Communicating During Disasters: Examining the Relationship between Humanitarian Organizations and Local Media | The Democracy and Governance Network

As reported here, how organisations actually make contact with local communities depends on available funding and the type of emergency. Mechanisms for communication include radio, flyers, notice boards, focus group discussions, meetings with government or community leaders, and increasingly, text (SMS) messages. Many organisations are now looking at soliciting information and feedback through call centres and suggestion boxes. How organisations contact local communities "depends on the context and also the stage of the disaster. In the immediate aftermath of a major emergency...the aim is to reach as many people as possible, as fast as possible...however as an operation moves into recovery, the room and need for two-way communication becomes very important."