Assessment

Emergency assessments gather vital data regarding the disaster context and needs and resources of affected people which are essential to providing appropriate, timely and efficient humanitarian assistance. Assessments, when effectively carried out, inform emergency, rehabilitation and reconstruction program planning and contribute to successful recovery.

As recent studies of responses to the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster have shown, lack of standardized formats, weak or untimely assessments, and those which do not involve affected people may result in over or undersupply of relief goods or inappropriate relief items and can undermine sustainable recovery.

InterWorks partners have many years of experience in developing and implementing assessments and training practitioners in emergency assessment skills. The partners’ expertise includes emergency education, nutrition, health, water and sanitation, shelter, protection, gender and use of Sphere standards.