Islamabad :
NDMA in collaboration with WFP has organized a three day Disaster Management Simulation/Training in Islamabad from 15-17 April 2005, to train the participants as emergency simulation facilitators who will be responsible for planning, designing and delivering the simulation exercises.Simulation participants included NDMA, Provincial Disaster Management Authorities including (PDMA Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa KPK), District Disaster Management Authorities including (DDMA Punjab from Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur), (DDMA Sindh from Kashmore, Jacobabad), (DDMA Balochistan from Nasirabad, Jaffarabad), (DDMA KPK from Peshawar, Nowshera) and Federal Flood Commission (FFC), Pakistan Metrological Department (PMD), Rescue 1122 (Punjab) and WFP/UN Agencies.
Similar simulation exercise was also planned by NDMA in June 2014 incorporating PDMA Punjab while this time the exercise is planned to incorporate all the provinces. The training was imparted by WFP Readiness Initiative Team (RIT).The purpose of the training was to familiarize officials on how to design, build and implement an emergency management simulation exercise as well as to test disaster response plans, procedures, contingency plans, and SOPs such as, National Monsoon Contingency Plan and Provincial Disaster Response Plan. The training session was inaugurated by Mr. Anthony Craig, Senior Preparedness Advisor, WFP, Geneva, Switzerland. Addressing the closing ceremony today Chairman NDMA, Major General Asghar Nawaz appreciated WFP in the provision of training opportunity to various stakeholders through this simulation exercise to practice their organization’s response, decision making process and procedures. Such trainings and exercises would further strengthen & identify roles & responsibilities of various stakeholders and refine their disaster response to handle any unforeseen situation in upcoming monsoon season, he added. Sequel to training at Islamabad, a Simulation Exercise is planned from 28-30 April 2015 at Lahore where the participants from all provinces, in form of various syndicates are expected to undergo the disaster response exercise in simulated scenarios of various disasters. The Exercise will aim at capacity building of disaster managers of all tiers to plan and respond to various contingent situations in befitting manner.