The nature and scale of some disasters require a special response. Hurricane Mitch in 1998 affected five countries simultaneously. The earthquake in Mexico City in 1985 occurred in a densely populated urban environment. In Armenia, the political situation dominated relief efforts following the earthquake in 1988. In Mozambique, the floods came in two waves in 2000 and struck again a year later. And in one of the worst disasters of recent times, the Asian tsunamis in December 2004 devastated communities across several countries on two continents. The International Federation responds to natural disasters both big and small, some predictable, others not. While conducting operations in small- and medium-scale disasters is familiar territory for the International Federation, it is still feeling its way in the complex environment of large-scale disasters, especially with regard to the extent and nature of its involvement once the emergency phase is over. A renewed desire to systematize the International Federation’s approach to recovery operations was triggered by the 2004 Asian tsunamis, in recognition of the need to set policies and procedures in place for dealing with major natural disasters of this kind. It therefore commissioned a review of recovery operations in selected contexts over the past 20 years in order to identify recurring patterns and good practices and to make recommendations for future operations. “Recovery operations” in the International Federation context means those programmes which go beyond the provision of immediate relief to assist those who have suffered the full impact of a disaster to rebuild their homes, lives and services and to strengthen their capacity to cope with future disasters. The International Federation’s recovery operations in the six contexts reviewed were all quite different, providing insights from a wide range of experiences. In Honduras, one of the five countries affected by Hurricane Mitch, the International Federation mounted housing reconstruction programmes. In Turkey, the earthquake prompted a major urban disaster recovery programme, involving the rebuilding of social infrastructure and bolstering disaster preparedness. After the earthquake in Iran, the International Federation focused its recovery work on schools. In response to a series of cyclones in Viet Nam, the International Federation developed a cyclone-resistant construction programme to meet shelter needs, as well as revitalizing mangrove plantation. Following floods in Mozambique, International Federation efforts were concentrated on public health and shelter. In Swaziland, the focus was on drought recovery and food security.
The review covered different aspects of the International Federation’s approach to and conduct of past recovery operations and, on the basis of its findings, came up with a number of specific recommendations. The present document is a summary of the key findings and recommendations. The review identified many shortcomings in the International Federation’s past recovery operations. It also found examples of successful interventions which could serve as the basis for future International Federation recovery strategy. These too have been documented.