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Disaster Resource Network: Highlights of Response Efforts 2005-2007
>>Tabasco and Chiapas floods, Mexico, October 2007
Heavy rainfalls on October 28th, 2007 lasted for a week, leading to devastating floods in the Mexican states of Tabasco and Chiapas.
DRN Global and its country affiliate, DRN-Mexico, are working with Emergency Engineering-Construction Team corporate partners - ICA, Marhnos, Siemens, member companies of the World Economic Forum, government authorities and prominent in-country relief organizations to deliver assistance to those whose lives and livelihoods have been so disrupted by the floods. Read more (PDF) Video: English I Spanish
>> School Reconstruction Project, Peru, August 2007
On August 15th, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck the Pacific Coast of Peru, severely damaging the infrastructure of Pisco, Chincha and a number of surrounding communities. In total some 70% of the homes, small businesses and schools were destroyed or seriously impacted. In response, DRN, Mercy Corps USA and Soluciones Prácticas (www.solucionespracticas.org.pe), a prominent Peruvian based disaster mitigation program, have joined forces to rehabilitate/rebuild five local schools using seismic-resistant designs, local materials and community labor. The project will benefit the families of Canete and Sunampe. A generous grant from Cofra Holding AG will underwrite project costs. Temporary classrooms with proper water and sanitation facilities have been installed to serve 500 children until repairs and reconstruction are completed in the spring of 2008.
>>Earthquake, Indonesia, 27 May 2006
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DRN partnered with International Relief and Development to restore water and sanitation facilities to 8 schools heavily damaged or destroyed in Gunung Kidul and Bantul, Yogyakarta, following the earthquake on 27 May. The programme lasted 3 months and helped 1,600 people. The project is funded in part by Skanska AB and Bechtel. More >>
>>Earthquake, Pakistan, 9 November 2005
Medical Emergency Teams: DRN sponsored the deployment of two Medical Action Network emergency teams made up of specialists in critical care, pulmonology, cardiac-thoracic surgery, and internal medicine. DRN also sponsored two New York City Medics teams to provide:
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Staffing assistance at an outpost of Tehsil District Hospital in Garhi Habibullah
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Primary care with patient loads of 300-500 per day
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Emergency treatment and stabilization of critical/specialized care patients
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Medical evacuation of patients (as needed) to an appropriate facility, and
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Delivery of relief cargo including stoves, transitional shelters, water filtration equipment, tools and survival gear.
Relief Cargo: DRN worked closely with Operation USA and Islamic Relief to deliver more than US$ 3 million of high priority relief goods to earthquake survivors in Pakistan.
Shelters, India: Responding to the pressing need for winter shelters in India, DRN Global, DRN-India and SEEDS’ Structural Mitigation Response Team linked resources to construct 400 interim shelters in the Poonch District of Jammu and Kashmir by December 2005.
Shelters, Pakistan: DRN teamed up with New York City Medics to deliver 1,000 transitional shelters and light-weight portable wood stoves to Pakistan in early January. The Global Village Shelters were manufactured and donated by Weyerhaeuser Company specifically for the relief effort.
>>Hurricane Katrina, United States, 26 September 2005
Responding to the needs following the Katrina Hurricane, DRN collaborated with new partners in the technology sector – the
Center for Neighborhood Technology
(CNT) and Wireless Community Networks (WCN) – to bring emergency wireless technology to Gulf Coast evacuees residing in transitional housing.
Hundreds of refurbished computers and cell phones were made available, at no charge, to shelter residents. In just two weeks, the team established the networks needed to connect 11 towns and 10 relief organizations, giving evacuees access to the people and resources needed to rebuild their lives. Each network now averages 10,000 outgoing phone calls per week.
>>Tsunami, South-East Asia, 26 December 2004
Within hours of the devastating tsunami that struck Southeast Asia, the United Nations Joint Logistics Centre requested the assistance of the Disaster Resource Network’s Airport Emergency Team (AET). On 28 December, the AET was dispatched to Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Working closely with the Sri Lankan Air Force and some 150 volunteers, over a period of 24 days AET expedited 7,400 tons of relief supplies through the airport. On 16 January, the AET transferred operations to local officials and returned to Dubai, contributing an estimated US$ 1.7 million in volunteer labour and services to the emergency relief effort.
Radios for Relief
Over a year after the devastating tsunami struck South-East Asia, thousands of people still lacked electricity or any direct means of communication – a reality that complicates life for both survivors and humanitarian assistance workers isolated in out-of-the-way villages and camps. For those in and around Banda Aceh, this changed on 14 June 2005 with the arrival of 500 Lifeline Radios donated to Mercy Corps by the Freeplay Foundation.
Warehoused in Johannesburg, the Freeplay Foundation contacted the DRN for help securing free ocean transport for the radios. The DRN in turn contacted China Ocean Shipping (Group) Company (COSCO), a diversified company headquartered in Beijing, China, that focuses primarily on global shipping and logistics services.
In an exception to company policy restricting the transport of tsunami donations to shipments originating in China and destined for ports in East-Asia, COSCO agreed to help. The process required the cooperation and involvement of key executives and managers on three continents. The DRN is pleased to recognize COSCO for bringing this vital resource to the people of northern Indonesia who face the enormous tasks of recovery and reconstruction.
>>Airport Emergency Team (AET), Dubai
When disaster occurs, getting relief supplies quickly and effectively to the affected area is critical. A number of organizations and governments spring into action. Airports soon become overrun with shipments of emergency equipment, staff and supplies. Inexperience and lack of coordination on the ground can create unnecessary delays. To help remedy this, the DRN assembled a team of 60 volunteer logistics experts and heavy equipment operators.
Based in Dubai, the hub for relief operations in both the Middle East and Africa, the Team is positioned to deploy immediately to any disaster site in the region. Equipped with two all-terrain forklifts and subsistence supplies (food, clothing, water, tents, cooking equipment) for 7-10 days, the AET offers essential services to relief workers on the ground. The Team will be deployed at the request of United Nations Disaster Assessment Team through its Joint Logistics Centre.
Make a donation
Financial contributors should be wired to the Disaster Resource Network, account # 0240-446640.01D, UBS SA, Swift Code UBSW CHZH 12A. The Disaster Resource Network is a Swiss-registered non-profit foundation. US contributors seeking to make a tax-deductible contribution to the work of the Disaster Resource Network should wire funds to Friends of the Disaster Resource Network, account #09913463, Citibank, N. A., Routing #021000089, Swift Code, CITIUS33. Friends of the Disaster Resource Network is a registered 501 (c) (3) public charity based in New York City.
Companies willing to offer goods and services should contact
drn@weforum.org
All contributions will be formally acknowledged and a follow-up report concerning the use of funds will be provided.
Contact Information
For more information about these projects, please contact
drn@weforum.org
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