Rescue Mission: International Relief Operations and Principles

This article discusses the history and principles of international rescue missions and humanitarian relief operations. It explores the role of organizations like International Rescue in saving lives during calamities. The article also provides insights into the strategic analysis and calculations involved in planning and executing a rescue mission.

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RESCUE MISSION; INTERNATIONAL RESCUE
Name of Student:
Name of Institution:

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Background
The history of humanitarian relief operations dates back to 1880s during the battle for Italy’s
freedom in 1859, popularly known as the Solferino 1859. This particular battle left over 40,000
people dead (Brooks, 2009). Due to the intensity of the war and the number of lives lost, there
was a need for external entities to come in and rescue those affected. This inspired the formation
of not only the Red Cross but also the Geneva Convention (Brooks, 2009). This was one of the
battles where the armies were directly commanded by their monarchs. Since then, there has been
an active undertaking of rescue missions when calamities strike in an area. This has attracted not
local but also international attention.
The United Nations have a full department responsible for planning, executing and supervising
rescue missions when dangers strike in certain areas among its member countries (Victoria Holt,
2009). The core objective is to protect human lives and always save as many people as possible
when calamities strike. As such, there exist principles within which humanitarian operations
should be conducted. The principles include humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and
independence. More than 492 organizations across the world have signed the UN Code of
Conduct which restricts them to a set of common standards involved in the provision of aid
(Brown University, 2016). These principles for the basis against which any rescue related
decisions should be made. The techniques applied when conducting rescues should be strictly in
adherence to these word-0wide principles. International Rescue are bound to comply with these
ideas in their daily operations as we.
Learning from past experiences is a good way to improve the effectiveness of our humanitarian
relief operations. It is indeed necessary for practitioners to go back into the history on what

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techniques have been used before to conduct the operations, what have been the changes, what
have been the major successes even as they prepare to conduct fresh aid operations (Eleanor
Davey, 2013). This is, therefore, an aspect that must be considered by the management from the
International Rescue team even as pans are put in place to rescue the people of Berechid.
Depending on how compliant an organization is to the principles governing relief operations,
their credibility could be can be rated and hence they can enter into negotiations with relevant
actors and establish safe access to affected people (OCHA, 2012). This is a belief strongly held
by the United Nations for the Coordination of Human Affairs. To gain reliability from people
with a need, there is a need for ethics to guide the relief operations. Xavier Castellanos noted in a
Red Cross conference held sometime in 2018 that one of the greatest changes faced by
humanitarians is gaining acceptance and recognition especially from migrant workers and their
families (Red Cross, ICRC, 2018). This can, however, be resolved by creating proper awareness
on the role of humanitarians in our society and upholding high working morals when assigned a
rescue mission.
International Rescue has the role of saving 16,000 individuals in Berechid from death. Being
that lives are endangered as a result of the earthquake, the organization is expected to conduct
the mission within 72 hours, literally three days. Considering the fact that the people to be
rescued are quite a number and time is limited, there need to be very unique and calculated
decisions to guide the operations. Landing spaces are limited at the scene of the disaster and the
resources available are also not in excess. Under these circumstances, the management must take
radical steps to ensure the operations are successful, within the set time limits and conforms to
the principles of relief operations.

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The information provided in the case study is insufficient. As such, Fermi techniques of solving
problems must be applied. The manager in charge needs to use the available information and
equipment to undertake a strategic analysis that wi form the basis of the decisions made. This is
the whole concept behind Fermi problems (Ärlebäck, 2009).
1. The strategic intent of International Rescue
It is within the mission of International Rescue to supply the basic life sustaining
items to people in areas affected by disasters as we as relocating them to safer zones.
They intend to be a world-class organization in carrying out such humanitarian services.
2. Numeric database; International Rescue
This table provides a summary of the items that the organization has set aside to
enable it to conduct the operations successfully. It is their duty to use the listed resources
to achieve the primary role of the operation.
Item Quantity
Casualties 16,000
Hours 72
AS532 Helicopters 100
C 130 Transport aircrafts 5
Pouncer Drones 2000
Proteins 150 grams per person
Canned vegetables 500 grams per person
Water 7.5 per person
3. Interpretation of Numeric Database

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The total number of casualties trapped by the earthquake in Berechid is 16, 000 people. The
France governments expect International Rescue to evacuate these people to their
headquarters within 72 hours in order to ensure the most possible lives are saved. 100 AS532
helicopters have been allocated to be used during the operation. 2000 pouncer drones and the
C130 transport aircraft are also on standby to supply water and foodstuffs to those on the
disaster site. The food items allocated to be consumed by the casualties during the operation
include proteins, canned vegetables, and water.
4. Determining the approximate number of people evacuated in one day
The assumption is that helicopters will fly at the maximum possible speed of 249km/hr
considering the task is time bound. That, therefore, implies that the time taken for a helicopter to
get to Berechid, 35 kilometers away from the headquarters is given by
35 km
249 km/hr =0.141h rs=0.141∗60 minutes=8.4 minutes
The loading time for each helicopter is 11 minutes, making the total time required for a
helicopter to fly from the headquarters to Berechid and get loaded to be 19.4 minutes. The other
assumption made by the manager is that the landing space can accommodate five helicopters at
ago. Each helicopter has a capacity of 20 people. In one trip with five helicopters, the total
number of people that can be evacuated will, therefore, be ( 20∗5 )=100 people. There are 24
hours in a day, equivalent to 24*60 minutes = 1440 minutes. To maximize on the limited time
available, it is further assumed that the fleets of helicopters eave the headquarters at an interval
of 19.4 minutes. Consequently, it can confidently be concluded that the number of trips made in
a day by the helicopters to Berechid will be 1,440 minutes
19.4 minutes =74.22 trips ≈ 74 trips

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We had earlier calculated that a total of 100 casualties would be rescued in one day. This
consequently implies that in one day, 100*74 = 74, 000 people would be rescued. The same
number of people would, therefore, be evacuated on the second day.
These eaves the number of people to be evacuated on the third day to be
( 16,000−(7,400∗2) ) ,=1,200 people. This, therefore, implies that on the third day, only twelve
trips were made to Berechid by the five-helicopter fleets. This is arrived at as follows
1,200 people
5 h elicopters∗20 people =12trips
Based on these assumptions, the number of people yet to be rescued at end of the first day would
be ( 16,000−7,400 ) =8,600 people and after the second day, the number of casualties yet to be
rescued would be ( 8,600−7,400 )=1,200 people. All the remaining casualties are evacuated on
the third day.
The table below shows a summary of the mathematical calculations above.
Day Trips Helicopters
per trip
Capacity per
helicopter
Total number
evacuated
Casualties
remaining on
disaster site
1 74 5 20 7,400 8,600
2 74 5 20 7,400 1,200
3 12 5 20 1,200 0
5. Maximum weight of food and water required at the disaster zone within the 72 hours

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Having estimated the number of people remaining on site per day, we can estimate the quantity
of food and water needed by the casualties per day. It is assumed that the food is supplied at the
end of the day that is to say after the last rescue trip.
One person takes (150grams+500grams) = 650 grams of proteins and canned vegetables in one
day. Since there are 8,600 people to be fed at the end of day one, the total quantity of proteins
and canned vegetables to be supplied in a day would be given by
( 650 grams∗8,600 people )=5,590,000 grams=5,590 kilograms
For day two, the quantities would be ( 650 grams∗1,200 people )=780,000 grams=780 kilograms
The total amount of water needed on the first day would be
( 7.5 liters∗8,600 people )=64,500liters and for the third day, the amount of water needed would
be ( 7.5 liters∗1,200 people )=9,000 liters. This piece of information can be represented in a table
as shown below;
Day Casualties
Amount of water in liters
+
Proteins and vegetables in kilograms
1 8,600 64,500 5,590
2 1,200 9,000 780
3 0 0 0
7. Maximum weight of food and water required during the final evacuation period

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One objective of the rescue is to be as economical as possible even as the needs of the
casualties are met. Bearing this in mind, it would be prudent to have all those rescued to
be transported to Marrakesh on the same day, the third day. For this to happen, the
company transporting evacuates to Marrakesh would need approximately one hundred
buses. The assumption is that the busses used have a capacity of sixty people. This is to
mean in one trip, 6,000 people would be transported to Marrakesh. Only three trips will
be needed to transport all the rescued casualties. They will need to consume
( 16,000∗650 grams=10 , 400,000 grams )=10,400 kilograms of p r oteins∧canned food
while for water, the amount needed will be ( 7.5 liters∗16,000 )=120,000 liters.
8. Transporting food and water to Berechid
Structure-wise, the pouncer drone is physically strong and very flexible (Hazarika, n.d). The
drone consists of an inbuilt technology that enables it to boil water and add other food structures
to boil and eat. The drone is more accurate and can launch from up to 35 kilometers away
(Morby, 2017). C130 transport aircraft is extremely fast and has a high capacity. Consequently,
these two machines have their unique features and therefore recommended for use to undertake
rescue operations. Based on these facts, it is, therefore, recommendable for International Rescue
to source the services of both the drone and C130 to deliver food to the victims (Nacakli, 2016).

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9. Diagrammatic representation of the rescue process
Helicopters (5) 8.4 minutes Food and water
35 km in distance
Conclusion
In conclusion, it would be advisable for the International Rescue to conduct the assigned rescue
mission in accordance with the stipulated principles of humanity, impartiality, independence, and
neutrality. These would enable them to rescue those trapped by the earthquake without
discrimination and in a manner that would ensure all of them are provided with the basic needs
like water and food. In the end, all the victims will have been rescued, thus the organization shall
have upheld their core organizational mission.
Bibliography
International
Rescue
Headquarters
Vi
ctims
(Merechid)
Marrakesh town
All casualties rescued
2 hours 7 minutes

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