Enhancing disaster preparedness was one of the main conclusions
made in a three-day tsunami forum hosted by Hong Kong Red Cross
which closed Saturday.
The forum had gathered more than 100 representatives from the
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in about 50
countries and regions to set out its long-term plan of
reconstruction for survivors of the devastating earthquake and
tsunami on Dec. 26, 2004.
Alongside a strategy to help devested communities back on their
feet again, attendees of the forum agreed on ways to better protect
those in peril against future catastrophe.
Special representative for the tsunami operation of the
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
Johan Schaar commented at a press conference that strengthening
community resilience and empowering communities to respond in times
of crisis by placing disaster risk reduction at the center of
regional plans is an extremely critical element.
Returning people to what was the status quo is not enough.
Therefore, the organization is pushing ahead with disaster
preparedness plans as part of its overall strategy such as tsunami
early-warning system which allow people enough time to escape, said
he.
Besides, the Red Cross and Red Crescent will develop a range of
recovery programs ranging from large-scale reconstruction projects
in health, housing and social infrastructure to community-level
activities.
The undersea earthquake and aftermath tsunami left about 286,000
people dead and 7,900 missing in a number of south Asia and
southeast Asian countries.
So far, at least 22,000 volunteers and nearly 300 international
staff have been mobilized in the disaster-affected areas. About
700,000 people have received some form of assistance from the
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
(Xinhua News Agency March 6, 2005)