JAKARTA, May 26 — Asean and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) have inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to promote and develop their engagement in disaster management.
The MoU aims to strengthen community resilience at regional, national, and local levels in the Asean region, according to Asean Secretariat in a statement published on its website.
It will encompass areas such as disaster management, disaster risk reduction, disaster law, health in emergencies, disaster relief and emergency response, as well as climate change.
The MoU was signed by Asean secretary-general Datuk Lim Jock Hoi and IFRC secretary general Jagan Chapagain at the sidelines of the Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction session in Bali, Indonesia.
“In the face of increasing frequency and intensity of climate-related disasters due to climate change, in one of the world’s most disaster-prone regions, coupled with an increasingly complex humanitarian landscape, we must build strategic partnerships to enhance our resilience as one Asean Community,” Lim said.
Asean member states are in one of the most disaster-prone regions in the world, ranging from earthquakes, floods, landslides and typhoons.
The wide geographic stretch of incidences, and increasing frequency and intensity of disasters due to climate change, require Asean to enhance the region’s readiness and emergency response capacity.
— Bernama
