The Preliminary assessment of damages ideally be undertaken within 4-8 hours after the all clear has been given. The assessment will be informed by one or all of the following;
- An aerial reconnaissance done by national or regional teams
- District/Local surveys
- The application of pre-established baseline vulnerability database
The objectives of this stage in the DANA process are to;
- To obtain a general overview of the damage.
- Identify the initial needs of the impacted population including emergency response requirements
From this stage a report will be generated on completion of the assessment. The damage and losses presented here reflect the available information, compiled during a brief period of time. This is not a final assessment of the damage and needs since it reflects information available at the time of the assessment.
This information is collected within 4-8 hours of the all clear and will therefore:
- Provide a general overview of the extent and magnitude of the damage etc.
- Determine the need for a Disaster Declaration
- Provide information that would inform the responses of the International and
Regional Donor Community
- Assist in determining the initial response to the event
- Help to determine the need for the second phase of the assessment process.