Delivering effective support after natural disasters: Civil protection team members reflect on the EUCP mission to Madagascar. What makes an effective emergency response mission? EUCP team members share their experiences of the response to Tropical Cyclone Batsirai.
Madagascar is one of the least developed countries globally. When faced with natural disasters like Tropical Cyclone Batsirai on 5 February, the consequences can be devastating. A quick and targeted response is essential to help the affected population.
Tropical Cyclone Batsirai brought torrential rainfall, flooding, strong winds, landslides, and storm surges to Madagascar, forcing people out of their homes and causing major damage to infrastructure and crops. Ten people died and up to 250 000 people were affected, at a time when many were still recovering from deadly tropical storm Ana in late January.
As the country has limited capacities to prevent these kind of events, an initial team (‘Alpha’) made up of five EU Civil Protection (EUCP) experts from France, Finland and Sweden, and a Liaison Officer from the Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC), were flown in on 9 February via an EU Humanitarian Air Bridge flight to help deliver vital assistance.
“Cyclone Batsirai caused widespread devastation along the eastern coast of the island, destroying hundreds of houses and water supply facilities,” notes David Pfrang, the ERCC Liaison Officer who was part of team Alpha. “The most urgent needs identified by the national authorities were drinking water, medical assistance, and shelter items.”
To help meet these needs, the ERCC used emergency resources registered in the European Civil Protection Pool (ECCP), which were ready for immediate deployment. Direct requests for assistance were also made to EU Member and Participating States.
"To support the people in need, the ERCC activated two water purification modules from Germany and France, as well as one medical team from Poland," David explains. "To tackle shelter needs, we provided EU Member and Union Civil Protection Mechanism Participating States with a list of the most urgent in-kind assistance required, to help them provide the most useful relief items."
ERCC Liaison Officers like David are a critical part of ensuring the effective delivery of EU assistance in response to disasters, both in Europe and around the world. They are responsible for collecting relevant information and maintaining a clear overview of evolving emergency situations, which enables them to identify needs and coordinate appropriate response actions with Member and Participating States.
“Work in the ERCC is the perfect preparation and background for work in a EUCP team,” notes David. “The daily routine of the response team gave me an insightful glimpse into what makes an effective emergency response mission.”
Cristian Iacob is also an ERCC Liaison Officer, and was part of the second EUCP team (‘Bravo’) to travel to Madagascar to respond to the emergency situation caused by Tropical Cyclone Batsirai. Cristian describes how team Bravo held regular coordination meetings to ensure that they were cooperating well with one another and local authorities, and that they remained up to date on any important developments.
“Team Bravo continued the best practices of the initial team Alpha by organising internal coordination meetings twice per day, where we discussed the main achievements of the day and the plan for the next 24 to 48 hours ahead.”
These meetings played a key role in ensuring a swift and proactive response, as the team were able to plan and allocate roles effectively, and quickly identify emerging challenges.
“One of the most challenging parts was the logistical arrangements,” recalls Cristian. “Especially for organising the phase-out of the French water purification module and the Polish emergency medical team, but also for the set-up of the workplace and base of operations for the German water purification team. The condition of the road infrastructure in the affected areas was pretty bad, and the possibilities for moving team members and equipment by air or sea were scarce.”
The Union Civil Protection Knowledge Network plays a pivotal role in preparing ERCC team members for emergency response missions by encouraging collaboration through training courses and exercises.
These activities equip experts with standard procedures that they can learn and practice before they are deployed, and also allow them to get to know each other.
Rubén Sánchez Villa, another ERCC Liaison Officer who worked alongside Cristian on team Bravo, explains that many team members also have advanced language skills, which contributes to better collaboration between them.
“Everybody in the team spoke English and, in addition, most of us spoke other languages, which made communication between us very fluid,” Rubén says. “I knew I was going to need my French in Madagascar, but I couldn’t imagine I was going to use so much of my mother tongue, Spanish, with other Spaniards in the team, and also with German and Swedish colleagues.”
Rubén is keen to highlight that ultimately, what makes EUCP teams effective is their passion for their work and desire to help others.
“Perhaps the most important element is that people are extremely motivated while on the mission and ready to give their best for it and for the team,” he says.
Team Bravo were able to achieve the goals of the mission in Madagascar, despite the cut of the mission by one week due to the military aggression of Russia in Ukraine and the related reassignment of response resources.
“The team succeeded on the continuation of team Alpha’s efforts on managing challenges in an excellent manner,” Cristian shares. “They ended the mission in close coordination and with proper handover to national authorities, humanitarian aid partners, and the EU Delegation.
Madagascar’s limited internal emergency response capacity means that requests from the country for international assistance are likely to continue in the future. Rubén therefore believes that it would be mutually beneficial for the EU to help improve the country’s prevention and preparedness strategy.
“Preparedness and prevention do not only save lives; investing in these areas is always better than spending money on EU response, something that can be very costly,” he notes.
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