Organizations
Political Evacuation: Understanding a Viable Threat
Endangered by the sudden meltdown of Egypt’s government in early 2011, an international school near Cairo was forced to evacuate. Without political evacuation insurance, the school’s employees, most of whom were expatriates, were left to fend for themselves during this dangerous and chaotic situation.
With no emergency response plan in place, employees of the international school urgently scrambled to find safety. Under these dire circumstances, staff members had no other choice than to pay thousands of dollars in evacuation expenses, including emergency transportation, temporary lodging, the cost of abandoned personal effects, and loss of earnings. Not only was their welfare jeopardized, the school’s staff also suffered significant financial losses due to inadequate insurance cover.
All too often, international schools make the costly mistake of assuming political evacuation is not a viable threat. However, political instability can flare up quickly and without warning. Case in point, prior to January 2011, Egypt had been a relatively stable country for nearly thirty years.
“The speed of uprisings and the spread of violence in many countries arise so fast that many international school employees are left stranded, fearful for their safety. At times like these, many standard insurance policies become invalid, leaving people exposed to added danger without proper protection.”
CEO of Clements Worldwide
To avoid potential gaps in coverage, our experts strongly recommends that all international schools obtain political evacuation insurance. This allows international school staff to operate with total peace of mind knowing that in the event of political evacuation, they will be extracted in a timely and efficient manner, with a high regard for personal safety. Clements offers a comprehensive political evacuation insurance program that includes:
- The policy covers all employees, board members, volunteers and students.
- 24-hour access to a crisis response team to assist with coordination of political evacuations.
- Security briefing materials are provided with tips on how to prevent negative incidents, who to call during an emergency, and what safety protocols must be taken.
- Political evacuation coverage provides costs for transportation out of the country and returning, lodging, taxes, etc.
- Personal effects reimbursement for items the left behind due to evacuation.
- 100% salary continuation for expatriate and local staff.