News
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Help government devise a disaster response plan, Malik urges PRCS
By Khalid bin Majeed
RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) being leading humanitarian organisation of the country support government in devising a disaster response plan to better cope with the natural and man-made disasters.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik stated this on Tuesday as a chief guest at inaugural session of a two-day conference titled ‘Mega Disasters in Pakistan Lessons Learnt- Way Forward’.
PRCS organised the event to provide all a chance to all concerned organisations to form a joint strategy for better planning within available resources.
Malik said the government was ready to help PRCS in terms of logistic and administrative support and PRCS was rendering innumerable services under the leadership of Senator Nilofar Bakhtiar.
He said the government cannot alone cope with any disaster and organisation like Red Crescent played a vital role during any disaster and even in peace times. He said Pakistan was passing through a critical stage and there was a dire need to focus on disaster preparedness and management. The government would also set up rehabilitation centre for disabled persons in each hospital besides drafting law for them, he said. Malik offered his services as PRCS volunteer and he was also enrolled as Red Crescent Volunteer as the PRCS Chairperson Senator Nilofar Bakhtiar presented her a PRCS cap while PRCS Secretary General pinned him the society badge.
PRCS Chairperson Senator Nilofar Bakhtiar said document at the end of the conference would prove a starting point for a well-coordinated disaster management mechanism. She said the conference also targeted enabling relief and humanitarian organizations to avert or minimize the lives and property losses and the focus would be on the four main disasters that the country has suffered the most including earthquake, floods, cyclones and man-made disasters. She said the conference aimed providing a perfect platform to identify available resources and improve strategies to prepare for the next disaster.
“In continuation with this all important requirement, we at the PRCS decided that post-disaster lessons learnt conference be held that not only focuses on lessons learnt from the monsoon floods disaster; but also reassesses and reviews the lessons learnt from previous mega disasters,” she apprised the participants.
The chairman said due to climate change, the disasters risks were increasing and its’ high time that an effective policy at national level should be at place and unfortunately at present the disaster preparedness did not become focus for the concerned authorities and PRCS felt the need to put all the humanitarian, relief and government together for strong recommendations to make disaster preparedness an important part of our national policy.
PRCS Secretary General Muhammad Ilyas Khan in his opening remarks told the participants that the biggest relief operation had only been made possible through the commitment of higher management, support of government, partners and above all the tireless efforts of the PRCS staff and volunteers who worked day and night in some 50 affected districts, reaching out to the marooned communities, beyond the call of duty and without consideration of safety to their lives, towards the cause of service to humanity. PRCS Director Operations M Ateeb Siddique gave a detailed presentation of the Society relief work and its future goals.
The interior minister also inaugurated a photo exhibition “Journey Through Times” depicting the role of Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement all over the world and in Pakistan.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk