Focus on Disaster Relief and Disaster Prepardness

The number and extent of natural disasters worldwide has been increasing. The consequences of climate change are having a particularly strong effect on developing nations, as they often have insufficient measures in place to deal with natural disasters. In industrialized countries with functioning disaster prevention and early warning systems, floods, earthquakes, seaquakes, and storms create measurably less damage than they do in developing nations. But when a natural disaster hits a country that is already burdened by crisis or war, the losses and damage often take on devastating proportions.

Fast relief after a catastrophe saves lives. The creation of working disaster prevention structures also saves and protects lives long term. The Johanniter are committed to both emergency aid and disaster prevention, and try to combine both areas in their projects whenever possible.

Emergency aid from the Johanniter
Emergency aid encompasses all the essential measures needed to help survivors or to meet the acute basic humanitarian needs of victims following a catastrophe. It's characterized above all by a short reaction time, as well as time-limited intervention. Generally, emergency aid is limited to a time period of two to four weeks. There's also no clear separation of the content or time line for follow-on phases of emergency aid, such as reconstruction or development cooperation. The transition tends to be much more fluid, and suited to the relevant conditions and extent of the disaster.

Within the emergency aid framework, Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe concentrates on its core competencies in the field of health care. It provides medical aid via its The Johanniter may also provide nutritional supplements, emergency shelter and non-food items such as blankets, cookware and hygiene articles in cases where basic health maintenance is required for the affected population.

Disaster prevention
Disaster prevention encompasses all measures which can be taken in advance of a natural catastrophe, in order to minimize any potential damage. This includes preventive measures such as the implementation of quake-safe building methods in the construction industry. Preparation for a disaster always plays a foremost role in projects run by the Johanniter. This includes the establishment and/or reinforcement of the national disaster prevention scheme, infrastructure creation, and first aid instruction for the local population.

Disaster prevention projects
For years now, the Johanniter have been managing a range of disaster prevention projects. As one of the biggest German aid organizations involved in disaster prevention, the Johanniter also wish to use their core competency abroad. First and foremost, strengthening people's ability to help themselves is at the center of the Johanniter's projects. Through instruction in first aid and self-protection, the population is prepared in the event of a disaster. Local relief workers receive training, and technical and communication procedures are optimized. The Johanniter also support cities and communities during the establishment and support of an ambulance system.

You can find further information about our disaster prevention projects on the country pages for Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Caribbean.