HOME MINISTRY AND THE UN TO MAKE CO-ORDINATED EFFORT FOR ASIA REGIONAL DISASTER ASSESSMENT

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The Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, is with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs jointly sponsoring a training course on United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination from 18-30 August 2002 at the National Police Academy in Hyderabad. This is the first such course in Asia and has as participants, senior emergency managers from Australia, Cambodia, Canada, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Nepal, Philippines, Tonga, and Viet Nam as well as UNDP, UNICEF, WFP, WHO, HABITAT, ECHO and the office for the Co-ordination of Human Affairs.

In September 2001, the Government of India became a formal member of the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) system. The UNDAC system is designed to assist the disaster affected country and the United Nations in meeting international needs for early and qualified information during the first phase of a sudden-onset emergency and in the coordination of incoming international relief at national level and/or at the site of emergency. It is designed to deploy at very short notice (12-24 hours) to the field anywhere in the world. It also aims at strengthening national and regional disaster response capacity. Since 1993, the UNDAC Team has deployed 97 times in 61 countries in response to emergencies.

Two senior Indian officials have already been trained by the UNDAC system in May 2001 in Switzerland. The UNDAC Team has 164 emergency managers from 64 countries as members now.

By hosting the first UNDAC Course in India for the Asia Team, India provides a signal to governments in the Asia region and beyond that it is taking a lead role in disaster response. The Ministry of Home Affairs, which is now the focal point in the Government of India for disaster management, feels that such a regional initiative will go a long way towards self reliance, both in India and the region.