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(English captions by Trisha Paul, University of Michigan.)

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Before intervening in a disaster, you need
to conduct a Rapid Needs Assessment.

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In this session, we shall look through the
principles of conducting a Rapid Needs Assessment

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in a disaster situation.

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Let us start by an activity.

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Look at 5 disaster situations: floods, war
and conflicts, disease outbreak situation,

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drought and famine situation, 
and an institutional fire situation.

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Spend a few minutes and write down the kind
of information you would need in these disasters.

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You may select one of these.

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Objectives of a Rapid Needs Assessment include
answering the following questions.

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Has a disaster occurred?

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How many are affected?

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What are the immediate needs?

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Are local resources available?

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What external resources are needed?

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What are the estimated costs of intervention?

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And how do you develop an action plan using
this information?

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Key activities in Rapid Assessment include
planning the Rapid Assessment visit, planning

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initial tasks of the team, field data collection,
analysis of data, identification of high risk

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groups, dissemination of information, and
using this information for action.

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In planning the visit, compose the assessment
team and select a team leader.

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Collect background information on the incident.

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Determine gaps in information that need to
be addressed.

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Two, initial tasks of the team.

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There is need to prepare an assessment checklist.

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Assess existing information.

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Conduct, prepare a timetable for assessment.

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Assign tasks and set up communication measures.

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Inform and include local authorities.

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Obtain equipment for the assessment including
computers, radios, etc.

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Organize transport, vehicles, fuel, visas
if necessary.

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Inform potential donors and key decision-makers
and possibly inform the local leaders in the

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community where you are going to conduct the
assessment.

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Three, field visit and data collection.

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Information needs in the emergency phase include
affected population and demographics, vital

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information and health data, food and nutritional
status, environment, water and sanitation,

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shelter & non-food items, resource needs,
and coordination.

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Methods in the field visit and data collection
include visual inspection of the affected

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area, interviews with community leaders, health
workers, emergency personnel, individuals

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from affected population, review of existing
information, conducting rapid surveys to fill

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gaps in available information.

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From the affected population, we need to describe
the size and demographics, especially vulnerable

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groups like women, children, disabled, and
elderly, patterns of movement, socio-cultural

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factors, ethnicity and related issues.

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Vital health information includes deaths and
their main causes, both related to the disaster

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and other core morbidities existing, diseases
of epidemic potential, diseases of public

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health importance like STDs, HIV/AIDS, and
maternal health conditions, and the sources

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of this information could be hospitals and
health centers, local leaders, response personnel,

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and individuals that are directly 
or indirectly affected.

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Assess the health care infrastructure.

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This includes health personnel, drugs & vaccine
supply, and background health information.

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Assess the status of nutrition and food, including
acute malnutrition especially among children

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6 months-5 years, micronutrient deficiencies,
and vulnerable groups, especially pregnant women,

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the elderly, the disabled, and the children.

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Assess the environment.

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Look at water supply, shelter, and sanitation.

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Assess the resource needs, including human
resources, food items, and non food items.

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Challenges in Rapid Assessment include multiple
assessments, team balance to take care of

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local issues, gender, culture, and minorities,
single versus multiple focus assessments,

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local systems and assessments, and targeting,
what do you really need to know?

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Key principles of Rapid Assessment include
the assessment being aimed at determining

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the intervention needed, the fact that it
must be completed quickly, the fact that it

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must identify priority areas for intervention,
the fact that it provides baseline data for

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continuous monitoring and surveillance.