For
five days, representatives from National Red Cross Societies
in Central America and the Caribbean, as well as from the International
Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, have been
meeting in Panama to review and update their contingency plans
for the upcoming hurricane season, as well as defining coordination
mechanisms between the different actors that will be involved
in a disaster response operation in the region, in close cooperation
with external actors and donors.
“Last season was very active, with four major hurricanes
cutting a swath through the Caribbean, and the Red Cross response
system worked very well. Once again, this year we are ready
to respond professionally and quickly,” said Santiago
Gil, head of the International Federation’s Americas department.
For the last six months, the Red Cross has been working on its
disaster preparedness mechanisms, which have shown their worth
several times in recent years. Disaster preparedness was crucial
during last year’s hurricane season, and it is playing
a key role in saving lives again in 2005.
Indeed, the Red Cross has already faced its first challenge
this year, with the early arrival of the first hurricane, Adrian,
at the end of May.
With Central America and the Caribbean regularly affected by
the annual hurricane season, contingency plans were in place
well before Adrian hit, and the Red Cross throughout the region
was on high alert and well prepared, despite the fact that the
hurricane season usually does not begin until June.
Although hurricane Adrian was not very destructive, the implementation
of a set of well-organized emergency procedures ensured rapid
and orderly evacuations from high-risk areas, greatly reducing
the impact in those communities that were hit.
The Red Cross emergency response system in the Americas was
activated. Regional and National Intervention Teams and all
National Red Cross Societies in the affected countries coordinated
closely with their National Emergency Committees to better respond
to the disaster.
Relief stocks were pre-positioned, along with human resources.
In El Salvador, thousands of people were evacuated and the Red
Cross mobilized lifeguard brigades and teams trained in first
aid, search and rescue and psychosocial support throughout the
country.
Also last week, the International Federation, the United Nations
Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Colon Free Trade Zone
in Panama signed an agreement to establish a warehouse where
humanitarian supplies will be stored and dispatched more quickly
to the disaster-affected communities.
Since 2002, the International Federation has had a cooperation
agreement with UNICEF on the pre-positioning of goods in its
Panama-based Pan-American Disaster Response Unit (PADRU). Now,
UNICEF will also store its goods in this warehouse.
“This collaboration between UNICEF and the International
Federation reflects the commitment of all humanitarian agencies
and the United Nations system to work on natural disaster preparedness
that so tragically affects our region,” said Nils Kastberg,
UNICEF Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. “With
coordinated and joint action we can act more effectively, so
each year less people, adults and children, see their lives
cut short because of natural disasters.”
Last year, the International Federation sent a total of 350
tonnes of humanitarian aid in 12 flights chartered by PADRU
to hurricane-hit countries in the Caribbean. More than 200,000
people received direct assistance from the Red Cross.
Hurricane season in the Atlantic officially started on June
1st and meteorologists have predicted that this season will
be particularly active in Central America and the Caribbean.
According to the forecasts, this season, which runs until the
end of November, is expected to bring 11 tropical storms, of
which six could become hurricanes.
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The
Jamaican Red Cross assesses the damage wreaked by Hurricane
Ivan last year (p12010)
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Large
amounts of relief goods are stockpiled throughout the
region, so that assistance can be delivered to affected
communities as quickly as possible (p12928)
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