Disaster Response

Amplifying Voices Pakistan responded to the Pakistan floods by supporting communities in KPK near Charsadda and near Nowshera. This was our first deployment of an Amplifying Voices in Disaster (AViD) response.

COVID19 has highlighted the vital role of communication for disseminating health and hygiene advice in a crisis, and for building cooperation across diverse populations. Although we have had to adapt working practices to observe physical distancing, community-centred media remains our primary tool in responding to Covid19. We have also provided some emergency funding so our partners…

Countries around the world are struggling with the COVID 19 pandemic. HCR and our partners are continuing to reach out to local communities to respond to this crisis. Our partners are engaging with individuals, families and communities around COVID 19, ensuring they receive clear and accurate health information and practical support that will save lives and give hope to people in these challenging times.

One of my earliest experiences in community centred media took me to Banda Aceh a number of years after the tragic tsunami in 2004. Five years on and the devastation was clearly still visible. Research by colleagues with disaster response found in that initial critical phase of the disaster, people weren’t necessarily prioritising items that we would associate with primary needs such as food, water, shelter but the most important need was information.

In a health crisis, fear can spread faster than a virus, and with that, the potential for hatred and violence. Clear, actionable and trustworthy communication is essential to combat this. It is also essential for service providers and government officials to listen. What have people actually heard and understood from the health messages? What are…

Empowering Yesterday Cyclone Kenneth made landfall near Pemba in Mozambique, the second cyclone to hit Mozambique this season. Only one month ago, Jon and I traveled to Beira in central Mozambique in response to Cyclone Idai. Damage to road infrastructure meant that Beira was cut off from many parts of the country for several days,…

Following the Asia Tsunami and numerous earthquakes in Pakistan, radio broadcasters have come to see the need for a fast, disaster-response radio plan to assist in recovery from a disaster.  Based on these experiences, HCR worked with broadcasters to develop the programme now used by the First Response Radio Network (FRR) which includes training in…

Tropical Cyclone Olwyn has decimated many banana plantations in Carnarvon, WA (Picture: ABC News, Doriana Mangili) Last Friday the 13th of March, people living in Perth, Western Australia were bracing for strong weather warnings predicted over the weekend caused by Cyclone Olwyn.  Geraldton was on Yellow Alert Friday evening after the cyclone tore through Exmouth causing…

Thirty participants from Pakistan’s major FM radio channels and representatives from INGO and NGO agencies have welcomed plans to set up a First Response Radio (FRR) network in Pakistan.   Speaking at FRR’s inaugural meeting at a hotel in Islamabad, IOM (International Organisation for Migration) coordinator Naima Saeed told the audience that radio was a key…