Humanitarian community launches Indonesia preparedness kit

(Jakarta, 22 March 2011) The United Nations and the Government of Indonesia today launched a kit that further enhances Indonesia’s capacity to prepare for natural disasters. The package identifies and prioritizes sector-based preparedness actions and complements the Government’s National Disaster Management Plan 2010 – 2014.

Valerie Amos, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, launched the package in a function attended by representatives of Government, the Humanitarian Country Team, and the donor community.

Preparedness initiatives are especially relevant to Indonesia, which suffers a significant number of natural disasters each year, ranging from floods, landslides and whirlwinds to volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and tsunamis, and all resulting in human, environmental and economic losses. The importance of preparedness is reflected in the National Budget, whose allocation to associated activities has increased a thousand-fold since 2008.

“Indonesia is one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries,” noted Ms. Amos. “But Indonesia is also one of the world’s better prepared countries, winning global recognition for its efforts to respond to, manage, and prepare for natural disasters. This package will further enhance the country’s preparedness capacity,” added Ms Amos.

Ms. Amos encouraged countries and donors to invest in preparedness as a way of minimizing loss of life and livelihoods.

“Preparedness is simply being ready to protect human life and dignity, and that is the spirit of this package, which aims to strengthen the capacity of the humanitarian community to collectively prepare for and respond to disasters in a timely and effective manner,” said Ms. Amos.

Led by the Government, the humanitarian community in Indonesia has maintained a strategic focus on preparedness since 2007. The ten sectors or clusters involved in the contingency planning process and the ICPP are: Agriculture, Education, Emergency Shelter, Food and Nutrition, Health, Emergency Telecommunications, Logistics, Protection (Children and Gender-Based Violence), Water Sanitation and Hygiene, and Early Recovery.