Responding to health needs in natural disasters
CASE BOX 5.9 COMMUNICATION DURING THE 2011 GREAT FLOODS IN THAILAND
By Cecilia Choi
Background
The role of the media is critically important in disaster and emergency situ-ations since media coverage can affect a government’s decisions, influence public attitudes and save lives. From late July to November of 2011, a series of floods started in Northern Thailand and swept into the Central Region, killing hundreds of people, leaving millions homeless and severely damaging the economy. These floods, the worst to hit Thailand for 50 years, affected more than 5 million people in 62 out of Thailand’s 77 provinces. By mid- December 2011, 744 deaths had been reported.
Disaster communication
Approximately one- third of the media reports covering the 2011 Thailand floods were related to the business sector, focusing on the economic and financial implications of the floods. In addition, much of the coverage had a geographic bias (focusing only on Bangkok and the surrounding areas in Central Thailand and overlooking the more heavily affected north and northeast regions). Most reports of the relief effort focused on food aid rather than on health needs.
There was a lack of analysis of health needs from the media reports.
To facilitate response, relief, and recovery efforts post disaster, the media reporting in the immediate aftermath of disasters and emergencies should focus on areas that are of immediate concern to the victims, including shelter, food, health, and water and sanitation.
connections and electricity were cut off, railroads were severely damaged and newsrooms were destroyed. People were not able to communicate or receive information. Thus, they were easily swayed by rumours. Some people were afraid of a second earthquake, some believed there would be tsunami, and oth-ers were worried about the eruption of Mount Fuji. Another disturbing rumour was that Korean immigrants were to blame for the fires. They were accused of planting bombs and poisoning well water. Amidst the chaos, many Koreans were killed. In Tokyo and Kanagawa, 6,000 out of the total 20,000 Koreans were massacred. Later, it was found that a can of pineapple and a bag of sugar were mistakenly identified as a bomb and poison (James, 2002; Ryang, 2003; Hays, 2009). See Case Box 2.7 for other information related to this disaster.
Project, 2011) (see Case Box 5.9). Refer to Chapter 8 for how training may improve community disaster health risk literacy and approaches of how information might be disseminated in emergency situations.
Conclusion
Humanitarian principles are important values that underlie humanitarian action in disaster and emergency crisis. Basic needs for survival (e.g. water and sanitation, food, shelter, health services and information) must be addressed and secured to minimise negative impact of natural disasters on the affected population.
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Current and likely health threats
Disaster subtypes, demographic characteristics (size, age and gender composition), general sociopolitical context, underlying health problems experienced by the pop-ulation, and potential risks to environment, security and lifeline services are all threats that might affect the health outcomes of a disaster- struck population. This chapter provides an overview of the health threats and the likely public health chal-lenges after natural disasters in the twenty- fi rst century.
Threats to physical health Injury and violence
Injuries constitute a major disease burden and health needs in the natural disaster- affected community (see Knowledge Box 6.1). Although injury patterns might vary according to disaster subtypes (refer to Chapter 4 ), unintentional injuries are more likely to occur in natural disasters than intended injuries (i.e. those resulting from violence). Proper and timely injury and trauma care will save lives and enhance recovery and the mental well- being of the affected community. Untreated wounds and improper injury care may result in avoidable mortality, morbidity and perma-nent disabilities which affect post- disaster livelihoods.
Although intentional injuries are less likely to occur after a natural disaster than after a confl ict or war, domestic violence, gender- based violence (forced and early marriage, sexual assault and rape), assault, self- harm, suicide and traffi cking are commonly reported as a result of the stress and social disruption in emergen-cies, particularly during the acute emergency phase of a natural disaster when law and social order are compromised. The vulnerable subgroups (the very elderly, unaccompanied children and women) must be protected from further abuses.