Get it right
 
Giving aid that people need
Ms Adnan
Mercy Relief needs good information before it can help disaster victims, says Goh Chin Siang.

When disasters like the recent Philippine typhoon happen, Mercy Relief is quickly on the scene to offer help. But, how does Mercy Relief know exactly where and when to go? And, what do the victims need most? Water or food or medicines? Doctors to treat victims or engineers to repair buildings? Its chief executive, Goh Chin Siang, says the right decisions start with good information.

Q: When there is a big emergency and Mercy Relief's help is needed, what are the types of decisions that you have to make?
A: The key decision that is required is whether or not to respond to the emergency. Our ability to respond depends on the availability of funds and the public’s support for the emergency. Another important consideration is the security and safety of Mercy Relief personnel.

Q: Usually, the news is full of stories about the disaster. Is it enough to rely on these news stories?
A: News coverage is useful to inform the public about the disaster. However, for a humanitarian organisation like Mercy Relief, we rely on reports from partners in the affected area and agencies that monitor disasters. They can give us more relevant and accurate humanitarian news.

Mercy Relief aims to arrive at the affected area within 72 hours from the time we receive the appeal for assistance. Being on the ground personally helps us monitor and verify first-hand the varied needs of the affected communities. This enables us to address the needs appropriately and avoid wastage.

Q: What other sources of information do you have to research?
A: Mercy Relief gets timely updates from disaster and humanitarian monitoring sites such as the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, U.S. Geological Survey, Tropical Storm Risk, Joint Typhoon Warning Center, Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System, and individual Asian countries' meteorological agencies. Our sources of information also include assessment reports from local partners and government departments in the affected location.

Q: Is it a big challenge to get good information in a crisis?
A: With current technologies, it is not difficult to get good timely information during a crisis. Sometimes telecommunication infrastructure may be completely destroyed in a disaster. But, local authorities usually try to repair telecommunications quickly. The real challenge is in the more remote areas where telecommunication was not developed even before the disaster.

An even bigger challenge is trying to process the huge amount of information. Mercy Relief has to rely on both government agencies and ground partners to provide perspectives of the situation. Only then can we focus on areas that need our attention and deliver an effective and efficient operation.

Q: When Singaporeans find out about a humanitarian crisis, many want to help. How important is it to be well informed before giving help?
A: It is important for the public to understand the situation and the needs on the ground. In many instances, we know of good Samaritans who collect clothes and food to be sent to the disaster area. These personal efforts may be good but could lead to bigger logistical issues of shipment, storage and transportation. There are also customs regulations we need to follow for such donations.

That is why we strongly advise donors to give cash. This allows greater flexibility. We can use the money to buy the relief supplies that the victims need the most, avoiding duplication.

When we buy the needed items from the country itself, this reduces transportation costs and also helps boost the local economy of the affected areas.

Learning from MR GOH
In an emergency, it is important to react quickly. But, it is even more important to react correctly. If you act fast but do the wrong thing, you are not helping. You may even make things worse. To avoid that, Mercy Relief uses information literacy. Here are some tips we got from Mr Goh:
  • Find the right experts and listen to them. Mercy Relief looks for "relevant and accurate" humanitarian news, Mr Goh says. There are specialised websites dedicated to such information. And, to check the weather, Mercy Relief monitors the meteorological service of the affected country.
  • Local knowledge helps. If you are trying to find out whether the road to a village can be used after an earthquake, ask people who are already there, not people far away.
  • Be guided by facts, not feelings. A humanitarian disaster is an emotional time and our emotions tell us to help. But, before we pack off old clothes, toys and food, Mr Goh tells us to check whether these are items that are really needed.


A super site to visit:
SURE CLUB is a fun-filled programme for you to learn about information literacy. To find out more, visit http://sure.nl.sg/students/.