As recovery begins in the wake of Cyclone Amphan in India and Bangladesh, and with the Atlantic hurricane season fast approaching, businesses with an international presence are urged to consider continuity plans to safeguard employees whilst taking into account the unique challenges caused by COVID-19.

Udit Mehta, regional security manager for South Asia at International SOS says: "While the Bay of Bengal is a known epicentre of tropical storms, such natural phenomenon coupled with the immense density of population in contiguous coastal areas of India have traditionally challenged authorities and private organisations operating in the region alike. The forecast intensity of Super Cyclone Amphan, the strongest storm ever recorded in the region, places unforeseen strains on India’s disaster management resources as authorities battle the COVID-19 pandemic alongside the storm."


Dealing with multiple crises (Source: International SOS)

International SOS has compiled the below five tips for companies dealing with multiple crises:

Be ready to adapt crisis management plans: coronavirus has triggered an unprecedented situation, meaning many regular crisis management plans will need to be updated to include mitigate the effects of the virus.

Ensure that essential supplies are maintained: organisations need to be aware of the supplies which have become essential, understanding that inventory levels need to be constantly checked and maintained.

Consider the increased emergency services requirements: in many cases the pandemic has put a strain on emergency services; where possible devise plans and train staff to help avoid generating an over-reliance on such services.

Learn from the past: there is never a perfect playbook for dealing with an unpredictable crises. This, however, doesn’t mean that drawing learning from the past is impossible as organisations can look to how others coped with similar viruses.

Be flexible: always account for uncertainty, as if there is one lesson we can draw from this pandemic it is that events can often be highly unpredictable and need to be dealt with in real time.

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