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Tajikistan

Simulating earthquake response in Tajikistan for better preparedness [EN/RU]

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(Dushanbe, 13 October 2016) – hundreds of urgent e-mails and rushed meetings later, humanitarian partners in Dushanbe lay down their numerous gadgets and conclude a two-day simulation exercise that tested their preparedness for emergencies.

Due to Tajikistan’s high propensity to natural disasters, humanitarian organizations that make up the Rapid Emergency Assessment and Coordination Team (REACT) regularly conduct simulation exercises that help them understand how well the humanitarian community on the ground is prepared to respond to large-scale emergencies. REACT is co-chaired by the Committee of Emergency Situations of Tajikistan and includes representatives of all humanitarian organizations active in the country.

“Through these exercises we try to re-create the atmosphere of responding to a large-scale emergency such as a high-magnitude earthquake,” said head of OCHA regional office for Caucasus and Central Asia Marcel Vaessen. “Participants have to juggle many priorities at the same time. They have to think and act as a team, as one humanitarian community; this exercise is their chance to practice the skill of responding to big disasters in an efficient, timely and coordinated way.”

In the last ten years, nearly 3 million people, which is more than one third of the total population of Tajikistan, have suffered as a result of natural disasters: floods, landslides, earthquakes and extreme temperatures. Tajikistan also ranks highest among Central Asian states in terms of its risk of exposure to hazards of scope beyond the country’s capacity.

“It was a pleasure to work in an effective and highly professional team. This simulation exercise is a step forward to increase preparedness and better coordination,” said Lucia Elmi, the United Nations Resident Coordinator a.i. in Tajikistan.

The simulation exercise coincided with the International Day for Disaster Reduction which this year raises the issue of inequality. “High income countries suffer huge economic losses in disasters, but people in low income countries pay with their lives,” said the UN Secretary General in his message today.

Contact information

Zarina Nurmukhambetova, OCHA ROCCA, nurmukhambetova@un.org Tel. +7 777 078 9778

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