Aid organization urges more aid focus on disaster prevention rather than reaction

Islamic Relief Worldwide on Monday "urged the U.N. to establish a global contingency fund for disaster prevention as it is cheaper to help prepare for floods and drought than spend billions on emergencies," the Guardian reports. In a report, titled "Feeling the Heat," "the charity also called on governments and aid agencies to completely rethink their priorities and put disaster risk reduction at the heart of all aid programs," according to the newspaper. The report notes Australia, the European Commission, and the U.K. "have put resilience at the center of their aid efforts, while Colombia, Indonesia and other at-risk countries are developing strong disaster programs," the Guardian writes, adding, "Research from the U.S. government says $1 of risk reduction spending can result in as much as a $15 decrease in disaster damage" (Tran, 10/1). A press release from Islamic Relief states, "Emergency relief saves lives and assists recovery, but too often it treats the symptoms of the profound problems poor communities face without addressing the root causes. Islamic Relief believes the answer lies in disaster risk reduction (DRR) projects -- initiatives such as cereal banks and microdams to conserve food and water in drought-affected areas, or storm shelters and raised housing to prepare for cyclones and floods" (10/1).