters and IMTs work hand in hand in providing assistance. Resources and personnel during emergencies are provided to IMTs by response clusters. Several government agencies are responsible for leading 11 emergency response clusters:.
What happens: When the response cluster and IMTs are activated, there are two scenarios on the ground — either additional assistance or augmentation is given to affected LGUs and regions, or the NDRRMC assumes command of response activities.
Additional assistance is usually provided based on the results of damage assessment reports done by affected LGUs or regions. This is validated by response cluster leads and members of IMTs. In this case, rapid deployment teams RDTs are deployed on the 12th hour. At this point, RDTs on site conduct a rapid damage-and-needs assessment to determine the following:. RDTs also play a key role in determining the emergency site plan which includes where the 11 response clusters can operate on site, and identifying emergency power and fuel stations.
These requirements are discussed by the NDRRMC vice chairperson for response, who then cascades instructions to response clusters within 24 hours to immediately mobilize resources and manpower. Among the first responses to be carried out is the mobilization of the law and order cluster to restore peace and order in the affected area. In the disaster area, the fire service's first duty is to save people and animals. Firefighters also put out fires, of course, and conduct tests to find out whether any hazardous substances have been released.
Anyone injured in a disaster will require medical assistance as soon as possible. Ambulance paramedics will usually provide first aid and stabilise the injured so that they can be taken to hospital. The police will ensure that the fire and ambulance services can do their job.
However, the guidelines insist that only the full respect of all four groups of rights can ensure adequate protection of the human rights of those affected by natural disasters, including of those who are displaced.
When governments are unwilling or unable to fulfill these responsibilities, the international community needs to support and supplement the efforts of the government and local authorities. And these organizations as well — UN agencies, international and national non-governmental organizations, civil society, and IDP communities themselves — have a responsibility to ensure that their approaches and programs incorporate a human rights focus. In fact, most often, rights are violated not because of conscious intention but because of the lack of awareness or planning based on a rights-based approach.
Thus in the United States, the evacuation plans for New Orleans in were based on private vehicles — even though there were racial and class differences in vehicle ownership. While most middle class white people had access to private cars, many poor and African-American residents did not. While evacuation plans provided bus transportation for those without cars, displaced New Orleans residents were taken by bus to large communal shelters while those who evacuated by car were directed to churches, private homes and hotels.
Experience has shown while patterns of discrimination emerge during the initial emergency response phase, the longer that displacement lasts, the greater the risk of human rights violations. The Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement developed a manual on the Operational Guidelines to provide more concrete guidance to disaster responders and this manual is currently being revised in light of experiences in the field.
Presently both Brookings and the Protection Cluster Working Group are organizing training sessions for government officials responsible for disaster response as well as non-governmental organizations. Such training is necessary in order to ensure that a rights-based approach to disaster response is incorporated into all phases of operations.
National Human Rights Institutions are well-placed to play a role in upholding human rights standards for those affected by natural disasters.
Last year, some of you participated in a session lead by Joyce Leader who was working with us, to explore some of the ways that NHRIs can become involved in monitoring displacement. In March , following the December tsunamis, the NHRIs met again and agreed on the need to develop a common methodology for their role with regard to IDPs in the context of natural disasters. In August , the members of the Asia Pacific Forum welcomed draft guidelines which were not introduced as binding instruments, but rather as good practices which might be useful to NHRIs experiencing natural disasters.
Immediate strategies consist of appointing an IDP focal point, establishing links with regional areas, training and providing relevant documents about human rights issues faced by IDPs to staff member and integrating local legal and IDP experts. During an emergency response to a natural disaster, NHRIs should develop a comprehensive approach to the promotion and protection of human rights and establish short team offices in the affected areas. In order for NHRIs to work effectively with the government during a disaster, before a disaster takes place NHRIs should disseminate the Guiding Principles to government agencies, advocate for the ratification of all relevant international human rights and humanitarian instruments and identify gaps in the laws and recommend reforms.
While there is an emergency response, organize a public hearing, ensure the government has a rights-based approach to the provision of aid and work with the government to ensure they reissue identity papers and other documents. In the long term NHRIs must encourage the government to develop an effective rights-based policy, meet with government agencies engaged in work with IDPs to gather accurate information, and recommend that the government establish a formal taskforce to share information.
Communication with the UN, civil society and other non-state actors should begin before a natural disaster takes place. While working with these groups it is essential to disseminate the Guiding Principles, advise on the risks to the human rights of IDPs and seek advice from the UN and other relevant actors. To increase awareness among local populations the Guiding Principles should be translated into all relevant languages and dialects and distributed.
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