World Bank Document

A CONCEPTUAL AND OPERATIONAL FRAMEWORK ■ 241

Table 9.4 illustrates the role of actors at diff erent levels for immediate post-
disaster response.
One of the main infl uences on low-income groups’ capacity to address their
postdisaster needs is the eff ectiveness of their predisaster eff orts to protect
their assets. In addition, growing awareness of the assets and capabilities of
women, men, youth, and children aff ected by a disaster, and their importance
in immediate postdisaster response, has resulted in more community-focused
approaches, which include the following:

• Maternal and child health care and nutritional supplementation are among
  the fi rst support mechanisms set up in the immediate aft ermath of disaster.


• To address the needs of human capital, health interventions beyond
  the availability of health services and provision for personal safety and
  environmental health in postdisaster situations are oft en very inadequate,
  especially for children and girls and women. Awareness of the heightened
  potential for injury is also critical aft er an extreme event, especially where
  children are concerned, requiring careful assessment.

TABLE 9.4
Asset-Adaptation Framework for Immediate Postdisaster Response

Asset-based actions Institutions and actors
At household and neighborhood levels
Reducing risks in affected areas (such as
draining fl ooded areas, clearing roads),
recovering assets

Government (mainly agencies

responsible for disaster response),

perhaps international agencies

Adopt cash-based social protection measures Donors, NGOs

Help restore infrastructure and services Utilities, disaster-response agencies

Support for households to restore livelihoods
with gender-disaggregated analysis

Local governments, NGOs

Planning and implementing repairs Households, insurance companies,
local contractors

At municipal or city level
Rapid repairs to key infrastructure and services
such as health care, safe water provision

Government and utilities

Human capital social protection of displaced
especially for elderly and children

Government ministries of health/

education/welfare, NGOs

Protection of physical capital to prevent looting
and further erosion of assets

Police and security services

Support for community action Local government, NGOs

At regional and national levels Funding and institutional support
Source: Author.
Note: NGO = nongovernmental organization.