Filipino Scouts, in partnership with ShelterBox joined in the massive rescue and relief operations after the deadly typhoon Washi ravaged Cagayan De Oro and Iligan cities in southern Philippines in the early morning of 17th December 2011, sweeping away nearly 50,000 homes. They set up camps, provided emergency shelter and lifesaving supplies for the most vulnerable families. “It’s been amazing having help from the Scouts and they have brought with them a wealth of knowledge in setting up camps,’ said ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) volunteer Lyndon Tamblyn (NZ). ‘It was easy to show them how to put up the tents as they already knew about distance and spacing so we have been able to work at double our normal pace”.

In August 2010, in the midst of destructive floods in Pakistan, Rovers organized themselves for rescue and recovery efforts in relief camps. They collected and distributed clothing, medicine and other needs of children and women in close coordination with government relief agencies and emergency rescue departments.

Rovers and Scout Leaders living in heavily flood-affected places worked in their own communities due to the problem of accessing some of the areas.

They reached out to people who were stranded and brought them to safety under nearly impossible conditions with roads and infrastructure being damaged all around.

After an extremely powerful earthquake hit the Tohoku Region on 11 March 2011, triggering high tsunami waves that caused massive loss of lives and properties along the Pacific coast of eastern Japan, the Scout Association of Japan (SAJ) created the Scout Disaster Relief Centers where Scouts unite to bring comfort, strength and hope to affected people. Scouts and volunteers removed rubble and cleared the mud in houses and schools.

On weekends, SAJ provided free shuttle bus services to volunteers between Tokyo and Ishinomaki to bring in more help. The younger Scouts did their share by engaging the children in activities like making taitayaki, a fish shaped waffle, to help ease their trauma.

In October 2010, one natural disaster after another hit different parts of Indonesia. First was a flash flood in Wasior District in West Papua Province. In collaboration with the local government, hundreds of Scouts mobilized to help the survivors. Then came the tsunami in West Sumatra Province. In response, Scouts and the local Indonesian Red Cross Society were among the first rescuers in the area. A third incident occurred when Mount Merapi in the border of Central Java and Yogyakarta erupted on 26th October. Within hours, the first group of Rovers arrived and brought survivors to temporary shelters. Setting camp at the foot of Mount Merapi, Scouts worked in rotation at the Shelters Kitchen serving food three times a day to over 1,400 survivors. Others were deployed at the community hospital and at the Children Trauma Healing Center, helping the children deal with their condition.

In a tiny town called Toodyay, Samantha Connor of Scouts Australia, recollects “In December 2009, our Scouts were preparing for Jamboree when a bushfire swept through our town. Rover Scouts came to the rescue and posted the alerts on facebook on a group called ‘Toodyay December Bushfire’. One lady said that she found out her house was on fire when she read it on facebook! People fled their homes and it was a miracle that no lives were lost. One of our Scout Leaders, Rob, stayed to fight the fire and saved the two homes adjoining his property. Over five hundred people were evacuated from the area and remained in limbo, not knowing whether they had a home to return to – the Scouts arranged emergency accommodation with mattresses, swags and sleeping bags and put people in touch with each other. Eventually, three days later, people were allowed home to see what was left – there were forty homes lost and over 3000 hectares, including properties, livestock and sheds.”