UC disaster management relief expert to help support relief
UC disaster management relief expert to help support
humanitarian relief
November 24,
2013
A University of Canterbury (UC)
disaster management relief expert has been deployed to the
Philippines to support the humanitarian response to Typhoon
Haiyan with the Adventist Development and Relief Agency
(ADRA).
UC Centre for Risk, Resilience and Renewal
(UCR3) Associate Director Steve Glassey will be working
alongside fellow Kiwis Robert Patton and Mike Langford who
are part of the ADRA New Zealand emergency response team.
The work ahead will be challenging with more than
11.3 million people affected, 670,000 people displaced and
more than $US300 million requested by the Haiyan Action
Plan.
``It will be a challenging response. Not
only is the scale of the disaster daunting but having worked
there before, the huge number of small islands within the
island groups will make assessment and aid intervention
difficult,’’ Glassey says.
``My previous
missions centred around large singular geographical areas.
So this mission will have its own unique challenges.
Filipinos are well versed at disaster response and have good
systems in place.
``Our role is to supplement the
work of the government and local communities to empower them
to recover in a respectful and collaborative
fashion.’’
Glassey will outline the issues and
impacts of Typhoon Haiyan to UC students and staff when he
returns next month.
Glassey has previously been
deployed to help relief efforts after the Samoa tsunami and
the Laos typhoon Katsana in 2009. He has also responded to
the Christchurch and Gisborne earthquakes, the Brian’s
Beach landside and Manawatu floods in various roles, from
frontline to managerial, in the National Crisis Management
Centre.
UCR3 Director Chris Hawker has been in
Jakarta talking with the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for
Humanitarian Assistance. UCR3 is developing opportunities to
support their education programme.
``The last
three years in Canterbury have taught us a considerable
amount about the dramatic effects of a disaster,’’
Hawker says.
``Our Centre for Risk, Resilience
and Renewal and the UC Resilience Network have grown out of
our experiences and the desire for our people to make a
greater difference on the world stage. Our engagement with
and support for the ASEAN region is a key focus for us.
``Steve Glassey's contribution to the response
is a demonstrable way in which UC and UCR3 can proactively
support people affected by a major disaster. It’s just
great that he is able to contribute to the excellent work
ADRA are doing in the Philippines,’’ Hawker
says.
ENDS