News
World Jewish Relief launches emergency response team for global disasters
Consisting of 10 to 20 people, the new team will deploy to international crisis zones 'within 48 hours of a disaster striking'
August 30, 2017 14:22
Consisting of 10 to 20 people, the new team will deploy to international crisis zones 'within 48 hours of a disaster striking'
August 30, 2017 14:22An international response team is being launched by World Jewish Relief to rapidly react to global humanitarian crises.
The British charity is looking for experienced volunteers from within the Jewish community to join the project.
Consisting of 10 to 20 people, the new team will deploy to international crisis zones “within 48 hours of a disaster striking”.
The aid organisation is looking for people with experience in “needs assessments, food distributions and cash-based responses, water and sanitation, logistics, gender specialism, emergency provision of temporary shelter and agriculture or livelihood development”.
Paul Anticoni, WJR chief executive, led the International Red Cross’s disaster response operations for 12 years before joining the Jewish charity.
He told the JC: “We have a network of global partners who we can rely on, should disaster hit in those countries. But I’ve often felt we could go one stage further.”
WJR has helped provide aid following 21 natural and man-made disasters over the last 15 years, including the 2004 Boxing Day Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2010 and 2015 earthquakes in Haiti and Nepal, and the Syrian refugee crisis and famine in East Africa.
Mr Anticoni said having someone from WJR on the ground in the immediate aftermath of a natural disaster could make a difference.
“We saw that in 2015, after the earthquake in Nepal. We had a local staff member on the ground within 48 hours of the earthquake hitting. And it gave us incredible amounts of information that enabled us both to launch our appeal to the Jewish community here, and to make a tailored, cost-effective, results-orientated response which changed people’s lives incredibly rapidly.”
In some cases, when a disaster could be predicted, it might be possible to have staff on the ground in advance.
“I’m convinced we have great expertise within our community,” he said.
“We’re looking for some quite specialised expertise — people who already have international experience, preferably in chronic or acute disaster situations.
“I want to compile a roster, so that should disaster strike, I have a group of individuals I can call upon.
“We can look at availability and the skills needed, and get them on a plane within 48 hours of a disaster striking, maybe even in advance of disasters, so that when we go to our community to appeal once again, I’m even more convinced that those funds raised will save lives in a more effective way.”
Mr Anticoni said Britain’s Jewish community “has punched way above its weight over the last decade in response to disasters.
“I think making sure now that we’re not just asking people for money, but asking them if they’ve got any skills and experience that we could utilise makes even better use of our community’s resources.”
Recruitment began yesterday, and WJR hope to have the team in place by the end of the year, ready for deployment in early 2018.
