In response to a request from the National System of Civil Protection of El Salvador, OCHA organized a “preparedness mission” of experts from its United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) system in April to provide authorities with a rapid evaluation of national systems for disaster response. At OCHA’s invitation, the IFRC’s IDRL programme participated in the group to provide legal expertise.
Among other things, the UNDAC team evaluated the speed and effectiveness of the response to the Hurricane Ida and depression system that occurred in El Salvador in November 2009. The recommendations of the UNDAC Team were based on more than 177 interviews with different actors from the government, international organizations and civil society, including the El Salvador Red Cross National Society, and the review of numerous plans, studies, guides, legislations, regulations, decrees, etc.
“Our research and interviews revealed that, in response to past disasters, the country has tended to adopt ad hoc decrees to address the legal problems caused by the large influx of international humanitarian actors,” noted IFRC IDRL Delegate for the Americas Isabelle Granger, “In the future, El Salvador would benefit from a more comprehensive legal framework to facilitate the entry of the relief and the coordination of international actors.”
Among other things, the UNDAC Team recommended the harmonization of the legislative framework regarding preparation and response to disasters with international conventions ratified by the country, the IDRL Guidelines and other applicable instruments. Also, it recommended taking advantage of the human capacity and material resources that the El Salvador Red Cross National Society can provide to its government in its auxiliary role to the public authorities in the areas of disaster management and risk reductions.
The Government of El Salvador will hold a follow-up workshop in July to elaborate a plan of action for the implementation of the UNDAC team’s recommendations. The Government also expressed strong interest in receiving further technical support from the IFRC on how to strengthen its legislation for facilitating and regulating international relief.