http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=79331
JOHANNESBURG, 18 July 2008 (IRIN) - In Madagascar, where community resilience and livelihoods are continuously eroded by cyclones, floods and drought, the gap between emergency humanitarian action and development assistance can become too wide to cross.
"When the question is not, 'if disaster will strike; but where, how long and how often?", there is little time to help communities back on their feet, Christophe Legrand, Early Recovery and Disaster Risk Management Advisor at the UN Development programme in Madagascar, told IRIN.
Over 100 people died when the Indian Ocean island was hit by cyclones Fame, Jokwe and Ivan earlier in 2008. The powerful winds, heavy rains and flooding affected over 340,000 people, of whom 190,000 lost their homes. There were six cyclones in 2007 - the worst year on record - while drought in the parched south has persisted for several years.
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Real recovery
Legrand said Early Recovery (ER) was key to helping communities bounce back while they braced for the next crisis. "ER shortens the transition phase," he said. The emergency response focuses on essential life-saving activities, while ER starts the restoration of essential elements that can "kick-start normal development".
| The question is not, 'if disaster will strike; but where, how long and how often? |
ER focuses on basic services, livelihoods, shelter, governance, security and the rule of law, environment and social dimensions, including the reintegration of displaced populations; it helps stabilise human security and addresses the underlying risks that contribute to a crisis. "ER helps ensure that [the millions of dollars] injected into a humanitarian response turn into long-term assets," Legrand noted.
