Humanitarians get H.E.L.P. in Honolulu
08.04.2014
HONOLULU – The Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance facilitated the Health Emergencies in Large Populations (H.E.L.P.) course at the Hale Koa Hotel in Honolulu July 21 – Aug. 1.
The class consisted of 30 participants that crossed nine nationalities from around the Asia-Pacific region. The Center (CFE-DMHA) has hosted the course annually on behalf of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and in partnership with the University of Hawai’i at Manoa for nearly 20 years.
“The course trains humanitarian practitioners on best practices in the coordination of humanitarian emergencies from a public health perspective,” said Deputy Director Douglas Wallace, of CFE-DMHA, and H.E.L.P. course manager. “A key take-away is broadened knowledge about national, international, and relief organizations, and related ethical guidelines and protocols for the application of aid in international humanitarian emergencies.”
The H.E.L.P. course is traditionally for civilian humanitarian practitioners, however, a unique aspect of the CFE-DMHA-facilitated course is that it brings together a mix of civilian and military practitioners to enhance the educational experience with a networking opportunity among civil-military professionals that may meet later in the field. This year’s course included 17 military participants (seven U.S. and 10 international), and 13 civilians (including seven international humanitarian organizations). CFE-DMHA partnered with RedR – Australia, and hosted several U.S. and international subject matter experts to assist in bringing quality instruction to the course.
“The thought of bringing civilian and military into the same room, so that we get a better and broader understanding of what each of us brings in the Asia-Pacific region – this is exciting,” said Louise Robinson, senior associate trainer for RedR – Australia, a humanitarian NGO which also focuses on training personnel for deployment on humanitarian missions.
Running with water
In addition to academic lectures, students give individual presentations on their respective organizations, and participate in group discussions, workshops, and hands-on exercises – including running with buckets of water to simulate conditions in displaced persons emergency camps.
“The approach we’ve taken to the course is that academics are presented followed by practical exercises which place the participants in the driver’s seat,” said Wallace. “If they do something hands-on – set-up a primitive shelter, plan for WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene strategies) – these are all included to engage the participants so they contemplate perspectives other than their own.”
One of the students participating in the water exercise was Lt. Col. Nik Mohd Noor Nik Amin, M.D., commander of a medical battalion in the Malaysian Armed Forces.
“In my county… there is no H.E.L.P. course,” he said. “This course is comprehensive. The syllabus itself is really good with content from A to Z. (In one course) I can learn everything from the introduction of disaster; how to deploy a team; managing (an emergency camp); how to distribute the food; how you manage security; how to coordinate; how to interact with the U.N., NGOs, military, everything. I’ve learned it from (this class).”
While responding to flooding on the East Coast of Malaysia in 2013, Nik Amin saw firsthand how a lack of coordination between organizations slows progress in disaster response.
“My unit would be deployed in response to a disaster,” said Nik Amin. “When I go back to Malaysia, I can bring the syllabus back to my battalion and initiate a workshop on how to manage a (disaster response) exercise. I want to teach my battalion and my doctors in terms of managing a disaster – this is my [main] task.”
Worldwide instruction
Overall, the ICRC H.E.L.P. framework has been conducted by partner organizations in parts of Latin America, North America, Africa, Asia and Europe, with approximately 3,400 health professionals and humanitarian aid workers having completed the course since its inception.
“This is one of several H.E.L.P. courses conducted worldwide on behalf of the ICRC, but CFE-DMHA is the only one conducted in Hawaii,” said Wallace. Overall, the Center has trained more than 400 health professionals, and is the only defense affiliated organization authorized to provide the instruction.
“The full picture is: whatever you choose to do there is an impact, as long as we are aware of the impact that we’re making, then we are going to make a better program,” said Robinson. The students will return home “with a network of colleagues that they can pick up the phone and talk to. Some will take home a deeper understanding of what the United Nations humanitarian pillar is responsible for, but mostly how difficult it is for national governments to manage their own disaster response and that we should not be adding to the burden, but relieving it through proper coordination and cooperation.”
Jagadish Bhattarai, a program coordinator for the Nepal Red Cross Society, Capt. Stuart Thomas, a civil-military cooperation planner with the Canadian Armed Forces, and Master Sgt. Christopher Hox, noncommissioned officer in charge of an aeromedical evacuation team in the U.S. Air Force, carry buckets of water around a large field to simulate conditions in displaced persons emergency camps during the Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance’s annual Health Emergencies in Large Populations course (H.E.L.P.) in Honolulu July 22. (Photo by Katryn Tuton/ CFE-DMHA).
(From left) Capt. Stuart Thomas, a civil-military cooperation planner with the Canadian Armed Forces, Shibaram Gautam, a program officer for the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS), Michael Mozina, a trainer from RedR – Australia, Jagadish Bhattarai, a program coordinator for the NRCS, and Dinesh Thapa, a disaster risk reduction officer for the NRCS, discuss water supply issues that may arise in displaced persons emergency camps during the Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance’s annual Health Emergencies in Large Populations course (H.E.L.P.) in Honolulu July 22. (Photo by Katryn Tuton/ CFE-DMHA).
Jamuna Shrestha, a project development manager for Good Neighbors Nepal, and Katherine Browne, from Team Rubicon, pound a support stake into the ground during an emergency shelter exercise during the Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance’s annual Health Emergencies in Large Populations course (H.E.L.P.) in Honolulu July 22. (Photo by Katryn Tuton/ CFE-DMHA).