One hidden aspect of emergency response is the psychological toll it takes on aid workers, especially in challenging humanitarian situations like Darfur, Sudan. When RedR began work in the troubled region in 2005, we immediately saw the need to create a programme of training and support to help humanitarian staff cope with the insecurity and stress that comes with the job.

One year after RedR opened its doors in Nairobi, Kenya, more than 1,000 national and international aid workers have been equipped with essential humanitarian skills, ensuring vital support continues to reach disaster-hit communities in some of the world’s most challenging locations.

Disaster Risk Reduction: Are we doing enough?

Agencies must work harder to incorporate Disaster Risk Reduction into aid and development programmes, RedR survey finds

Agencies and NGOs need to take greater steps to incorporate ‘Disaster Risk Reduction’ into their aid and development programmes, helping to save lives and reduce the devastating impacts of natural and man-made disasters, a new RedR survey has found.

The mounting death toll from the cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe has now surpassed 3,900, with more than 80,000 people infected, according to the latest figures from the United Nations World Health Organisation. The UN-led Cluster system for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) is playing a major part in bringing together international and national agencies to ensure a more effective and efficient response to the outbreak.

Jorge Durand Zurdo and Souleymane Sow are two RedR-trained WASH Cluster Coordinators, deployed to Zimbabwe to

DFID have confirmed their continued funding and commitment to RedR-IHE's Programme in Sudan. The Safety and Security Learning Programme will run from November 2006 to April 2007 with the aim of equipping aid workers in Darfur with the skills and knowledge to better manage safety and security in their organisations.

In doing this RedR-IHE continues its approach of mainstreaming safety and security management within aid agencies as well as within the wider aid community, in order to support aid agencies in Darfur and Khartoum to be better prepared to prevent and/or respond

RedR-IHE has delivered a series of workshops on Sphere standards (minimum standards in disaster response) to officials and managers of humanitarian programmes in post-earthquake Pakistan. The workshops were held in coalition with The Sphere Project and the Humanitarian Accountability Project-International (HAP-I).
The workshops took place on 13-15 February in the towns of Muzaffarabad, Mansehra and Islamabad. They included background information on the Sphere Project, an outline of key standards and indicators for humanitarian operations and practical exercises for participants. Kelly

Responding to the devastating earthquake in South Asia that took place on Saturday 8 October, RedR-IHE is sending a team to carry out an emergency HR and training needs assessment in the region.

The assessment will identify gaps in humanitarian skills and expertise and will enable RedR-IHE to provide agencies with the aid workers and training support that they need to carry out emergency and long-term reconstruction work.

The worst affected area is Kashmir, but the quake has also affected northern India and Afghanistan. Some 40,000