What is emergency WASH?

An emergency is defined as an unexpected and usually dangerous situation that calls for immediate action (Merriam Webster, 2015). Floods, droughts and earthquakes are all possible causes of emergency situations. In such an emergency, many systems you rely on may not function as well as they usually do. Utilities such as electricity, water and phone services may be disrupted. War and other conflicts can also be the cause of emergencies and may result in many people leaving their homes and moving to safer areas. Refugee camps for people fleeing from natural or man-made disasters may be established in locations that do not have the resources to meet basic human needs for water, food and shelter.

People in emergency situations are generally much more susceptible to illness and death from disease, often caused by a lack of sanitation, inadequate water supplies and poor hygiene. Diarrhoea and infectious diseases transmitted from faeces to mouth are the most significant health problems. Increased risk of disease also arises from overcrowding, exposure to new pathogens and the disruption of routine and safe habits.

Inevitably it is the poorest and weakest in society – children, the elderly and disabled – who are most vulnerable in such circumstances and need particular consideration. It is also important to note that whatever physical distress people suffer in an emergency event they will also be mentally traumatised so psychosocial care and counselling are vital components of any response plan. ‘Psychosocial’ refers to both psychological and social effects, which continually interact and influence each other. ‘Psychological effects’ are those that affect perceptions, memory, thoughts, learning, emotions and behaviour. ‘Social effects’ are concerned with altered relationships with family and community (UNICEF, 2006).

Along with food and shelter, safe water, hygiene and sanitation are the highest priority in emergency situations. Unless adequate emergency WASH services are provided quickly to emergency-affected people, disease and possibly death are likely to follow. And unless good hygiene is consistently practised by affected people, the danger of diarrhoea, cholera and other disease outbreaks will persist. This is true in all types of emergencies, from rapid onset natural disasters to long-term crises caused by a range of complex factors.

The main objective of WASH intervention in emergencies is to reduce the transmission of diseases through the promotion of good hygiene practices, the provision of safe drinking water, as illustrated in Figures 14.1 and 14.2, and the reduction of health risks related to poor sanitation.

Figure 14.1 A mother fills goatskin water containers at the collection point for the emergency water supply delivered by water tanker in Somali Region.

Figure 14.2 A community worker adds water purification tablets to water in jerrycans in an emergency situation in Gambela Region.

Standards for emergency response

The organisations usually involved in responding to emergencies include national and local government and many different international, national and local organisations as well as other local groups. They aim to provide humanitarian assistance to the people affected by the emergency. The Sphere Project is an international initiative that aims to improve the quality of actions taken in response to disaster situations. It provides standards against which all humanitarian response activity can be held to account (Sphere Project, 2011). The Sphere Handbook has core sets of standards for:

• water supply, sanitation and hygiene promotion
• food security and nutrition
• shelter, settlement and non-food items
• health actions.

These standards describe the humanitarian actions that should be taken in the event of an emergency in order for ‘disaster-affected populations to survive and recover in stable conditions and with dignity’ (Sphere Project, 2011). Within the water supply, sanitation and hygiene promotion section, standards are set in several different categories, as you can see in Figure 14.3.

Figure 14.3 The Sphere Handbook: Contents of the chapter ‘Minimum standards in water supply, sanitation and hygiene promotion’. (Sphere Project, 2011)

The Sphere Handbook includes standards for responses to meet needs for clean water, basic shelter and sufficient food. It also includes standards for responses concerned with promotional activities and behaviour change, which are the focus of this study session.

Communication interventions for an emergency can be summarised as consisting of three distinct phases: preparedness, response and recovery. We will look at each of these phases in turn in the following sections.