When disaster strikes

6 January 2021 | PBS

See the mechanics of disaster relief from the heroes responding on the ground. Government leaders, humanitarians and survivors tell their extraordinary personal stories of determination and hope.

Our warming planet is triggering more extreme weather with cataclysmic consequences — a worldwide rise in natural disasters. Today, more and more people are becoming incredibly vulnerable. Each disaster that pushes people into such dire straits is getting worse and more complex. It's becoming more widespread, and countries are increasingly overwhelmed.

When disaster strikes anywhere in the world, a tried and tested operation swings into action. You have emergency telecommunications. You have air operations — bringing order to chaos, hope from despair.

This series follows the mechanics of disaster relief from the inside. In any emergency, there are four critical clusters: health, food, WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene), and shelter. Specialist relief workers team up with local people on the ground.

Originally screened on https://www.pbs.org/show/when-disaster-strikes/