BREAKING NEWS: 8.9 magnitude earthquake hits Japan.
IDRN is engaged.
BREAKING NEWS: 13 million people are suffering from famine in Eastern Africa.
IDRN is engaged.
BREAKING NEWS: Class 5 cyclone strikes Cairns, Queensland.
IDRN is engaged.
BREAKING NEWS: Tropical storm Sendong hits the Philippines.
IDRN is engaged.
BREAKING NEWS: Mount Merapi erupts in Indonesia.
IDRN is engaged.
Some of these events made headlines and some of them didn’t. Regardless, the International Disaster Response Network (IDRN) responded to these disasters as well as many others around the world. Simply stated, The IDRN is a network of organizations and individuals who come together in response to crisis’ and disasters that happen around the globe. They work together in preparation and training so as to provide immediate relief efforts as well as long term sustainability to help victims restore and reclaim their lives after devastation.
As I’ve been blogging about the crisis in the Horn of Africa and supporting the IDRN Africa Response campaign, I realize you may not know much about this organization. Unlike some of the more familiar organizations like, World Vision or World Food Program, IDRN is lesser known program. Though a smaller operation, comparatively speaking, IDRN makes a big difference for millions of people all around the world.
IDRN is an affiliate of the Humanitarian International Services Group (HISG) which “exists to facilitate collaboration for sustainable development and disaster response operations within and across impacted sectors in regions where [they] operate.”[1] To ensure quick and efficient response, IDRN is dedicated to constant training, testing, and organizing of its response networks. You can imagine with organization partners spread around the world, the need for seamless logistics in communication and implementation between partners is imperative. Millions of human lives are at stake after a multitude of different natural and humanistic disasters, so IDRN knows its systems have to be tight and organized.
Who is a part of this network of people? Well, just for Horn of Africa Response alone 25 different countries:
- COMIBAM
- Dove Africa
- Sheepfold Ministries
- Global Assist Network
- AMEBrazil
- Evangelical Alliance of Kenya
Click International Disaster Response Global Partners to see a more comprehensive list of world partners who are invested in crisis’ beyond Horn of Africa Response.
My favorite aspect about IDRN is they focus on helping crisis-stricken region obtain long-term sustainability. After tending to immediate relief efforts and helping victims out of crisis mode, IDRN helps families rebuild their lives so they can move forward and flourish on their own for future generations. IDRN uses local resources within the affected region, engages with local businesses and their owners, and encourages local men and women to tap into their own skills and capabilities to stimulate their own economy. IDRN volunteers teach families everything from good health practices so as to support their own healthful longevity to business development so families can operate their own small businesses. In fact, “IDRN has helped start over 3000 small businesses through out Africa over the last 10 years with a 73% success rate.”[2]
This is an organization to be trusted and supported. Though my heart is tied to IDRN’s Horn of Africa Response, I support them in all global endeavors. To learn more or to support IDRN visit their website IDRN.info. If you’d like to learn more about IDRN’s work in the Horn of Africa, please visit the IDRN Horn of Africa Response Facebook page.
