Disaster Response

From providing disaster relief to running recovery projects, Plan works to protect the rights of children and young people during emergencies, ensuring their immediate and long-term needs are met.

Rebuilding lives

Child protection is central to our work and we provide children with safe spaces, education and emotional support as a priority in our immediate disaster response.

When the city of Binangonan in the Phillipines  was hit by Typhoon Ketsana in 2009, children were among the worst affected. Day-care centres were flooded with rubbish, and walls had caved in. However at the municipal level, refurbishing these centres was a low priority. Plan responded by distributing learning materials, toys, teaching aids and school supplies to 52 day-care centres and training workers in how to use them.

Children recover from disasters more quickly when they are involved in rebuilding their community. We ensure that children and young people take part in our disaster response and have a significant voice in the decision-making.

Reducing risks

Preparation can make all the difference when the worst happens. We work with children, young people and communities to identify disaster risks and strengthen their resilience.

When the tropical storm Agatha hit Guatemala in May 2010, it damaged 101 coastal villages, resulting in 174 deaths. But the situation could have been much worse. Just six months earlier, Plan had run a project to train 345 young people from 23 communities in emergency preparedness and response.

“We had a risk map ready,” said one resident after the storm, “and we had learned how to evacuate people. With this fresh in our minds, we helped evacuate more than 200 families.”

Plan works with partners at all levels to help prevent and reduce the impact of emergencies.

In 2010 Plan has implemented disaster risk reduction strategies in 14 countries.