Complex Emergencies
Complex Emergencies
The sixth module of the TorqAid online Disaster Risk Management (DRM) program covers Complex Humanitarian Emergencies (CHEs), where one of the main case studies we look at is the humanitarian crisis affecting Syria and the surrounding region. As well as reviewing the situation on the ground, we also check out the progress of the arriving Syrian and Iraqi refugees within Australia.
DRR-Conflict
We’ve modified our Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) diagram to illustrate the effects of this due to conflict and/or a severe deterioration in governance. This diagram is explained more fully (on page 14) in the TorqAid article a Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Framework – www.torqaid.com/drm-framework. We cover conflict-related scenarios in Topics TC08 and TC09 of the 2025 online PDRM program. In the past we have analysed the situations in Rohingya in Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Syria, Gaza, the Yemen and Ukraine.
Online PDRM program
Our 2025 online Semester 2 Participatory Disaster Risk Management (PDRM) program is running from the 28 July through to the 17 November 2025. The intended outcome of this program is to provide the knowledge & skills to enable the participant to better understand, plan for and implement humanitarian initiatives across the Disaster Risk Management Cycle (DRMC). Ten topics overall are taught on a weekly basis. When accompanied by three assessment tasks, the PDRM is given Advanced Standing towards a number of Master level courses (eg Sustainable Development, Development Studies) offered by Murdoch University, Perth.
Coronavirus
TorqAid produces a monthly update of a three page Summary Sheet on Covid-19. This includes key details of Australian and international government departments, organisations, and research institutions both reporting on, and combatting, the pandemic.
CP Rohingya Mission
Chris has recently recently returned from a three month Redr Australia contracted UNDP mission to Cox’s Bazar, supporting the Rohingya humanitarian program there. This link summarises his work there, together with separate articles describing in more detail three key aspects of his responsbilities there.
DRM-Framework
The ‘Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Diagrammatic Framework’ article covers four key TorqAid diagrams (DRMC, DRR, DRM Planning, PMC) which help explain and clarify humanitarian disasters. There are variants of the DRMC and DRR diagrams relating to slow-onset hazards such as drought. There is also a DRMC variant relating to the 2020-2023 COVID-19 pandemic, and a variant of the DRR focusing on crises and breakdown of civil society. The DRM framework is covered in detail in the online PDRM program running from the 27 July through to the 13 November 2026.