Cesvi’s decision to intervene in emergencies is often based on its established presence in the country of operation, on the belief that the knowledge of the context is the best key for approaching a new situation of crisis.
In the contingent case of rapid response in a country where Cesvi is not present, its action is conceived in synergy with the European Network Alliance2015 and AGIRE network, with the purpose of best utilizing the past experiences of the partner organizations.

Experience

In the fifteen years from 1994 to 2009, Cesvi implemented a total number of 571 emergency projects worldwide, for a total amount of 59.772.140 euros, coping with emergencies such as the Balkan Wars (Bosnia, Serbia, Kosovo), North Korea famine (1997), Moroccan Rif earthquake (2004), Pakistan earthquake (2005), Sri Lanka tsunami and post conflict IDPs crisis (2005 and 2009), South Sudan and Eastern Congo complex emergencies (since 2006), Somalia (2008), Myanmar Nargis cyclone (2008).
Cesvi’s main sectors of activities in emergencies are:

- health,
- water and sanitation,
- rehabilitation (schools, villages),
- food aid,
- non-food items (NFI),
- education,
- protection.

Emergency response projects often imply a multi-sector approach covering multiple areas of intervention. This is due to the fact that Cesvi acts in continuity with the activities already implemented in the area, which are reviewed accordingly to the new situation of crisis in the country. So even if Cesvi is only seldom involved in the very first response to the disaster (in the first 72 hours), any existing activity is re-planned and reviewed to take into account the modified context in the implementation areas.

The emergency needs assessment

Cesvi carries out accurate needs assessment to evaluate or to re-evaluate the emergency context (either rapid needs assessment, or a participatory needs assessment). The assessment can be conducted by Cesvi personnel already working in the area, but in other occasions, a team of experts can be organized for a mission of assessment, to better respond to specific needs coming from the field. In some occasions, Cesvi worked in team with partner organizations' personnel to better perform specific needs assessment.
Each needs assessment mission has been conducted with specific and clear Terms of Reference including:

- Scope and background of the action,
- Mission participants,
- Focus sectors,
- Financial resources,
- Duration,
- Logistics.

In the framework of Alliance2015, the tool for an Emergency Needs Assessment is a common document, including:

Section a: initial assessment questions (assessment check list)

- context analysis (local situation before the emergency)

Section b: General & Planning
Section c: – food security
Section d: – health
Section e: – psychosocial assessment
Section f: – water and sanitation
Section g: – shelter
Section h: – non-food items
Section i: – education. 

Such common tool gives better opportunities to the partner organizations to share information in a similar format and to establish common platforms of intervention on the base of agreed data.