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Handicap International is to join a network of experts who can be called on by the UK Government in times of international crisis, such as famine, floods and earthquakes.
The new facility will mobilise life-saving support from Britain's best businesses and charities in the critical hours after a disaster strikes.
Supplies, experts and vital aid are too often tied up with paperwork, rather than being deployed straight to the disaster zone, International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell said.
The new facility allows organisations with experience in disaster response to access funding within hours, thereby reaching affected people faster and saving more lives. It will mean the best organisations from across the UK can be mobilised in the critical first 72 hours following a disaster.
Handicap International is one of an initial 34 non-government organisations which specialise in disaster response which has been invited by the UK Government to join the network.
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London-based Handicap International is an international development and emergency relief NGO which has a specialist focus on vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities. Established during the Cambodian refugee crisis of the early 1980s, Handicap International has been active in emergencies ever since, most notably recently during the Haiti earthquake and the floods in Pakistan, bringing rehabilitation support as well as shelter and clean water.
The new Rapid Response Fund will be activated in the event of a large scale crisis. The selected organisations will be approached within two hours and expected to take immediate action.
Andrew Mitchell said:
“Clearly we need our best experts, equipment and aid on the scene as quickly as possible after a disaster, not tied up in red tape. Handicap International need to be able to do their job in that vital window of 72 hours, to save as many lives as possible.”
“Only the professionals, with relevant skills and equipment will be approved. By working with a small pool of specialists, we will end the dangerous crush of aid organisations which often pour into a disaster zone.”
“These organisations represent the very best performing disaster response agencies. This will allow them to focus on delivery. Make no mistake, however, qualification for the fund will be revoked at the first sign of poor performance.”
Jean-Pierre Delomier, Director of Emergency Response, from Handicap International explained:
“The RRF is a vital tool in helping Handicap International ensure that essential support and resources reach the most vulnerable people in the hours and days after a crisis occurs. This new funding means that we can provide vital emergency support even faster, making a critical difference in terms of saving lives and reducing the suffering of people affected, including people with disabilities.”
Lord Ashdown's review of how Britain responds to humanitarian emergencies said that a pre-qualification process would ensure there was a focus on delivery, not bureaucracy, in the first critical stage of disaster response.
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Notes for editors
Press contact
Beatrice Cami, Handicap International
Email: beatrice.cami@hi-uk.org
Tel: +44 (0)870 774 3737 | Mob: +44 (0)7525 101 026
For more information on the Rapid Response Facility please contact the DFID press office on +44 (0)207 023 0620.
About Handicap International
Handicap International is an international aid organisation working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster. Working alongside people with disabilities and vulnerable populations in over 60 countries worldwide, we take action and raise awareness in order to respond to their essential needs, improve their living conditions and promote respect for their dignity and fundamental rights. Handicap International is a co-laureate of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize and a founding member of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines.
