All too often we talk about responding to disasters while ignoring disaster preparedness and risk reduction.

In a vulnerable part of the world, building the ability and resilience of communities to survive, or limit damage, is a far greater investment than any response. And it is development programmes that provide the capital for that investment.

Plan has built its development programmes around community involvement, and that principle has become the cornerstone of our emergency work.

We work in their interests, not ours, and it is their right to demand that we respond to their priorities.