Natural disasters are a force to be reckoned with; earlier when man did not have such sophisticated equipment, natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes would wipe out entire colonies without anyone being able to take adequate action. With technology, man became stronger and first began to predict the occurrence of these disasters. Now in this day and age, we can successfully predict some disasters and because of this, we are prepared to deal with the consequences. This article discusses what these consequences mean in terms of rehabilitation and what kind of relief is needed for victims.

Although, the climate issue has been of growing and even greater concern in the past few decades, it cannot be denied that now is the time for action. The climate has deteriorated in front of man’s eyes because of man’s environmentally unfriendly activities that are affecting everything in nature from the air to plants to insects to land to people. Some of our earlier decisions to not protect the sanctity of earth’s environment have led us to this point now where many aspects of nature have been complete displaced and now we have to deal with the consequences. Every year now, the winters get shorter and more intense and the summers get longer and more and more unbearable. World over, glaciers have melted, continents have moved, wildlife is endangered and yet man continues to build his bubble of technology.

In terms of natural disasters, we can really see the effects of climate deterioration; the number of natural disasters has increased incredibly over the course of the last 4 decades. Natural disasters have become more intense in nature and frequent in their occurrence. The one good thing that man has to his advantage is the fact that we are equipment sensitive and sophisticated enough to predict natural disasters. Because of this, we are able to plan ahead and deal with the disaster in a more systematized manner. In some cases, areas are evacuated so as to avoid damage to human life. In others, strategies are thought out to deal with the aftermath of a certain disaster. The focus of this article is dealing with the aftermath.

In the pre-planning stages, governments should already mobilize relief authorities and create safe havens for victims or displaced people to retreat to. They should also have rehabilitation plans ready at their disposal. Another important thing is to physical and mentally prepare the citizen about the shock that comes with disasters, dealing with it, using effective thinking to keep themselves mobilized and staying safe, secure and motivated in the aftermath of the disaster. Disaster relief supplies are an integral part of this pre-planning. There are many organizations that manufacture these supplies; they need to follow UNHCR specifications and also abide by international quality control and standards in order to be viable.

Many disaster relief supplies need to be reliable and sturdy since they are immediate form of relief that victims receive. They need to be such that they can handle any kind of harsh weather, can be set up anywhere (mobile) and allow for protection against potential harm. Some of them include tarpaulin, tents, blankets, repair kits, utensils, etc. Displaced individuals also require the same kind of relief items. Other than this relief, victims later need counseling and therapy to help with them with PTSD and to keep them motivated to be active, participating citizens who can re-build their lives. Most people with PTSD feel insecure and unsafe and alienated from their surroundings. As important as physical relief is, mental relief should also be considered as a priority.