Pakistan Red Crescent Society

DISATER MANAGEMENT

Disaster Management is the core area of work of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society. Besides natural disasters to which our country is prone to, we now suffer from many man-induced disaster situations, which is a fall out of situation along our western borders. The PRCS has set accordingly priorities (see PRCS Program Priorities) of Disaster Management.

The PRCS works auxiliary to the government and supplement its efforts in providing humanitarian services to the most vulnerable, in line with the fundamental principles of humanity without any discrimination on the basis of nationality, race, religion, class, color, creed, gender or political opinion.

Disaster Preparedness encompasses two major components i.e. software and hardware activities. In software support it includes trainings at community levels aiming to enable the local community and volunteers to cope up any disaster situation within the area. These trainings include basic Disaster Management Skills that are deemed necessary for success of community based disaster preparedness. PRCS uses Disaster Management (DM) tools to better initiate the activities in the vulnerable communities. Such as, PRCS uses vulnerability and capacity assessment (VCA) in the context of disaster preparedness. Other trainings include Community Based First Aid Training (CBFA), Composition of Local Disaster Preparedness Teams, Community Awareness Sessions, Community Based Risk Reduction Trainings, Simulation Exercises etc.

Disaster Preparedness hardware support covers small mitigation projects in vulnerable communities, establishment of Disaster Management Cells at vulnerable districts with technical, human and material support. It also includes maintenance of minimum stock level of relief stores at all the time, communication and team of volunteers to respond immediately to any disaster situation.

In Disaster Response our immediate concern is to provide relief including Shelter, Food and medical assistance to the disaster affectees to enable them to resume their normal daily life independently. Our response mechanism works from National down to community level.

Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) under the new leadership has envisaged Disaster Management as the most important area of work, so as to build the local capacities of the most vulnerable communities in order to cope with the localized disasters. The new vision (see Disaster Management Policy) of PRCS work entails the following;

*Building, enhancing and strengthening the present Disaster Management Capacity Structures of the PRCS at the Grassroots level.

*Identification of the Most Vulnerable Districts and creating the PRCS presence in those areas.

*Equipping the Disaster Management Structures in terms of human, technical and material resource
.
*Increasing the Integration of the PRCS Programs for reaping effective results at the ground.

*Improved Coordination Amongst the Local Partners at the National and at the grassroot level to avoid duplication of effort.

GENERAL PROFILE

DISASTER PROFILE

PRCS PROGRAM PRIORTIES

ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT POLICY

FUTURE VISION

The focus of Pakistan Red Crescent Society is in the area of Disaster Management. After Catastrophic earthquake of 8th October 2005, Disaster Management has given special emphases at National and International Level. PRCS is enhancing its capacity (Technical and Human Resource) to respond any natural or man induced disaster at all three tiers i.e. National, Provincial and District level. PRCS provides trainings on Disasters Management, First Aid, Health Care, Blood Safety, Volunteerism and other areas of interests.

Towards this end the PRCS has recently undertaken measures to reinvigorate Pakistan Red Crescent Society. Some of these are,
• Organizational Restructuring of the PRCS at all three tiers i.e. National, Provincial and District Level to make it more responsible/efficient to our current needs.
• Establishment of new and strengthening of existing Disaster Management Cells with equipped Infrastructure, Human Resource and Material Support in all vulnerable districts.
• Maintaining a minimum stock of relief stores at all levels to respond immediately to any disaster situation.
• PRCS is also taking active part in Reconstruction phase of the Public Sector buildings which were collapsed in the recent earthquake. ERRA has selected PRCS as a partner in the reconstruction phase.
• Emergency Ambulance Services to readily respond to disaster situations. We have established this project in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi in year 2004. Where after it will be extended to all Provincial capitals. (Read the Full Story in Disaster Response).
• Increasing our capacity in the recruitment, collection and distribution of Blood Transfusion Services.
• Extension of PRCS Structure in the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA) and the Northern Areas.
• Identification and Prioritization of disaster prone areas and building local capacities from grass root (Union Council) levels upwards.
• Enlarging the trained volunteer base in various areas (First Aid, Disaster Preparedness and Response and Tracing, etc) and their meaningful incorporation in carefully conceived follow-up activities at the District Levels.