Background research for the project will include mapping existing legal instruments and policies as well as collecting experiences from recent disaster operations, including the currently ongoing flood response.
“Pakistan is extremely prone to natural disasters and complex emergencies which call for greater preparedness to utilise all available resources, whether in-country or abroad,” observes Pepe Salmela, head of the IFRC’s country delegation in Pakistan. “The IDRL project in Pakistan is expected to facilitate a more efficient and timely international disaster response, particularly in major emergency situations. It aims at improving coordination, increasing the level of response preparedness and facilitating the smooth and fast entry of external assistance when needed.”
For the Pakistan Red Crescent Society the project means stepping up the collaboration with the NDMA. “In the end, this is a win-win situation,” noted Salmela, “for both are getting prepared to respond in a coordinated manner.”