A dangerous information gap

Author(s)
Fricke, C. Elderfield, E. Ghani, R. Kemp, E. Sarwar, B.
Publication language
English
Pages
14pp
Date published
31 Mar 2023
Type
Research, reports and studies
Keywords
Disaster preparedness, resilience and risk reduction, Floods & landslides, Inclusion
Countries
Pakistan
Use in Humanitarian Programme Cycle
Needs assessment and analysis, Strategic response planning
Organisations
CLEAR Global

Flood-affected communities in Sindh and South Punjab lack the information they need to access assistance, avoid further harm, and prepare for future floods. In February 2023, CLEAR Global and Pattan Development Organisation studied the reach and comprehension of flood-related information materials in four severely flood-affected locations. 
We found that:

  • Some of those hardest hit by the flooding have received no information at all. 
  • Women are largely excluded from information. 
  • Existing materials such as posters need adapting to be effective and widely understood.
  • Poor communication increases risk to individuals, including scams and tensions related to confusion about relief distribution. 
  • Poor information provision has increased feelings of anger and injustice. 

These recommendations can help responders plan more effective communication for future flood responses.