{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,10]],"date-time":"2026-07-10T00:37:31Z","timestamp":1783643851261,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":19,"publisher":"Cambridge University Press (CUP)","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2017,3,8]],"date-time":"2017-03-08T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1488931200000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/terms"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Prehosp. Disaster med."],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2017,6]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title><jats:sec id=\"S1049023X17000164_abs1\" sec-type=\"intro\"><jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title><jats:p>While the concept of community resilience is gaining traction, the role of spontaneous volunteers during the initial response to disasters remains controversial. In an attempt to resolve some of the debate, investigators examined the activities of a spontaneous volunteer group called Nafeer after the Sudan floods around the city of Khartoum in August of 2013.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec id=\"S1049023X17000164_abs2\" sec-type=\"general\"><jats:title>Hypothesis<\/jats:title><jats:p>Can spontaneous volunteers successfully initiate, coordinate, and deliver sustained assistance immediately after a disaster?<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec id=\"S1049023X17000164_abs3\" sec-type=\"methods\"><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>This retrospective, descriptive case study involved: (1) interviews with Nafeer members that participated in the disaster response to the Khartoum floods; (2) examination of documents generated during the event; and (3) subsequent benchmarking of their efforts with the Sphere Handbook. Members who agreed to participate were requested to provide all documents in their possession relating to Nafeer. The response by Nafeer was then benchmarked to the Sphere Handbook\u2019s six core standards, as well as the 11 minimum standards in essential health services.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec id=\"S1049023X17000164_abs4\" sec-type=\"results\"><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>A total of 11 individuals were interviewed (six from leadership and five from active members). Nafeer\u2019s activities included: food provision; delivery of basic health care; environmental sanitation campaigns; efforts to raise awareness; and construction and strengthening of flood barricades. Its use of electronic platforms and social media to collect data and coordinate the organization\u2019s response was effective. Nafeer adopted a flat-management structure, dividing itself into 14 committees. A Coordination Committee was in charge of liaising between all committees. The Health and Sanitation Committee supervised two health days which included mobile medical and dentistry clinics supported by a mobile laboratory and pharmacy. The Engineering Committee managed to construct and maintain flood barricades. Nafeer used crowd-sourcing to fund its activities, receiving donations locally and internationally using supporters outside Sudan. Nafeer completely fulfilled three of Sphere\u2019s core standards and partially fulfilled the other three, but none of the essential health services standards were fulfilled. Even though the Sphere Handbook was chosen as the best available \u201cgold standard\u201d to benchmark Nafeer\u2019s efforts, it showed significant limitations in effectively measuring this group.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec id=\"S1049023X17000164_abs5\" sec-type=\"conclusion\"><jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title><jats:p>It appears that independent spontaneous volunteer initiatives, like Nafeer, potentially can improve community resilience and play a significant role in the humanitarian response. Such organizations should be the subject of increased research activity. Relevant bodies should consider issuing separate guidelines supporting spontaneous volunteer organizations.<\/jats:p><jats:p><jats:mixed-citation id=\"S1049023X17000164_refa1\" publication-type=\"journal\"><jats:name name-style=\"western\"><jats:surname>Albahari<\/jats:surname><jats:given-names>A<\/jats:given-names><\/jats:name>, <jats:name name-style=\"western\"><jats:surname>Schultz<\/jats:surname><jats:given-names>CH<\/jats:given-names><\/jats:name>. <jats:article-title>A qualitative analysis of the spontaneous volunteer response to the 2013 Sudan floods: changing the paradigm<\/jats:article-title>. <jats:source>Prehosp Disaster Med<\/jats:source>. <jats:year>2017<\/jats:year>;<jats:volume>32<\/jats:volume>(<jats:issue>3<\/jats:issue>):<jats:fpage>240<\/jats:fpage>\u2013<jats:lpage>248<\/jats:lpage>.<\/jats:mixed-citation><\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1017\/s1049023x17000164","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2017,3,8]],"date-time":"2017-03-08T02:44:13Z","timestamp":1488941053000},"page":"240-248","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":22,"title":["A Qualitative Analysis of the Spontaneous Volunteer Response to the 2013 Sudan Floods: Changing the Paradigm"],"prefix":"10.1017","volume":"32","author":[{"given":"Amin","family":"Albahari","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Carl H.","family":"Schultz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"56","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2017,3,8]]},"reference":[{"key":"S1049023X17000164_ref5","volume-title":"Ciottone\u2019s Disaster Medicine","author":"Ciottone","year":"2016"},{"key":"S1049023X17000164_ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/cc1055"},{"key":"S1049023X17000164_refa1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S1049023X17000164"},{"key":"S1049023X17000164_ref12","unstructured":"Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. Spontaneous Volunteer Management Resource Kit: Helping to manage spontaneous volunteers in emergencies. Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Australia; 2010. https:\/\/www.dss.gov.au\/sites\/default\/files\/ documents\/05_2012\/spontaneous.pdf. Accessed May 3, 2016."},{"key":"S1049023X17000164_ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/acem.12736"},{"key":"S1049023X17000164_ref11","unstructured":"National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster. Managing Spontaneous Volunteers in Times of Disaster: The Synergy of Structure and Good Intention. National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster Web site; 2008. http:\/\/www.nvoad.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/dlm_uploads\/2014\/04\/final_2008_managing_spontaneous_volunteers_lr.pdf. Accessed May 3, 2016."},{"key":"S1049023X17000164_ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S1049023X00003253"},{"key":"S1049023X17000164_ref15","unstructured":"Kushkush I . As Floods Ravage Sudan, Young Volunteers Revive a Tradition of Aid. The New York Times; 2013. The New York Times Web site. http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2013\/08\/30\/world\/africa\/as-floods-ravage-sudan-young-volunteers-revive-a-tradition-of-aid.html?_r=0. Accessed May 3, 2016."},{"key":"S1049023X17000164_ref18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/acem.12735"},{"key":"S1049023X17000164_ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.annemergmed.2013.05.001"},{"key":"S1049023X17000164_ref14","unstructured":"United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Sudan: Hundreds of thousands affected by heavy rains and floods. August 2013. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Web site. http:\/\/www.unocha.org\/top-stories\/all-stories\/sudan-hundreds-thousands-affected-heavy-rains-and-floods. Accessed May 3, 2016."},{"key":"S1049023X17000164_ref19","volume-title":"Code of Ethics and Conduct for NGOs","year":"2004"},{"key":"S1049023X17000164_ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1067\/mem.2003.126"},{"key":"S1049023X17000164_ref16","volume-title":"Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Humanitarian Response","year":"2011"},{"key":"S1049023X17000164_ref13","unstructured":"World Health Organization. Sudan Health Sector Bulletin. Flood Response Update, August 31, 2013. World Health Organization Web site. http:\/\/www.who.int\/hac\/crises\/sdn\/sitreps\/sudan_health_cluster_bulletin_31august2013.pdf?ua=1. Accessed May 3, 2016."},{"key":"S1049023X17000164_ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/CBO9781139629317"},{"key":"S1049023X17000164_ref2","volume-title":"Convergence behavior in disasters: a problem in social control","author":"Fritz","year":"1957"},{"key":"S1049023X17000164_ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1067\/mem.2003.107"},{"key":"S1049023X17000164_ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/cc1054"}],"container-title":["Prehospital and Disaster Medicine"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/services\/aop-cambridge-core\/content\/view\/S1049023X17000164","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2019,4,17]],"date-time":"2019-04-17T17:52:14Z","timestamp":1555523534000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/product\/identifier\/S1049023X17000164\/type\/journal_article"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2017,3,8]]},"references-count":19,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2017,6]]}},"alternative-id":["S1049023X17000164"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1017\/s1049023x17000164","relation":{},"ISSN":["1049-023X","1945-1938"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1049-023X","type":"print"},{"value":"1945-1938","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2017,3,8]]}}}