Engineers and Humanitarian Emergencies

Engineers and Humanitarian Emergencies How we can help

• Experience in Africa • What engineers can offer • How to work with international organisations • What it’s like being deployed by RedR Australia • What you can do to help • Engineering roles are in demand • Experience in other countries

Lessons learnt: • • • • •

With UNWFP in Liberia With UNWFP in Somalia With UNHCR in South Lebanon In the Maldives after the tsunami With UNHCR in Ingushetia & Chechnya

Somalia – not an easy place to manage projects

build warehousing refurbish wharves repair roads repair bridges dredge harbours secure compounds

Special Operations Ports & Road Rehabilitation

WFP Somalia

Before

After

Logistics & travel UNHAS

Security not only for people

Mog.warehouse basement excavation

Liberia – a bit easier to manage projects

• • • •

Define the task Collect data needed Locate resources Execute the work

roads

bridges

bottlenecks

What engineers bring to humanitarian aid

Working with other organisations NGO’s Host governments Government ministries other UN agencies other organisations

On mission with RedR Australia My minimum equipment list: unlocked telephone GPS GPS data logger EPIRB torch camera for copying first aid emergency cash & emergency water

FOR A SUCCESSFUL DEPLOYMENT: • Effortless technical competence • Make good decisions from incomplete information • Lead from behind • Compromise, as parties will have mutually exclusive needs • Keep sight of a shifting target • Stay optimistic

Transport

Monrovia

Somalia

Maldives

Somalia

Maldives

Somalia

Syria

Somalia

Maldives

Somalia

Liberia

What you can do • Join RedR Australia • Support those helping RedR • Talk to people

Some roles needed by UN: • • • • •

Shelter GIS Logistics Project management Comms

Other aid crises After the second Russia/Chechnya war:

security

comms

water

shelter

IDP’s

Maintain control

Hot food for 3000 IDP’s.

Stress

Food, water, shelter‌.privacy, security..

Plan for people and their possessions

Never underestimate people

65,000 sheets of asbestos cement roofing

Negotiation

Part of a team

the field

Maldives

Two of a thousand islands

Local supply can be problematic

No work without negotation

Coral-free housing

Beirut

Southern Lebanon

Where to start

A drop in the ocean, but every drop counts