Emergency Preparedness In order to strengthen the capacity of UN agencies, governments, and other humanitarian partners to respond more effectively to emergencies, OCHA ROAP facilitates contingency planning exercises, capacity building/training and data preparedness. The Regional Office plays a lead role in pandemic planning, especially in non-health sectors. Table-top exercise and simulations are used to test plans and improve preparedness.
OCHA works with governments and regional entities including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning Consortium and others to implement the ‘Hyogo Framework for Action’, which is the global strategy for disaster risk reduction. This and a number of other initiatives are being incorporated into national preparedness and development strategies. ROAP also advocates with governments to engage more closely with global emergency mechanisms such as UNDAC (UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination) and INSARAG (International Search and Rescue Advisory Group), as well as facilitating training for OCHA, UN agencies and other standby partners in field coordination and emergency response. It is widely acknowledged that well-functioning disaster preparedness systems are essential to minimizing the loss of human lives and in some instances, livelihoods when disasters strike. Given the critical relationship between timely and effective response and national preparedness systems, the Disaster Preparedness and Response Unit takes action to promote and/or strengthen preparedness activities within both UN Country Teams and national disaster management authorities. The five-pronged approach of the Unit to disaster preparedness in the Asia-Pacific Region includes:
- Supporting disaster-prone countries through the Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator system
- Monitoring early warning systems to facilitate early action through Inter-Agency Standing Committee Country Teams and partners
- Supporting the creation and strengthening of response capabilities and mechanisms at the national, regional and international levels
- Collaborating with partners to address transition issues as part of UN Country Team structure, and
- Advocating to address global and underlying risk factors and promotion/support for early action on slow-onset disasters
These preparedness initiatives are essentially collaborative ventures with UN system partners (particularly UNDP, ISDR, UNICEF, WFP, UNESCAP) as well as other international and national partners.
Typical preparedness assistance rendered to national authorities includes:
- UNDAC Disaster Response Preparedness Missions (completed for Philippines-2005, Lao PDR-2007 and under way for Bhutan and Cambodia in 2008) and follow-up of mission recommendations
- Pandemic preparedness assistance through joint UN assistance missions
- National contingency planning support
Collaboration with regional partners for preparedness includes training of NGOs through the Asian Disaster Reduction and Response Network (ASDRRN); continued support to ASEAN; and working with risk reduction partners for implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action through the Expanded ISDR Asia Partnership and the Asian Disaster Reduction Center.