For many people, these kinds of incidents simply push development back to square one. That’s why the project consortium and the National Committee for Disaster Management is operating at every level to help ensure people are prepared for the unpredictable – from the villages, communes and Sangkats up.”
Hun Boramey, Acting Country Director at ActionAid Cambodia
As well as drawing up village, commune and district emergency plans, plus trainings for local and national officials, the project will expand a mobile phone-based Early Warning System to four new provinces. Via the free number ‘1294’ on most major mobile networks, the system calls registered users with a recorded message offering information and advice on impending threats in their area. About 65,000+ people in three provinces had already signed up in 2015.
The project will also offer: radio public information broadcasts and community awareness campaigns on the importance of preparing ahead; support for the Joint Action Group forum of 15 NGOs working on disaster reduction; a strategy to get more women into emergency leadership; climate-resilient agriculture coaching for farmers; and new drought monitoring systems for particularly vulnerable areas of Kampong Speu.
The project consortium includes ActionAid Cambodia (AAC), DanChurch Aid/Christian Aid (DCA/CA) and Czech NGO People in Need (PIN) plus three local partner NGOs in target provinces and cities. The funding of EUR 941,000 from the European Union’s Humanitarian Aid Department (ECHO) lasts until September 2017.
Cambodia will build on all of the work that has gone before to ensure the poor and vulnerable are ready before disaster. It will undoubtedly save livelihoods, and save lives.”
Harald Guelker, ActionAid Consortium Coordinator
This latest funding enables the continuation of ECHO projects carried out over the last decade to ensure that as many Cambodians as possible have the right kind of disaster plans, training and infrastructure in place. Activities funded under the latest phase will be in line with new recommendations passed at the Sendai World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in 2015.
Source: Relief Web | 18 May 2017