WatSan ERU/MSM – Generalist Training British Red Cross, Bath 24/9 – 1/10 2006

RC/RC WatSan in Disaster Response

Session Contents:

(1) Overview - History Of WatSan in DR (2) Federation RC/RC WatSan DR History (3) What are the needs? - SPHERE

(1) Overview - History Of WatSan DR

Military/Conflict experience (Crimea, Boer War, 1st WW Dardanelles, 2nd WW Far East, Korea/Vietnam)

Urban Experience (Bubonic Plague, Cholera in UK, China, India)

‘Cold War’ - Civil Defence set-ups Humanitarian Organisations (OXFAM, Unicef,

WHO, Ross Inst., LSHTM)

Florence Nightingale - Crimea

Nightingale found the conditions in the army hospital in Scutari appalling. It was not surprising that in army hospitals, war wounds only accounted for one death in six. Diseases such as typhus, cholera and dysentery were the main reasons why the death-rate was so high amongst wounded soldiers.

Henri Dunant, speech on Florence Nightingale at the Geneva Convention (August, 1864)

To the many who pay their homage to Miss Nightingale I want to add my tribute of praise and admiration. As the founder of the Red Cross and the originator of the diplomatic Convention of Geneva, I feel emboldened to pay my homage. To Miss Nightingale I give all the honour of this humane Convention. It was her work in the Crimea that inspired me to go to Italy during the war of 1859.

Cholera - UK

cholera began in Scotland in October 1848 but did not establish itself in London until February 1849. In relation to the number of fatalities, this was the most serious of all 19th-century epidemics and around 53 000 deaths were registered for England and Wales

Safe water provision, personal hygiene improved infrastructure & living conditions, public health campaigns & Health surveillance eradicated cholera by 1911.

International Emergency Technical Aid Team (part of British Civil Defense)

Responding as Specialist Rapid Technical Aid Interventionists to overseas rapid onset emergencies and wars since 1967. Technical Aid usually means supplying clean drinking water and other services vital to protect refugees and displaced peoples health.

Over a hundred missions have been undertaken both at home and abroad. In the past decade work has been undertaken during the Kurdish Crisis in 1991, the Rwanda civil war of 1994, in Croatia and Bosnia 1991-1996 and Kosova 1999-2001.

(2) Federation RC/RC WatSan DR History

Late starters – OXFAM/Unicef leaders Ethiopia/Somalia/Sudan in 1980’s – ‘kits’ 1990’s Great Lakes – 1st quasi-military RC

ERU’s WatSan ERU Development period 1995-98 Over 40 major WatSan ERU Deployments Standardised equipment/training/joint deploy.

Key WatSan ERU Developments

‘borrowing ideas’ – participation in SPHERE Emergency Equipment Catalogue (IFRC/ICRC) Equipment trials – new technologies – ERU manual ‘ad-hoc’ learning from deployments – Tech. Work. Groups Creating a ‘cadre’ of ERU team members (about 200) Joint training & deployments – ERU SOP’s Giving ERU PNS ‘visibility’ Integrating with other ERU’s (especially Health ERU’s) Federation as coordinator & maintaining standards

Federation WatSan Response Tools & Mechanisms:

WatSan Unit in Geneva/Regional & Country WatSan Delegates

Existing ONS capacities (NDRT & WatSan HR’s)

Existing Regional Capacities (RDRT/RITS/ERDHAC & equipment)

FACT – assessment tools - WatSan ERU Team members

WatSan ERU’s & WatSan Delegate Deployments

Standard kits and equipment & minimum standards (SPHERE)

Other players (e.g. ICRC, Oxfam, Unicef, WHO, Government/Military etc.)

For effective Disaster Response – all the above must be considered

6 Recognised Emergency WatSan Needs (SPHERE 2004)

Hygiene Promotion Water Supply Excreta Disposal Vector Control Solid Waste

management Drainage

(3) What are the needs?

Hygiene Promotion, Water & Sanitation (SPHERE 2004)

The main objective of water supply and sanitation programmes in disasters is to reduce the transmission of faeco-oral diseases and exposure to disease-bearing vectors.

Simply providing sufficient water and sanitation facilities on their own does not ensure their optimal use or impact on public health.

In order to achieve the maximum benefit from a response, it is imperative to ensure that disaster-affected people have the necessary information, knowledge and understanding to prevent water- and sanitation-related disease.

Four Most Common WatSan Priorities:

Basic WatSan for health structures & RC/RC staff, volunteers & Delegates (including ERU teams themselves!!!)

Basic WatSan for general population but targeting problem areas or threats

Ensuring security, gender/cultural sensitivity, restoring dignity, interface/consultation with beneficiaries

Coordination (internal & external), planning, procurement/HR’s and RC/RC volunteer mobilisation/training