The Disaster Radio workshop is underway

At the workshop today they will be considering:

• The phases and psychology of disaster
• Critical information
• Local disaster plan
• Working with other agencies

When Disaster Strikes

Margaret Storey looks at the essential role radio can play during major humanitarian crises, and how Feba is helping put broken lives back together.

During major humanitarian crises, radio access to accurate information can literally be life saving. “So much misinformation goes on during a disaster,” Jon Hargreaves, International Director, explains. “There is so much confusion. It is not enough to simply send relief to these places – people there need to know where to find help.”

After the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami, John Wheatley of FEBC reports that in one area: “All radio stations were swamped and antennas destroyed. Bereaved family members had nowhere to turn for news on the missing. There were very few radios left in working order, so information on food, water and health was only passed by word of mouth.

“The Australian army had very generously donated an entire water purification plant but no one outside the immediate vicinity knew where it was. So people were literally at risk of dying from polluted water, because of rotting corpses in the streets, not knowing there was this wonderful pure water not far away.

“So our immediate goal was to establish a community radio station to give information, and to counsel people. Thousands of small radios were also given out to survivors.”

Long Term Support
Unlike simply providing relief care, Feba and FEBC are committed to staying in disaster areas throughout the rehabilitation phase and beyond – providing spiritual help and emotional support long after the ground has stopped shaking.

Immediately after the 2005 earthquake in Pakistan, Development Manager (FM) Hazeen Latif travelled to the affected area: “It was chaos. Roads were cut in the middle. I went to the medical complex where all the injured and dead bodies were coming. It was also very much damaged. I can’t describe what I saw. Everywhere there was screaming, and crying, and weeping.

“I interviewed some of the injured and some doctors, and we had a live recording direct into the studio.”

In the following weeks and months, Hazeen and others visited the earthquake affected areas, distributing radios and interviewing survivors.

Working with the local FM station, Feba continues to broadcast programmes to the area, helping victims deal with the trauma of living through disaster.

“Radio can play a crucial role in rehabilitation and helping people survive a disaster,” Jon added, “Through that our Christian worldview can come through.”

[This article, When Disaster Strikes, was first published in Threshold magazine, Issue 24, September 2006]

Feba Radio, registered charity no. 257343. Company no. 940492. Feba UK is a member of the Evangelical Alliance, Global Connections and FEB Radio International. Feba, Ivy Arch Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN14 8BX, UK