Disaster Response Standards

Within seconds of a disaster, lives are devastated and communities become areas of chaos. Humanitarian agencies exist to sustain the lives of these individuals. However, the question is how? The following guidelines determine the standards for what is adequately acceptable in terms of the immediacy when responding to an issue.

• Sphere Guidelines
  
  Following the Rwanda genocide in 1994, a group of humanitarian agencies wanted to better ensure preparation for future large-scale emergency humanitarian assistance operations. Thus, the Sphere Project was an attempt to address the question about standards.
  
  The Sphere handbook was created in 1997 and outlined a set of universal guidelines surrounding areas of water, food, shelter, and health in times of disaster. The latest copy of the Sphere handbook was launched in 2011 and is available in over 20 different languages, used by worldwide humanitarian agencies. 
   
• OCHA Cluster System
  
  To ensure that standards of services are being met during times of disaster, coordination is a key component in order to reduce miscommunication and errors while carrying out operations. OCHA is a coordinating body of the United Nations Secretariat that works to ensure a coherent and effective response is being executed by all national and international actors during disasters and emergencies. This creates a level of accountability and leadership. Each sector is assigned a cluster lead which can include United Nations and humanitarian agencies. The sectors include Agriculture, Camp Coordination and Management, Early Recovery, Education, Shelter, Telecommunication, Health, Logistics, Nutrition, and Protection.
   
• IFRC Strategy 2020
  
  Strategy 2020 is a strategy created by the IFRC to set its goals for the future. The Canadian Red Cross works with the IFRC and its other members to aim for these goals. The vision of Strategy 2020 is to inspire, encourage, facilitate and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by National Societies, with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering, and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.

 

Updated February 15, 2012