What can a mole teach children about preparing for a disaster? Quite a bit if the mole is the main character of “Alert Little Mole,” a storybook designed by USAID partner Save the Children (SC) to educate Thai primary school students and their communities about simple ways to prepare for and respond to disaster situations.

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Dear colleagues,

We are pleased to share the second edition of the Global CCCM Cluster Newsletter.

This edition provides an update on cluster tools, partners and operations, and highlights issues of current concern to the cluster. In particular, it focuses on the importance of effective partnerships in CCCM operations, and considers how global initiatives such as the Transformative Agenda will impact cluster strategies.

NATURAL DISASTERS IN 2012

After an intense year of natural disasters in 2011, countries in the Asia-Pacific region welcomed a reduction in the number of events in 2012. OCHA and the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters recorded 93 natural disaster events in 2012, in which over 3,200 people were killed and more than 75 million people were affected. China and the Philippines experienced the most disasters in 2012.

This year ShelterBox conducted monitoring and evaluation programmes, which involved returning to countries where ShelterBox had deployed aid in response to major disasters.

Each programme collated information to assess effectiveness and improve ShelterBox's speed of delivery and overall standard of response in the future. Teams returned to Thailand and Turkey, countries affected by flooding and earthquakes, to speak to beneficiaries, interview in-country partners and assess the condition of the tents in the disaster-hit areas.

Flooding in Thailand

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By Nattha Keenapan

BANGKOK, Thailand, 19 November 2012 – Natthasit Muangsawang, 11, is familiar with flooding. His home is inundated almost every year during the rainy season.

But, after the massive floods of 2011 swept away his books, desk, toys and other belongings, he was given a chance to speak out about his own experience during the floods for the first time.

By Kate Roux in Thailand

Floods are not unique for Thailand. But in 2011, the floods were considered some of the worst in the country’s history. One year later, the Thai Red Cross is helping build the resilience of communities to manage future floods - as well as other potential disasters - through a comic book called ‘Disaster Warning by Mr. Radar’.

On 14 September 2012, Mr. Surapong Tovichakchaikul, Minister of Foreign Affairs, on behalf of the Government and people of Thailand, presented a contribution of two million baht to support the relief and rehabilitation in Myanmar to Mr. Tin Win, Myanmar Ambassador to Thailand. The flood disaster struck many parts of Myanmar since August 2012, in particular some parts of Yangon, Irrawaddy, Bago and Tenasserim, leading to the evacuation of approximately 70,000 – 85,000 people as well as causing heavy damages to various rice plantations across the country.

BANGKOK, 11 September 2012 (NNT) – The Governor of Sukhothai has revealed that all sectors have been instructed by the Prime Minister to help Sukhothai drain floodwater from the municipality as the flood situation in the area starts to stabilize.

• Swiss Re flood publication finds that insured flood losses have increased from USD 1–2 billion in 1970 to USD 15 billion in 2011
• Industry facing challenges in maintaining insurability for floods
• Global manufacturing hubs revealed as potential hot spots for flood losses
• Swiss Re launches flood app with interactive content on flood risks