A Comparison of the Medium-term Impact and Recovery of the Pakistan Floods and the Haiti Earthquake: Objective and Subjective Measures. Issue 3 (29th May 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Weiss, William M.; Kirsch, Thomas D.; Doocy, Shannon; Perrin, Paul
• Is Part Of: Prehospital and disaster medicine. Volume 29:Issue 3(2014)
• Page Start: 237
• Page End: 244
• Publication Date: 2014-05-29
• Subjects: disaster response, -- earthquake, -- floods, -- Haiti, -- Pakistan; Emergency medical services -- Periodicals; Emergency medicine -- Periodicals; Disaster medicine -- Periodicals; 616.025
• DOI: 10.1017/S1049023X14000466
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1049-023X

Abstract

Abstract: Introduction: The 2010 Haiti earthquake and Pakistan floods were similar in their massive human impact. Although the specific events were very different, the humanitarian response to disasters is supposed to achieve the same ends. This paper contrasts the disaster effects and aims to contrast the medium-term response. Methods: In January 2011, similarly structured population-based surveys were carried out in the most affected areas using stratified cluster designs (80×20 in Pakistan and 60×20 in Haiti) with probability proportional to size sampling. Results: Displacement persisted in Haiti and Pakistan at 53% and 39% of households, respectively. In Pakistan, 95% of households reported damage to their homes and loss of income or livelihoods, and in Haiti, the rates were 93% and 85%, respectively. Frequency of displacement, and income or livelihood loss, were significantly higher in Pakistan, whereas disaster-related deaths or injuries were significantly more prevalent in Haiti. Conclusion: Given the rise in disaster frequency and costs, and the volatility of humanitarian funding streams as a result of the recent global financial crisis, it is increasingly important to measure the impact of humanitarian response against the goal of a return to normalcy. WM Weiss, TD Kirsch, S Doocy, P Perrin .A comparison of the medium-term impact and recovery of the Pakistan floods and the Haiti earthquake: objective and subjective measures .Prehosp Disaster Med .2014 ;29 (3 ):1 -8 .