3.5. Damage and needs assessment
Evaluating the damage and health needs caused by a disaster is a critical function that should begin immediately after a disaster. A technical, objective approach will help decision-makers and, if necessary, guide the effective mobilization of appropriate humanitarian aid.
The post-disaster assessment should follow a pre-established plan that should be clearly defined prior to a disaster or emergency. Teams that conduct the assessments should have prior knowledge of the dynamics of disasters and the tools that are available for impact assessment. This article describes some of the best practices in conducting needs assessments.
Health assessment teams should be prepared to provide quantitative and qualitative information such as: (a) general information about the affected area; (b) the human impact of the disaster; (c) impact on essential services and the environment; and (d) impact on health facilities and their operations. The profiles of the team members should include:
- Knowledge and experience in risk management, damage assessment, health needs analysis, disaster management, and shelter and/or camp management.
- Knowledge of the national disaster response system, the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Humanitarian Response, and legal frameworks related to emergency and disaster response.
- Ability to establish adequate levels of coordination with local, regional, and national authorities, as well as with international agencies and other entities involved in operations.
- Capacity for teamwork, and good management of human and logistical resources.
- Personal qualities of responsibility, resilience, analytical ability, and ability to manage adverse situations.
- Report-writing capacity.
Consult the document Guidance for health sector assessment to support the post disaster recovery process (part of the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment), which includes a proposed framework to assess the impact of a disaster on the health of communities, identify new risks they are exposed to, determine the post-disaster functionality of the health infrastructure and the performance of the health system building blocks. It also offers a description of the information that will be required, data collection methods that can be applied and a format for assessment of losses in the health sector.