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Mass Event and Disaster Preparedness: A collaboration between Myanmar and Israel on Disaster Management

The training workshop on Mass Event and Disaster Preparedness was jointly organized by the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Centre for International Cooperation (MASHAV), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel through the Embassy of Israel in Myanmar.

It marked the first step towards collaboration between the Government of Myanmar and the Government of Israel on Disaster Management. Since 1958, the Center for International Cooperation of the Foreign Ministry of Israel (MASHAV) has trained almost 200,000 course participants from approximately 140 countries, in Israel and abroad. Myanmar government officials from different departments have participated in capacity building programmes in Israel.

Representatives of the General Administration Department, Fire Services Department, Myanmar Police Force, Relief and Resettlement Department and Department of Health including key non-governmental agency, Myanmar Red Cross Society participated in the training workshop in Nay Pyi Taw.

They gained knowledge on the practices of emergency management, site and event management of Israel through lectures, drills and simulations on disaster and mass causality accident management, as well as site management and preparedness.

The Union Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, Dr. Daw Myat Myat Ohn Khin, Chair of the National Disaster Preparedness Working Committee officially opened the workshop on 18 November 2014 in Nay Pyi Taw.

“By joining hands together and building disaster management capacity, we can build disaster resilience Myanmar,” said H.E Dr. Daw Myat Myat Ohn Khin. She encouraged the participants to learn best practices of Israeli as well as to share Myanmar experiences.

“To save lives is our main agenda of the Government of Israel and through this first joint effort will strengthen more collaboration between Israel and Myanmar on Disaster Management,” said H.E Mr. Daniel Zonshine, Ambassador of Israel in Myanmar.

Speaking at the opening of the training workshop, the UNDP Country Director, Toily Kurbanov congratulated the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement for its long-experience of providing Disaster Management Courses in states and regions since 1977, as well as establishing the Disaster Management Training Centre in Hinthada.

“UNDP is the key partner agency of Ministry in building institutional and technical capacity on disaster management. With UNDP’s experience working over 180 countries, we also see our role as a knowledge broker, builder of capacities and facilitator of exchanges and working with stakeholders including Governments and non-state entities. We believe that learning from each other among the different countries is useful in catching up the knowledge, methodology, expertise and resources that are already available,” said Mr. Kurbanov.

UNDP is committed to support national efforts towards disaster risk reduction through its three-year country programme for Myanmar (2013-2015). To this end, UNDP is supporting mainstreaming disaster risk reduction into the government’s policies, strategies and plans through policy advice, capacity development of government officials, pilot interventions at community level and global and regional knowledge sharing.