Together, we educate, 
advocate, and inspire 
action to help communities prepare, adapt, and thrive before, during, and after disasters.

Hello. My name is Alex Barton, chair of International Humanitarian Disaster Relief - IHDR for short.

My passion for disaster relief began on Boxing Day 2004.

Like millions of people around the world, I watched in disbelief as news emerged of a devastating tsunami sweeping across the Indian Ocean. Triggered by a magnitude 9.1 earthquake off the coast of Sumatra, the tsunami struck communities in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, the Maldives and many other countries with little or no warning. Entire towns and villages disappeared within minutes. Families were torn apart, livelihoods were destroyed, and communities faced unimaginable loss. More than 230,000 people lost their lives, making it one of the deadliest natural disasters in modern history.

Over the years, I have continued to study disasters, humanitarian response and recovery efforts around the world. I have seen how disasters affect not only lives and property but also education, health, livelihoods and the long-term wellbeing of communities. I have also seen how preparedness, planning and local capacity can significantly reduce suffering.

These experiences inspired me to establish International Humanitarian Disaster Relief (IHDR). The organisation was created from a belief that disaster relief is not only about responding when tragedy strikes; it is about helping communities prepare before disasters occur, supporting them during emergencies, and assisting them to recover and become more resilient afterwards.

We are, perhaps, naively trying to leave the world in a better place than we found it. To quote Steve Jobs:

"The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones that do."