Mutual aid in crisis and disaster situations: Case study La Réunion

29/08/2024

The Entraide study focuses on a number of countries with a variety of ‘crisis’ situations (of political origin, natural disasters or linked to climate change). The aim is to analyse spontaneous solidarity initiatives by informal actors and citizens, and how they relate to institutional aid actors. The case study on La Réunion will look at the dynamics of citizen mutual aid during cyclones, particularly in 2022 and 2024.

Based on a series of case studies, this operational research project aims to improve understanding of the mutual aid that takes place spontaneously in crisis situations and the relations between mutual aid networks and professional aid organisations. The aim will be to make operational recommendations both for individuals and organisations for before, during and after a crisis.

For the case study of La Réunion, a field mission was carried out in July-August 2024 to gather informations.

The analysis focused on the following aspects:

– Characterising the crisis and its context

– Identifying people’s perceptions of the crisis and questioning the ‘collective memory

– Analysing the dynamics of mutual aid and how they evolve according to the timeframe of the crisis or disaster (before, after, during)

– Understanding how institutional players adapt to informal ways of helping each other

The study mission provided an opportunity to meet and consult with the populations affected, citizens and associations and institutional aid agencies involved in preparing for and responding to cyclones (in particular Batsirai, 2022 and Belal, 2024).

This operational research project is part of, ‘Learning and Innovating to Improve Crisis Response – phase 3’ (2022 – 2025). This project, which aims to help structure the NGO sector, is funded by the French Development Agency, Fondation de France, the Principality of Monaco and the Auvergne Rhône Alpes Region.