2013

Coventry University

[HUMANITARIAN RELIEF INDUSTRY]

Report
TEAM PARADIGM [ Arafat Ahmed
Jakub Plachta Khalid Sheikh Chan Yel Thomas Wiberley Daniel Knowles ]

Humanitarian Relief Industry (119COM)

Contents
Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 2 Industry Background ................................................................................................................................ 3 Context diagram and business models ...................................................................................................... 4 Research Current Emerging Technologies ............................................................................................... 6 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................................. 8

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Introduction
Humanitarian relief is used worldwide by millions of people in need of assistance. This can be after a natural disaster, or for people living in poverty. In this report we will be investigating this widely used industry and looking at different factors which contribute to the inner workings of humanitarian relief. Humanitarian relief is an infrastructure consisting of businesses, charities and governments to give support to countries in need. Frameworks are put up as an when they are needed and are put up within a short amount of time providing shortterm disaster recovery options such as temporary food and water or sheltered camps. Charities that work for providing humanitarian relief include, Oxfam and Islamic Relief . The report will be consistent of looking at the background of humanitarian relief. To find out how humanitarian relief works within an industry, we will be looking at the business models that have been laid out to see the infrastructure of how it works. This report will be justification of looking at the technologies which humanitarian relief can utilise. Helping us with the findings to give a summary of the technologies, which are present, and what can be done in the future. We will also be looking into some of the companies and organisations that offer humanitarian relief. There are many organisations that offer anything form disaster relief to poverty all around the world. Lots of companies operate on a global basis operating on several continents. We will also be looking at how these companies receive their funding and aid, many of these organisations rely on donations from the public. In this report we will be talking about the appearances that spot humanitarian relief out from other systems of foreign assistance and development aid which are: Humanitarian aid is planned to be governed by the ethics of humanity, noninvolvement, open-mindedness and independence It is also planned to be temporary in countryside and be responsible for activities in the instant outcome of a disaster.

This report will also be stable of looking at the importance of humanitarian aid. Being governed by ethics of humanity in which it will enable supportive donations from entities, businesses, governments and other organisations.

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Industry Background
During the 21st current century, there have been a thousand of natural disasters around the world. There were in average 332 natural disaster observed in years from 2001 to 2010. Over the last decade, China, the United States, the Philippines, India and Indonesia constitute together the top 5 countries that are most frequently hit by natural disasters. The humanitarian industry is set up to give post disaster relief to people in crisis all over the world in the shortest time frame possible. Key players include governments, Businesses and individuals.

After the battle of Solferino a Swiss businessman called Jean-Henri Dunant recommended that there should be a source of help to those wounded and in danger. He came upon this of his experiences of going to aftermath of the Solferino battle. Jean gave recommendations to send rescue and aid workers to those in need; these became the foundations of the international committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The Red Cross is a volunteer led humanitarian company which provides different amounts of services such as, first aid courses, emergency response, health and social care, finding missing family, preparing for disasters and refuge support etc. The humanitarian industry is global. During the last decade there have been many famous disasters such as the Haiti earthquake that occurred on the 12 th January 2010. A number between 200 thousand and 300 thousand were estimated to be killed let alone injured. The Red Cross is a registered charity and receives donations from people across the world the money raised from these donations is used to provide equipment and food to help them achieve there aims and objectives. The organisation will operate differently depending to what situation there responding too. Haiti was one of the disasters that the Red Cross reached out to them provided food and shelter to those found and rescued. They also help with the recovery process long after a disaster. Such as in Haiti they looked at helping the livelihoods and recovery of lives and environments such as roads to shelters and also to families who are in need of financial or emotional support. They helped over 3,500 families giving them 85 to spend on immediate needs such as school fees, food and water. Not only this, the company also help in the action of immediate attention to rebuilding houses, schools, hospitals and providing crops by doing this they are making sure that in the aftermath the environment will be more stable to live in.

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The principles of the Red Cross foundation are; Humanity -To bring assistance without discrimination to the wounded on the battlefield to promote co-operation and peace Impartiality Making no discrimination to race or religion Neutrality To not take sides during conflicts which are racial, religious or political Independence Voluntary service workers are voluntary and not used for desire Unity there can only be one red cross in any one country and it must be open to all people Universality

These principles guarantee the consistency of the work the Red Cross do all over the world. Other humanitarian aid companies include Oxfam and Islamic Relief which both work towards giving out support and services to those in need in crisis or disaster.

Context diagram and business models

Humanitarian aid

Nongovernment organisation

Public organisations Local business

Government donor

Local NGOs (Red cross) (UNICEF) (Oxfam)

Disaster

Individual consumers Public donors Private organisations

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The above diagram shows the way in which humanitarian relief is distributed. It starts with the donors. These are people or organisations that help to fund various humanitarian relief operations, through purchasing items in charity shops to donating large sums of money to the cause; there are many ways in which someone can donate towards humanitarian relief. After the donors come the local NGOs (Non-Government Organisations), for example Red Cross. The money raised is passed onto this organisation, or ones similar from where it is then distributed out to either public or private organisations. The money will be sent to different companys dependant on what work need doing. If a house needs building, they would send it to a construction organisation to fund the build. If crops need planting, they would help local farmers with buying new seeds to plant. The types of people who receive the aid can be split into two different groups, local Businesses or individual customers. An example of a local business would be helping a farmer to re-plant crops and fund the process where as an individual could receive support with caring for their family and providing them with clean water.

Local business

Government donors

Red Cross Charity HQ

Retail stores

Customers

Public organisations

Aid Supplies

Logistics Companies

People in Crisis

This diagram shows the way in which the Red Cross operates. The diagram starts with the Red Cross receiving donations from three key areas. These are government donors, local businesses and public organisations. However, companies who operate under the retail sector such as large supermarket chains also have the opportunity to raise money for organisations such as the Red Cross.

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An example of this is Asda and its customers whom raise money for the Tickled pink charity whose prime focus is on supporting people with breast cancer. They do this by adding the Tickled Pink logo on to selected items and every time a customer buys one of these products money is donated to the charity. Relating this back to the model, customers and retail stores raise money for the organisation that can then be used to send aid to those in crisis.

Research Current Emerging Technologies

Smartphones In todays generation, our ways of communication has become precisely simple to use over electron devices. This means that todays iPhones are as much of a computer as they are a communication device. This means that we are able to communicate with other people simply by sending text messages which only takes up to roughly 10 seconds whereas back in the olden days the only way you could communicate was by sending letters. The rebellion in wireless technology has made smartphones an important portion of peoples lives. In todays world, smartphones could perhaps help save thousands of lives in the repercussion of a disaster or humanitarian emergencies. The development of software by computer geniuses can be used to speedily and accurately locate missing people, quickly identify cases of starvation and successfully point people towards safe districts and this can be done by simply checking their phones. Cloud Computing Cloud computing technology can be used to deliver key communications implements for organising disaster response through delivery of suitable goods, which means the teaching of live-saving skills, establishment of global humanitarian aid and support for members and families. In addition, cloud computing technology can save many lives because it offers a transportable collaborative and the ability to share information using all different kinds of media. However, Cloud Computing aids humanitarian organisations by offering simplicity of combination through superior operation of computing possessions and enlarged processing speed. Nano Technology This is where you build machines on a scale of molecules it has, such as robotic arms and whole machines. The amazing thing about Nano technology is that it is made up of a scale of molecules. It is massively based around science and that the world of Nano computing is massive. There are so many products that have come under the line of Nano technology. There are something called Nano spiders which are there to fix DNA strands and also put things together which are not. For regards in humanitarian relief it could be very useful to have these Nano machines to find and
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rescue someone who is in danger such as; if there was someone stuck under a building which has broken down from an earthquake the Nano spider could be programmed to send a GPS signal for someone it has found which could be very helpful in the case of someone omitted. The advantages that you have also with Nano technology are that there are so many different innovations with it. If there was someone who was injured from a natural disaster such as a tsunami and had lost their arm and they had to get it amputated. There is a solution for this and that could be mechanically engineer a new arm for them to use in help of their loss. Tablets Nexus tablets are minicomputers. They are useful in terms of business wise or selfentertainment. This is because it allows you to download wide range of useful apps such as dictionary, news apps etc. these can keep you updated if you dont have access to explore what is happening around the world. However, tablets are quite small and can be carried with you wherever you go. Another advantage is that their battery can last you for approximately 2days depending on how you use it. During difficult times in humanitarian aid tablets can play big role in sharing information between the humanitarian industries.

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Bibliography

Investopedia Staff. (2013). The Industry Handbook: The Retailing Industry. Available: http://www.investopedia.com/features/industryhandbook/retail.asp. Last accessed 04/11/2013.

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Morealtitude. (2012). 9 Events that have Shaped the Humanitarian Industry. Available: http://morealtitude.wordpress.com/2012/11/22/9-eventsthat-have-shaped-the-humanitarian-industry/. Last accessed 04/11/2013

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Redcross . (2013). Who we are. Available: http://www.redcross.org.uk/Aboutus/Who-we-are. Last accessed 30/09/2013.

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Rick Chin. (2011). 8 Current Technologies That Will Shape Our Future.Available: http://www.redcross.org.uk/About-us/Who-we-are/The-internationalMovement/Fundamental-principles. Last accessed 05/11/2013.

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Dara Schnidejans. (). An Empirical Examination of Cloud Computing in Humanitarian Logistics. Available: http://www.cba.uri.edu/research/brownbag/spring2013/documents/DaraS201332 9paper.pdf. Last accessed 4th november 2013.

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CRN. (2010). Meet the nano-spiders: The DNA robots that could one day be walking through your body Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1278133/Meet-nano-spiders-TheDNA-robots-day-walking-bo. Available: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1278133/Meet-nano-spiders-TheDNA-robots-day-walking-body.html. Last accessed 05/11/2013.

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