Case Study 2: Strong community organisations are an important reconstruction asset in
Soritor, Peru.
After a moderate earthquake struck the Alto Mayo region of Peru, local initiatives of relief and
reconstruction varied a great deal. The Frente de Defensa de los Intereses del Pueblo (FEDIP) in the small
town of Soritor, of 4,000 inhabitants, was a strong organisation, geared to come up for the interests of
inhabitants and defend them against resurgent movements active in the region, such as the Tupac Amaru.
Soritor was organised in 6 neighbourhoods, each of which had a neighbourhood committee. These met
to discuss the needs for relief and reconstruction. Where chaos reigned in other villages and towns, there
was order in Soritor, even though it was one of the settlements most heavily damaged. Within 12 hours,
FEDIP had made a census of damaged buildings, and people in need of support. A few days later, and by
communal decision, a series of measures was taken which included the demolition of 90% of affected
rammed earth houses, and an organised selection of beneficiaries of external humanitarian aid. Thanks
to FEDIP, it was also easy for the NGOs Caritas del Peru and Practical Action to initiate a participatory
reconstruction programme in Soritor, and to expand it into the Alto Mayo.
See Monzón, Zambrano and Núñes in the Resources section.
Case Study 4: A participative needs assessment supports rather than undermines community
livelihoods in Peru
Following devastating floods in Peru (location not disclosed) the community drew a map of where they used
to live. This showed their traditional homes and agricultural and pasture land. Reconstruction experts had
planned to relocate the settlements to a safer urban area. However, when it became clear how important
agriculture and livestock were for the livelihoods of many households, they altered their plans and the
new settlement was built much closer to the traditional lands so that people could continue with their
agricultural activities.
See PACA in the Resources section.
Case Study 5: A study of the market for corrugated iron sheet in Haiti
On January 12th, 2010, a devastating earthquake hit Haiti. Initial estimates were that between 180,000
and 300,000 houses needed to be rebuilt. As a result, 1.4 to 2.7 million GCI sheets would be needed,
but questions arose as whether the roofing sheet market would be able to supply these. A consortium of
10 NGOs, under the leadership of the International Rescue Committee undertook an Emergency Market
Mapping & Analysis (EMMA) of the GCI market, about one month after the disaster. Amongst other things,
it concluded that the market chain was broken, particularly at the retailer/consumer end. The decreased
purchasing powers of consumers had resulted in low demand, causing the market to ground to a halt, with
importers unsure how to react. It might take several months to get a regular flow of sheets going again.
Humanitarian NGOs could import their own stocks, but this would require huge storage capacity, and would
not benefit retailers or local livelihoods. The report therefore recommends that vulnerable households
should be issued with GCI vouchers which they can reclaim at retailers. Retailers would be issued with
grants or credits to rebuild their shops and restock, and would recieve support in negotiating with traders
to maintain access to stocks.
See International Rescue Committee in the Resources section.
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