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Dear Readers,
The year 2004 ended in a great tragedy when an Earthquake
of magnitude 9.0 on the Richter Scale struck off the western coast of
Northern Sumatra, Indonesia triggering one of history’s most devastating
Tsunamis which affected around 11 Asian and African countries. This natural
disaster brought with it unprecedented destruction and loss of lives,
livelihoods, properties and environment. Estimates of fatalities, up
to 10 January 2005 have exceeded 150,000, with thousands more still missing.
All of us at ADPC would like to extend our heartfelt
sympathies to all those families and loved ones who have died and suffered
great losses. ADPC will provide every help possible within it’s mandate and resources to support our partners in the different countries and peoples affected.
Suvit Yodmani, Executive Director, Asian Disaster Preparedness Center
ACTIVITIES
ADPC Involvement in the Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster
Thailand
27 - 29 December 2004: ADPC in partnership
with Télécom sans Frontieres International (TSFI) sent two teams to Phuket and Phangha in Southern Thailand to provide telecommunication support to the Thai Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) from 27 – 29
December, when all communication networks were restored by the Thai Government.
The team also conducted a Rapid Disaster Damage and Needs Assessment
and Analysis of the areas affected by the Tsunami.
5-12 January 2005: ADPC sent a member to help the UN-OCHA and the UNDAC team to coordinate the rescue and restoration operations. The team is working closely with the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, command headquarters in Phuket province of the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National and International NGOs.
Sri Lanka
28 December 2004: Upon the invitation from the Sri Lankan Government a team of experts was sent to the impacted areas. In partnership with TSFI ADPC helped to provide satellite communication support to the people in the affected areas. With the assistance of the National Building Research Organization (NBRO), and the Centre for Housing Planning and Building (CHPB) the two local partners, two rapid assessment teams began work on identifying factors contributing to the high losses, casualties and damage to property, possible risk reduction measures to include long and short term recovery programs and suggest approaches for implementing reconstruction and rehabilitation programs in the human settlement sector.
Indonesia
6 January 2005: The Executive Director of
ADPC was invited to attend the “Special ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting on Aftermath of Earthquake and Tsunami” in
Jakarta. The summit meeting was attended by Heads of State/Government,
UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, Special Envoys and Heads of regional
as well as international organizations. The meeting shared experiences
of Governments of countries in the Asian region and discussed the way
ahead, especially the establishment of early warning systems in the region
affected.
8 January 2005: Another team was sent to Indonesia to provide telecommunication support in collaboration with TSFI, and help assess damage and needs for potential donors.
Maldives
10 January 2005: Two ADPC experts left for Maldives as part of the UNDP - World Bank disaster assessment team.
Workshop on Tsunami Early Warning, Beijing
25 - 26 January 2005: ADPC expert to attend the Workshop on Tsunami Early
Warning in Beijing hosted by Government of the People’s Republic of China.
Events
World Conference on Disaster Reduction, Kobe,
Hyogo, Japan
18 - 22 January 2005: The Executive Director and a delegation of 10 members will be attending the World Conference on Disaster Reduction, organized by UNISDR and hosted by the Japanese Government.
Workshops/Training
29 January – 2 February 2005: Curriculum Adaptation
Workshop under the Training and Capacity Building Project (TCBP) in Afghanistan
ADPC in partnership with InWent (Capacity Building International, Germany) started implementation of the new TCBP in Afghanistan with the support of the United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA). The objective is to enhance the capacity of member ministries and departments of the National Commission for Emergency and Disaster Management. A core team of trainers will also be developed during the project, under a Disaster Management Training Unit (DMTU), which is being established at the Department of Disaster Preparedness (DDP). The Curriculum Adaptation Workshop is one of the first activities being implemented.
UPCOMING EVENTS IN FEBRUARY
For more information on the above workshops/training, events and activities, please visit our website
www.adpc.net or contact us at adpc@adpc.net To subscribe to this service, send a blank email
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