Early action database

Identifying appropriate early actions for a particular hazard and context is essential to successful anticipatory action. In the interest of facilitating exchange between organizations, regions, and actors, this early action database allows practitioners to see what anticipatory actions are being implemented or considered around the world.

Using the dropdown menus and search options below, you can pull up early actions according to country, organization, hazard, sector or intended purpose. The resulting list will provide you with basic information about the actions including lead times and links to additional resources, where available. This information can serve as the foundation for further research and discussion as to how to adapt these actions to new contexts.

Please note that, at the moment, the early action database only contains early actions from Red Cross Red Crescent National Societies, but the Anticipation Hub is working with other actors in anticipatory humanitarian action to catalog their programs and actions and include them in the database as soon as possible.

Growing this database and keeping it up to date is a community effort. If you or your organization identify an early action not in the database, please download and fill out the following form and send it to Arielle Tozier de la Poterie so that we can add them.

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Results

178
sort by
Title

Health and/or first aid sensitization

  • Country

    Ecuador

  • Organization

    Red Cross Red Crescent

  • Hazard

    El Niño

  • Early Actions

    Health and/or first aid sensitization

  • Sector

    Health, WASH

  • Lead Time

    3 months

  • Purpose

    Reduce vector borne diseases, Reduce waterborne diseases

  • Detail of action

    Based on the seasonal forecast, volunteers sensitize communities and provide training on waste management, cleaning drains, waste water management, hygiene and vector control. 

  • Additional resources

    Visit the Ecuador Red Cross project page here.

    Read factsheet Ecuador here.

Title

Health and/or first aid sensitization

  • Country

    Ecuador

  • Organization

    Red Cross Red Crescent

  • Hazard

    Volcanic ash

  • Early Actions

    Health and/or first aid sensitization

  • Sector

    Health

  • Lead Time

    Not available

  • Purpose

    Reduce health impacts

  • Detail of action

    At the first signs that a volcano may errupt (first level of alert) Ecuador Red Cross begins disseminating information on how people can protect themselves from the ash.

  • Additional resources

    Visit the Ecuador Red Cross project page here.

    Read factsheet Ecuador here.

    Read 2019 activation report here.

Title

Health and/or first aid sensitization

  • Country

    Global guidance

  • Organization

    Red Cross Red Crescent

  • Hazard

    Drought

  • Early Actions

    Health and/or first aid sensitization

  • Sector

    Health, WASH

  • Lead Time

    TBD

  • Purpose

    Reduce health impacts

Title

Health and/or first aid sensitization

  • Country

    Global guidance

  • Organization

    Red Cross Red Crescent

  • Hazard

    Flood

  • Early Actions

    Health and/or first aid sensitization

  • Sector

    Health, WASH

  • Lead Time

    TBD

  • Purpose

    Reduce health impacts

  • Detail of action

    Produce and/or distribute IEC material on prevention of waterborne diseases/communicable diseases/use of water purification material etc. ahead of the floods.

Title

Health and/or first aid sensitization

  • Country

    Global guidance

  • Organization

    GBV AoR

  • Hazard

    Cross-cutting

  • Early Actions

    Health and/or first aid sensitization

  • Sector

    Health, Protection

  • Lead Time

    TBD

  • Purpose

    Reduce health impacts, Reduce gender-based violence

  • Detail of action

    Distribution of information and communication materials (prior to an extreme event) on how to access GBV services so that women/children know how to keep themselves safe before, during, and after.

Title

Health and/or first aid sensitization

  • Country

    Global guidance

  • Organization

    GBV AoR

  • Hazard

    Cross-cutting

  • Early Actions

    Health and/or first aid sensitization

  • Sector

    Protection

  • Lead Time

    TBD

  • Purpose

    Reduce health impacts, Reduce gender-based violence

  • Detail of action

    Establishment or expansion of GBV hotlines/ helplines or available telephone counselling services prior to an event to help women get information they need to keep themselves safe before and during an event. 

Title

Health Protection Kits

  • Country

    Costa Rica

  • Organization

    Red Cross Red Crescent

  • Hazard

    Intense rainfall

  • Early Actions

    Health-protection kits

  • Sector

    Health

  • Lead Time

    24 hours

  • Purpose

    Reduce health impacts

Title

Health-protection kits

  • Country

    Peru

  • Organization

    Red Cross Red Crescent

  • Hazard

    Cold Wave

  • Early Actions

    Health-protection kits

  • Sector

    Health

  • Lead Time

    5 days

  • Purpose

    Reduce health impacts

  • Detail of action

    Kits contain materials to protect alpaca herders from the cold and to prevent respiratory infections and other ailments, including a waterproof poncho, sunglasses, heavy-duty gloves and other items that allow the herder to care for alpacas in the extreme snow (this is only distributed if snow is forecast, not cold alone). 

  • Additional resources

    Visit the country page here.

    Visit the Peru Red Cross FbF project page here.

Title

Health-protection kits

  • Country

    Ecuador

  • Organization

    Red Cross Red Crescent

  • Hazard

    Volcanic ash

  • Early Actions

    Health-protection kits

  • Sector

    Health

  • Lead Time

    Not available

  • Purpose

    Reduce health impacts

  • Detail of action

    Distribution of kits to protect against impact of ash (happens for all projected ash levels): N95 Masks, safety glasses, and saline solution, a jute bag and informational materials.

  • Additional resources

    Visit the Ecuador Red Cross project page here.

    Read factsheet Ecuador here.

    Read 2019 activation report here.

Title

Heating centers

  • Country

    Kazakhstan

  • Organization

    Red Cross Red Crescent

  • Hazard

    Cold Wave

  • Early Actions

    Heating centers

  • Sector

    Shelter/Infrastructure

  • Lead Time

    3 to 7 days

  • Purpose

    Save lives

  • Detail of action

    Mobilization of homeless to the social adaptation centers with support of the local authorities.
     

Title

Heating centers

  • Country

    Kyrgyzstan

  • Organization

    Red Cross Red Crescent

  • Hazard

    Cold Wave

  • Early Actions

    Heating centers

  • Sector

    Health

  • Lead Time

    Not available

  • Purpose

    Reduce health impacts

  • Detail of action

    Mount outdoor heating shelters and warm beverages at strategic points in large cities to provide refuge for homeless people or outdoor workers.

  • Additional resources

    Visit the Red Crescent Society of Kyrgyzstan FbF project page here.

Title

Hygiene kits

  • Country

    Peru

  • Organization

    Red Cross Red Crescent

  • Hazard

    Intense rainfall

  • Early Actions

    Hygiene kits

  • Sector

    Health, WASH

  • Lead Time

    10 days

  • Purpose

    Reduce health impacts

  • Detail of action

    Hygiene kits are provided along with water purification when shorter-term forecasts indicate El Niño-related, long-term heavy rains and associated flooding. 

  • Additional resources

    Visit the country page here.

    Visit the Peru Red Cross FbF project page here.

Title

Hygiene kits

  • Country

    Kyrgyzstan

  • Organization

    Red Cross Red Crescent

  • Hazard

    Heatwave

  • Early Actions

    Hygiene kits

  • Sector

    Health

  • Lead Time

    7 days

  • Purpose

    Reduce health impacts

  • Detail of action

    Distribution of hygiene products to reduce rates of infection during the heat.

  • Multi hazard considerations

    During COVID-19 volunteers were required to wear masks, gloves and where possible, face shields; Physical distancing was enforced for volunteers and beneficiaries; Face masks and bottles of hand sanitizer to be added to hygiene kits; Hand sanitizer was available at all distribution points; Distributions were conducted in shaded open air locations whenever possible and water bottles were provided to prevent people from overheating; Increased quantity of hand sanitizer was distributed to beneficiaries

  • Additional resources

    Visit the Red Crescent Society of Kyrgyzstan FbF project page here.

Title

Hygiene kits

  • Country

    Ecuador

  • Organization

    Red Cross Red Crescent

  • Hazard

    El Niño

  • Early Actions

    Hygiene kits

  • Sector

    Health, WASH

  • Lead Time

    7 days

  • Purpose

    Reduce health impacts

  • Detail of action

    Hygiene kits are provided along with water purification when shorter-term forecasts indicate El Niño-related, long-term heavy rains and associated flooding.

  • Additional resources

    Visit the Ecuador Red Cross project page here.

    Read factsheet Ecuador here.

Title

Hygiene kits

  • Country

    Global guidance

  • Organization

    Red Cross Red Crescent

  • Hazard

    Drought

  • Early Actions

    Hygiene kits

  • Sector

    Health

  • Lead Time

    TBD

  • Purpose

    Reduce health impacts

Title

Improve conditions at evacuation sites

  • Country

    Nepal

  • Organization

    Red Cross Red Crescent

  • Hazard

    Flood

  • Early Actions

    Improve conditions at evacuation sites

  • Sector

    Protection, Camp Coordination & Management

  • Lead Time

    7 days and 24 hours

  • Purpose

    Improve conditions at evacuation sites

  • Detail of action

    TBD

  • Additional resources

    Visit the country page here.

    Visit the project page here.

Title

Improve conditions at evacuation sites

  • Country

    Global guidance

  • Organization

    Red Cross Red Crescent

  • Hazard

    Volcanic ash

  • Early Actions

    Improve conditions at evacuation sites

  • Sector

    Health

  • Lead Time

    TBD

  • Purpose

    Reduce health impacts, Improve conditions at evacuation sites

  • Detail of action

    Prepare evacuation centres ensuring hygiene conditions, electricity, social distancing (if necessary), prepositioning food and water, protection, child-safe spaces, provide first aid and psychosocial support etc. 

Title

Improve conditions at evacuation sites

  • Country

    Global guidance

  • Organization

    Red Cross Red Crescent

  • Hazard

    Flood

  • Early Actions

    Improve conditions at evacuation sites

  • Sector

    Shelter/Infrastructure, Camp Coordination & Management

  • Lead Time

    TBD

  • Purpose

    Improve conditions at evacuation sites

  • Detail of action

    Preparing evacuation shelters, including guarantee minimum conditions for evacuation centres (water, electricity, latrines, food…etc.)

Title

Improve conditions at evacuation sites

  • Country

    Global guidance

  • Organization

    GBV AoR

  • Hazard

    Cross-cutting

  • Early Actions

    Improve conditions at evacuation sites

  • Sector

    Protection, Camp Coordination & Management

  • Lead Time

    7 days

  • Purpose

    Reduce gender-based violence

  • Detail of action

    Coordinate the establishment of temporary women and girl’s safe spaces in evacuation centres or temporary camps prior to evacuation to ensure that women and children have safe places to evacuate to.  

Title

Improve conditions at evacuation sites

  • Country

    Bangladesh

  • Organization

    Red Cross Red Crescent

  • Hazard

    Cyclone / Typhoon

  • Early Actions

    Improve conditions at evacuation sites

  • Sector

    Protection, Camp Coordination & Management

  • Lead Time

    30 hours

  • Purpose

    Security

  • Detail of action

    Provision of artifical light at cyclone shelters is meant to encourage people to evacuate and ensure they are safe at the shelters

  • Additional resources

    View project page here.

Do you have a question?

Arielle Tozier de la Poterie

Global advisor Early Action and Research

German Red Cross

Raise your Question