When a natural disaster hits, a once functional and organized community is thrown into a state of disarray and chaos. Basic necessities, such as electricity, medical care, food, clothing, and currency, are lacking. Mental health issues are commonplace due to jarring experiences during disasters.
Effective disaster management is required to handle the madness that comes with a disaster. This includes prevention, preparedness, emergency response, relief, and recovery. Help support Second Command Digital in both disaster response and effective planning and management.Most deaths in disasters occur in the developing world, mainly because their populations are more vulnerable. Over 85% of those exposed to risks from earthquakes, cyclones, floods and droughts live in developing countries. As an example, if a cyclone of the same magnitude were to strike both Japan and the Philippines, mortality in the Philippines would be 17 times higher. Yet though Japan has 1.4 more people exposed to tropical cyclones than the Philippines. The fact is, the mortality risk for equal numbers of people exposed in low-income countries is nearly 200 times higher than in developed countries. (Minnesota Council on Foundations)
Many experts feel more needs to be done to ensure better coordination in disaster response. In very large disasters, with a very significant international response, the aid that arrives can be enormously complex and difficult to use effectively.
In Haiti, the publicity, need and money that followed the 2010 earthquake is estimated to have created 5,000 new NGOs. The surplus of organizations and aid hindered the recovery process by overwhelming the leadership and coordination mechanisms. Not enough funding went to those organizations already in place, and the efforts to help, while honorable, were largely inefficient and ineffective.Private giving can contribute to these problems, particularly as it is more likely to go to smaller organizations that do not have a presence or experience in that location. Every donor, of every kind, has a duty to ensure they avoid complicating difficult conditions, by strongly supporting coordination and by supporting experienced organizations that already have a capacity in a given place.
There is also a noticeable fall in donations after five or six months, especially in the case of private giving. Donations by private foundations aren’t always a bad thing – in fact, quick disaster giving by private foundations often helps to jump start activities ahead of larger funding that comes later. However, there is such a thing as too quick. Most disasters are underfunded in the longer term, with larger amounts spent on immediate relief and less on rehabilitation and recovery. (Minnesota Council on Foundations)
We don’t see the need to reinvent the wheel, so we empower organizations we believe in to do what they’re already experts at. One-half of what Second Command Digital earns goes to on the ground, reputable charities around the world. Funds are used efficiently and in the areas of most need since Second Command Digital’s proceeds go to already-established organizations.
Second Command Digital also supports more than just immediate disaster relief; we believe in the power of effective planning for disasters and disaster management. Too often, donations flood in as the news of disaster spreads, but slow to a trickle as the months and years pass. We are not just about immediate response, but rather the whole process of disaster management by supporting planning efforts of groups like Samaritan’s Purse and WorldVision.
We believe that by supporting disaster relief organization we are fulfilling several commands that are found in the Bible. The first of these is Micah 6:8, which tells us to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. And the second is the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10, which reveals that everyone is our neighbor, and we should have mercy on anyone in need that we encounter. By creating games that support disaster relief organizations, we believe we are showing mercy to those whose lives have been destroyed by disaster. We realize that everyone affected by unforeseeable disaster is our neighbor, and we desire to be a helping hand to someone in need by partnering with organizations that help those affected by tragedy to recuperate and rebuild.
After a natural disaster, people are in need of basic necessities, medical care, and counseling. Whether it is a response to the floods or fires in the West, a hurricane, or a war-torn evacuee group, join Second Command Digital in helping to bring order to a disordered disaster area.
