DUBAI // A former US army ranger who led platoons into Iraq at the height of the Gulf War has been passing on survival skills to people heading to Nepal to help with relief work.
David Bopp is director of International Disaster Response and teaches people how to survive crises such as a terrorist attack, chemical spill or natural disaster.
Thousands were caught up in incidents such as the 2004 tsunami, Hurricane Katrina a year later, in New Orleans, and the Mumbai terrorist attacks of 2008, proving that a crisis can happen almost anywhere and at any time.
As forecasters predict a tropical cyclone is heading for Oman, this region is not immune to the threat either.
Several of Mr Bopp’s latest group of students have been learning new skills to take back into Nepalese communities, many of which have been largely cut off from the outside world since the April earthquake.
“Our primary focus is on empowering communities to be able to deal with emergency situations,” said Mr Bopp, who was in Nepal two weeks ago.
“We are equipping people to help when they go back to Nepal, rather than just turn up and be a part of the problem.”
Since leaving the military, he has led relief efforts in Haiti, Indonesia, Lebanon, Pakistan and the Philippines.
Community-based disaster management was founded on the recognition that socio-economic vulnerability, rather than exposure to hazards, defines the impact of disasters.
The disaster environment is dynamic and inconsistent, so any programme must be adaptable and those with survival knowledge reduce their vulnerability, Mr Bopp said.
“The rise of global terrorism has also increased risk,” he said. “People need to be aware of their surroundings; often they are plugged into their phones and have no idea what is going on around them.
“If an area does not seem right, then leave. We all have instinct for a reason.
“People are at great risk when they travel because they are not used to their surroundings. People should know how to get out of a room, a building and a city in case of a crisis situation.”
The course provides in-depth information on specific hazards, including what to do before, during and after each hazard type. After the training, each participant will become a member of the International Disaster Response Network.
Rey Corpuz, who lives in Abu Dhabi, has been caught up in an earthquake and cyclone in his native Philippines, and is taking part in the course.
“It was terrifying because we had no access to food and everything shut down,” he said.
“Amphibian vehicles were throwing food parcels into the houses. I was in Nepal two weeks ago and took a structural engineer with me to check on people’s houses. Many families are too scared to go back inside their homes.
“This knowledge can make a big difference. Communities panic when they don’t know what to do.”
Rukman Sunuwar, whose family are from Ramechhap, Nepal, is looking to take the lessons from the course back to his own community.
“I have a wife and two children, a boy, 6, and a girl, 2. They are here with me and safe, but I want to go back to help the people in my community,” he said. “This training will help me to teach my people how to survive.”
nwebster@thenational.ae
