Family Preparedness

Hazards can affect communities adversely and destroy developmental  gains in a matter of minutes. The 2015 Nepal earthquake which devastated  Nepal and led to the death of more than 9000 people is one such  example. A large number of people were separated from their families or  were not able to reach to them immediately after the disaster had  struck. Similarly, the recent Chennai and Kerala floods showed the world  the damaging effects that hazards can have on the life of individuals  and families. Numbers of people were not able to connect to their family  in the aftermath of the rains and were stuck for days without any  information about their loved ones. 

After such disasters, it has been observed that not just an  individual but the family as a collective is affected. Families suffer  more when they are not able to get together or in case of loss of any  family member. In a post-disaster scenario, such issues are very common  and are known to have caused severe psychological trauma on the life of  individual members. 

Community-based disaster preparedness is very effective in rural  areas, but in urban settings where a feeling of ‘the community’ is  absent, it is near impossible to initiate community preparedness. The  best way to initiate preparedness in urban settings will be to encourage  families to get prepared on their own. Many countries have been  encouraging family preparedness and preparing the family for any  unforeseen events. There are numerous guidelines, for example, family  preparedness guidelines by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Red  Cross Society, etc. which are shared with people and they are encouraged  to participate in such activities. In a country like India with a  population of more than 1 billion, it has been observed that  post-disaster, families have to go through additional trauma and many  times are not able to cope with it without external support.

GHS has prepared a document that you can download and use to prepare your families for various hazards. 

Please download the Disaster Preparedness Plan for Families flyer here.