JUBA,
Dec 09, 2016(Nyamilepedia) ——- Government has on Tuesday adopted the Sendai framework for disaster risk reduction 2015-2030
The Sendai Disaster Risk Reduction Framework 2015-2030 was adopted and launched by the ministry of humanitarian affairs and disaster management under the theme “building innovative and collective solutions for disaster resilience and sustainable development in South Sudan.”
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It aims at understanding disaster risks; strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk, investing in disaster risk reduction for resilience, and enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response and to build back better in recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction.
Speaking at the launch, Presidential Advisor on Economic Affairs Aggrey Tisa Sabuni said that disasters are not a visitation from Allah such that we can do nothing about.
“Disasters are not punishments from God that we just have to accept and do nothing about it. “The message is that we have to do something about it,” Sabuni said.
He said the government should prepare for unexpected disasters so that when they strike, they can be containable.
“South Sudan is no stranger to disasters like droughts, floods, diseases and others. As a sovereign country, South Sudan needs to prepare to the best of its ability to handle disasters.” Sabuni Tisa said.
He said the country should come up with immediate policy framework that can be used to avert disasters in the country in the form of early warning, detection and preparation.
“Capacity preparation is quite central to the process of preparedness.” Sabuni said.
Sabuni added that there is also need for development of an adequate monitoring and evaluation mechanism for response for disasters in the country.
Hussein Mar Nyuot, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, said that human sufferings and economic losses due to disasters are becoming increasingly a concern for countries to act today not tomorrow.
He said the Sendai framework for disasters risk reduction 2015-2030 required countries to take actions to reduce impacts of disasters by integrating the disaster risk agenda in to national policies and programs to alleviate poverty and to ensure achievement of the sustainable development goals.
Nyuot said his ministry has developed national disaster risk management policy, established a national disaster risk management working group to guide and review disaster risk management policy and act as disaster risk management platform.
He added that the ministry has partnered with UNDP through food security emergency flood responds and recovery project of 2015-2016 to enhance community resilience to food insecurity and floods impact on the internally displaced persons (IDPS).
Nyuot reveals that the ministry of humanitarian affairs and disaster management is in partnership with the world food program through the project application of early warning system in the country.
“We need to institute an early warning and emergency coordination center well equip with geographic information system, communication networks and strengthen the early warning networks at all levels to enable risk information is shared in timely and coordinated method.”
Shigeru Hamano, Japanese Deputy Ambassador said disaster preparedness is more cost effective than preventing future losses due to disasters.
Amano advised the government to identify indigenous knowledge of disaster management that can be more effective than scientific methods.
“In my view, people in Africa and japan can agree that nature is something not to be subjugated by human beings. Maybe there is the same sort of knowledge in the community’s knowledge of life that can be used to make local people more resilience to natural disasters.” Amano said.
Eugene Owusu Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General, UN Humanitarian Coordinator, and UNDP Resident Representative to South Sudan said natural disaster strike without warnings that can be more expensive to rebuild the community.
“Building back after disasters strikes is expensive, difficult and it takes years sometimes decades.” Eugene said
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