Emergency Phases

Emergency phases roughly describe the steps that affected people go through after an emergency. They typically include: immediate or acute emergency phase, about 1 week up to 3 months after the event; stabilisation phase, typically starting after 2-4 weeks and lasting until 2-6 months after the event; recovery phase with long-term action, taking several months and up to 1 or more years; settlement or long-term phase, lasting perhaps for years after the disaster. The exact duration depends on the event and the context of the emergency. Duration is not time-bound but rather depends on the achievement of set targets (indicators).