REBUILDING LIVES IN TIMES OF DISASTER SOCIETY REBUILDING LIVES IN TIMES When disaster strikes there is always a demand for skilled, trained engineers and other professionals to react to the immediate humanitarian need. Through OF DISASTER an extensive programme of courses and a register of 1,700 experienced members, international relief charity RedR provides training and recruitment for these humanitarian workers. Martin McCann, CEO of RedR, writes about the work of the charity and its members around the globe. RedR was founded in 1979 organisation that has deployed by Peter Guthrie OBE FREng over 2,500 experts, including (now Professor in Engineering engineers, health professionals for Sustainable Development and logisticians to worldwide at Cambridge) who, following relief efforts, and last year trained an assignment working in a some 2,722 personnel in 10 Malaysian refugee camp for different countries. Vietnamese boat people, realised the critical need for engineers in emergency relief. DISASTER Since then, RedR and its RESPONSES members have responded Since RedR formally became to disasters of all kinds, both a charity in 1982, the first conflict-related and natural, and challenge for its members have been present at most of was to respond to the famines the recent major rapid-onset that affected Ethiopia in 1985, disasters and many of the on- followed by addressing the going crises around the world. desperate needs of the Kurdish The original concept of people fleeing into northern RedR was to create a register Iraq during the first Gulf War. of carefully selected engineers During the 1990s, hundreds of (hence the Register of Engineers RedR members were deployed for Disaster Relief) who could be to respond to the genocide in called on at short notice to work Rwanda and the crises in both with front-line relief agencies Bosnia and Kosovo. on secondment from their Engineers have many of regular employer. This has since the skills necessary to operate greatly evolved and expanded, in disaster situations but they IDP Camp in Pakistan, setup post- encompassing aid workers of all need to have the ability to earthquake © Tim Hayward, RedR disciplines, into an international translate their technical skills 26 INGENIA ISSUE 35 JUNE 2008 INGENIA ISSUE 35 JUNE 2008 27 REBUILDING LIVES IN TIMES OF DISASTER SOCIETY RedR’s training courses help to bridge any knowledge gaps which PAKISTAN exist by covering important technical aspects of relief work as well as EARTHQUAKE At the beginning of October cross-cutting issues such as cross-cultural management and security. 2005, an earthquake devastated the homes and lives of approximately 3.5 million people in Northern Pakistan. RedR immediately recruited some 40 relief workers, including a large number of shelter, water to a completely different two rapid onset emergencies immediate disaster response and as the structures built had to and sanitation engineers, and environment, work with limited struck Asia within months of subsequent relief efforts. take into account the threat of public health and engineering resources and appreciate the each other – the tsunami in RedR member and architect earthquakes. coordinators – alongside needs of the local communities. South Asia and the Pakistan Barbara Alink was out in Sri health workers, logisticians and RedR’s training courses earthquake. Lanka within two weeks of programme managers – to assist help to bridge any knowledge the tsunami, and spent two REDR IN SRI LANKA with relief efforts. gaps that exist by covering SOUTH ASIAN months project-managing the Sri Lanka was severely affected Following the earthquake, important technical aspects of reconstruction of a number by the tsunami that killed some RedR also worked quickly to set relief work as well as overlapping TSUNAMI of schools and clinics along 40,000 people on the island The South Asian tsunami which up a programme in Pakistan issues such as cross-cultural the whole affected Sri Lankan and displaced between 400,000 which provided high quality management and security. struck on 26 December 2004 coastline. She managed a and 500,000 people along the was one of the largest natural training for all organisations As well as providing training multi-million pound budget coastline. In February 2005, involved with the relief process. for aid workers in the UK, RedR disasters ever recorded. It was and a team of 18 staff, including RedR established a training responsible for the deaths of Over eight months, the RedR identified a need to offer its engineers, finance professionals programme in Sri Lanka, initially team ran 130 training events services in areas directly affected close to 300,000 people in 11 and administrators. The project to address the huge need for countries, and resulted in millions for 2,152 participants in five by disaster. In 2001, RedR set involved a considerable amount shelter for the thousands whose different geographical areas, up its first regional training of people being left homeless. of direct implementation as homes had been destroyed. Large numbers of engineers ensuring that frontline staff programme based in the field well as the establishment Construction Engineer Gill Price could benefit from RedR’s in Afghanistan. This experience and other professionals were of minimum construction was recruited through RedR recruited to help with the Shelter training course, 2005 following the tsunami. Participants learn construction/reconstruction techniques, expertise and courses were held was to prove invaluable when standards. By training her own to set up the RedR Sri Lanka through practical and theoretical exercises © RedR where demand was highest. local staff, Barbara was able to programme. RedR provided tailor- pass on knowledge to local The main purpose of the government officials. Coming made, on-the-job training contractors for use in the future. programme was to provide REDR’S SUPPORTERS from an engineering background, and individual coaching for Barbara then flew out field-based training for shelter, RedR relies on the commitment and generosity of individuals, Gill didn’t have much previous national and international NGOs, to Banda Aceh, Indonesia, targeted at local government companies, institutions and trusts to help make a difference to experience of training so the government departments, for 16 months to help with and non-governmental the lives of those affected by disaster. RedR has a number of whole assignment was a huge the military and UN agencies. reconstruction efforts there. organisations. It was vital patrons, engineering companies and institutions who support learning curve, but she received The courses covered a wide The aim of the project she was to work closely with local the charity by making a regular annual donation, enabling a lot of support from other RedR range of areas, including camp managing in this devastated organisations; as the disaster was RedR to plan ahead effectively. RedR patrons and corporate members working in the area management, ‘winterisation’, region was to build 500 schools. on such a massive scale the local supporters also organise fundraising events, raise awareness and the engineering community water and sanitation, and quality She worked alongside a organisations were to play a of RedR’s work and encourage their staff to get involved. They as a whole. standards. structural engineer and started huge part in the relief efforts. play a vital role in helping the charity to achieve its mission and Delivering the training on by training local contractors, During the three months continue its work. RedR also receives substantial income from the ground, RedR is able to engineers and surveyors to that Gill spent in Sri Lanka she the Department for International Development, the European assess local needs, for example FREEZING get the skills in place whilst set up the RedR programme Commission Humanitarian Office, the Big Lottery Fund and the security training is now in huge CONDITIONS keeping to the new building and worked closely with the Sri Disasters Emergency Committee partners. demand due to the renewed Mark Buttle, an engineer with standards that the country Lankan government to shape internal conflict of the country. Arup and a RedR member since The collapsed, soil-covered roof of a house in Dharra village, NWFP, Pakistan. had implemented. Barbara policy on shelter construction. Last year RedR ran 58 different 1998, was sent out to Pakistan Most of the village was devastated by the 2005 earthquake and there were heavy casualties. The heavy soil roofs keep the houses cool in the hot found Indonesia even more RedR also acted as a bridge courses in Sri Lanka, training a as a training consultant and summers but have little resistance to earthquakes © Step Haiselden, RedR challenging than Sri Lanka between other aid agencies and total of 1,153 people. ‘winterisation’ specialist to carry 28 INGENIA ISSUE 35 JUNE 2008 INGENIA ISSUE 35 JUNE 2008 29 REBUILDING LIVES IN TIMES OF DISASTER SOCIETY out a rapid learning-needs cold conditions. In one camp, between providing effective aid through this disaster remained assessment and deliver training drainage ditches had been dug and not, is the application of a in the area after the international on camp management and but the excavated earth was few points of engineering and aid workers departed and other key areas. causing freezing water to pool common sense at the right time.” national staff were then able to Mark said at the time, “Most in tents. A woman, who had lost Much of Mark’s work focused go on to train others. of the local people involved in several family members in the on raising standards and so the relief effort had excellent quake, had stayed up all night improving life in the camps for practical skills but, of course, bailing water out of her tent and the millions of people living WORKING IN had no specific knowledge of was, not surprisingly, at her wits’ there.