Essay by Luke Foster
“We cannot stop natural disasters but we can arm ourselves with knowledge: so many lives wouldn’t have to be lost if there was enough disaster preparedness.”
Petra Nemcova
In my limited knowledge of international natural disaster relief, I think the mobilisation of the rescue mission is crucial in the first 48 hours,
Perhaps a joint international relief agency based on the models of UNICEF, Red Cross Oxfam and Doctors Without Borders would be crucial. These agencies do a fantastic job but much more could be done if there was a new international disaster relief agency with substantial funding from all the world’s richest countries.
From my own experience of surviving floods last year in northern NSW Australia that you don’t realise how intense a natural disaster can be unless you have survived one yourself.
I think we all see natural disasters on the news often but we are all desensitised as it’s so overwhelming to comprehend.
I think there would need to be specialised branches of the organisation including relief from earthquakes. floods, tsunamis, fires, drought, famine, storms, volcano eruptions and avalanches and cyclones.
Also, an internationally aid trained staff would also be required and a whole staff of additional trained volunteers.
“Even with all our technology and the inventions that make modern life so much easier than it once was, it takes just one big natural disaster to wipe all that away and remind us that, here on Earth, we’re still at the mercy of nature.”
Neil de Grasse Tyson
In conclusion a unified natural disaster relief aid agency would save millions of lives each year globally. Perhaps international think tanks with experts in the various types of natural disasters could brainstorm how to bring our collective ideas on how to drastically to reduce fatalities in natural disasters globally.