Disaster Management students to help in Haiti

Three University of Copenhagen students will use their expertise in Disaster Management in the aid efforts following Tuesday's catastrophic earthquake in Haiti

by Luci Ellis

Following Tuesday's earthquake in Haiti, three students from the University of Copenhagen’s Master of Disaster Management course are taking a break in their studies to take part in relief and aid work in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince and the rest of the country.

The three students are Sune Bülow, Emergency Respons Officer for the Red Cross, Jesper Holmer Lund from The United Nations Office of Humaitarian Affairs, and the native Haitian Yvon St-Martin of DanChurchAid.

Consequences for communications

Sune Bülow, who has previously been stationed in a Haiti for the Red Cross, will concentrate on communication in the Haitian relief efforts.

»I will, alongside a number of other experts, find out what needs to be done right now. Over the next 3 to 4 weeks, I will examine the consequences of the disaster for IT and telecommunications in Haiti,« he explains in an interview published on the Danish Red Cross website.

No worries for own safety

Later on in the interview, Sune Bülow explains that he is not too concerned for his own safety, when leaving Denmark to help a country that is known as one of the most dangerous in the world.

»I don’t feel too bad about going there. We have a number of safety procedures that we have to keep to so I know that it will be alright. As a rule, perople tend to have respect for perople from the Red Cross. It is not the first time I have been sent to an area of conflict, so I am not afraid,« he says.

Packing is easy

After 10-15 missions for the Red Cross, Sune Bülow has no doubts about what to pack for for his journey, despite only having a few days notice.

»I just go home and grab my sleeping bag, a little clothing, medicine, computer, sattelite telephone and then I’m off.«.

As for Sune Bülow’s family, his mother is just pleased he is not going to Afghanistan, he says.

The Master of Disaster Management programme is aimed at providing the appropriate skills for disaster management at a national and international level in areas of natural and man made disaster, climate change, and terrorism.

See more about the Master of Disaster Management here.

luci@adm.ku.dk

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