Earthquakes: Guidelines on preparing, responding and recovering

Despite the many similarities that earthquakes share
with other disasters, they differ on many counts.
These guidelines aim at drawing on the experiences
of members of the International Red Cross and
Red Crescent Movement (the Movement) and other
humanitarian actors in preparing for, responding
to and recovering from earthquakes in the last
decade. While directed primarily at members of the
Movement, these guidelines would be of relevance to
all humanitarian agencies and personnel.
These guidelines are not intended to be a stepby-
step guide to preparing for, responding to and
recovering from earthquakes. It is assumed that the
readers are familiar with the processes and operations
involved in a humanitarian response. What this
document attempts to do is to highlight issues and
aspects that are particular to earthquakes and that
need to be taken into consideration. Given the high
likelihood of occurrence, the challenges of responding
to earthquakes in urban settings have been given
particular attention.