Changing the lives of survivors and volunteers worldwide
Disaster = Natural Event + Vulnerability
Disasters aren't just natural events — they are natural events interacting with vulnerability.
Consider the effects of a massive flood in the American Midwest. There would likely be property damage and trauma, but little loss of life. Within a few years at the longest, we would expect to see communities functioning at their pre-flood levels.
If those same floods were to occur in a developing nation, the picture would be very different. The initial effects of the flood would likely be far more severe, the recovery much slower, and people's livelihoods may be compromised for many years to come.
Oxfam reports that, “in rich countries, an average of 23 people die in any given disaster, in least-developed countries, the average is 1,052.7”(source) The difference is vulnerability.
Disasters are more than just destructive natural events that we can't change; they are natural events working in conjunction with pre-existing vulnerability. Simply expressed:
Disaster = Natural Event + Vulnerability
Vulnerability is the force that often drives or prevents long-term disaster recovery. If we don’t understand and address the vulnerabilities of a particular community, recovery aid is likely to address only the visible scars of the natural event, not the vulnerability that plays such a crucial role in creating a disaster. But if we educate ourselves, we can address these issues and leave communities stronger post-disaster.
