CRS DISASTER RESPONSE EMERGENCY RELIEF AND LONG-TERM RECOVERY

PHASES OF CRS MAJOR EMERGENCY AND LONG-TERM RECOVERY RESPONSE

CRS is committed for long-term recovery. The scale of the devastation caused by disasters is often enormous and unprecedented. Working closely with local partners, governments and members of the affected communities, CRS’ long-term recovery efforts for major emergencies may last as long three to five years after the initial disaster response. We provide initial disaster relief, and then support communities as they cope with grief, then begin to heal, recover and rebuild their lives.

CRS takes a holistic approach. We understand from our experience in disasters around the world the importance of helping communities rebuild a living environment and infrastructure central to daily life: safe homes, roads, bridges, water sources, livelihood, microfinance, and access to health services, educational facilities, and opportunities for women’s empowerment.

CRS relief and development programs target those who are most vulnerable. Our staff and partners work to ensure that the voice of the most vulnerable communities is a part of the relief and recovery process, and that their needs are represented in a just, efficient and sensitive manner.

The following objectives are our priorities:
• Immediate response to save and preserve lives;
• Shelter and Reconstruction: Helping people to rebuild their houses and community assets;
• Health: Helping communities to improve their health practices and access to care;
• Civil Society and Governance: Supporting communities and local governments so they may have a positive contribution to decisions affecting them;
• Livelihoods: Fostering greater opportunities for families to secure stable income.

PHASE I: EMERGENCY RELIEF
The initial emergency phase focuses on saving lives and helping people receive supplies such as food, water, bedding, kitchen kits, hygiene and medical supplies, emergency shelter material - as well as physical and psychological care needed to overcome tremendous loss. This phase can last several months, depending on the scale of the disaster.

LOOKING AHEAD: PHASE II AND III - LONG-TERM RECOVERY
In the long-term, overlapping phases of programming help communities build back better and rebuild their lives. We are there not only to support people as they survive catastrophe, but ultimately to thrive despite it. While CRS’ strategy for the Haiti earthquake recovery will evolve according to the needs and context on the ground, we anticipate—based on our knowledge of the country, as well as our experience in similar complex, devastating natural disasters—the following areas for long-term recovery. Through these efforts, we hope to build people’s ability to recover with the foundation for a self-sufficient, healthy, and secure quality of life.

Phase II: Recovery -- Three Months to One Year
In this period we will work with families on the construction of temporary housing structures as well as temporary school structures for education to resume for children. This will help families and children to get back to a sense of routine and normalcy. Trauma and psychological counseling continue during this period for those in need. Training in vocational skills, as well as cash-for-work and food-for-work programs take place to inject money into the economy, build people’s skill sets for longer-term employment, and start to lay the foundation for the restoration and reconstruction of damaged infrastructure. Providing clean water supplies and infrastructure are essential during this transitional period to help avert water-borne illness.

Though the needs may change based on context, these are generally the key element in this phase:
• Transitional shelter and housing
• Temporary schools for children
• Construction of latrines in transitional living areas and trainings on hygiene and health
• Cash-and Food-for-Work activities to clean the city and restore damaged basic infrastructure
• Vocational trainings to help people build skills to establish a stable income
• Training in the construction of safe temporary homes and infrastructure

An important part of this phase and the next is also developing environmental, structural and community responses to reduce the impact of similar disasters in the future through preventative means and community preparedness (e.g. re-vegetation of hillsides to prevent/reduce mudslides, early warning systems, emergency response planning and training at the local level).

Phase III: Rebuilding - Six months to Five Years
This phase lays the foundation for long-term stability in the devastated areas. This period of program activity emphasizes rebuilding safe, secure roads, ports, bridges and buildings; the construction of save and secure homes, schools, markets and other infrastructure; the restoration of jobs and market places with people going back to school, work and life. For shelter, CRS values the need to establish high quality standards and structures that can be adapted to meet the various needs of the people. At the same time CRS works with its partners and other local social service organizations to strengthen their ability to respond to crisis in their communities, and help people develop the resilience to overcome hardship.

Though the needs may change based on context, likely outputs include:
• Restore / construct new roads, buildings, ports, schools and essential infrastructure
• Rebuild / restore permanent homes for families
• Re-open newly built or restored permanent schools
• People have new skills for establishing / earning a stable income
• Markets are restored/reopened
• A stronger local social service network of agencies is better equipped to respond to crisis