Abrar ul Haq says both organizations will work together to promote a culture of prevention, mitigation, better & enhanced coordination among key stakeholders involved in Disaster Risk Management (DRM) 

Lt Gen Akhtar Nawaz says partnership will go a long way in mitigating the sufferings of vulnerable communities in Pakistan 

ISLAMABAD:  Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance humanitarian cooperation between the two organizations. 

The MoU was signed in presence of Chairman PRCS Abrar ul Haq and Chairman NDMA Lt Gen Akhtar Nawaz. PRCS Secretary General Dr Adeel Nawaz and NDMA member DRR Muhammad Idrees Mehsud signed the MoU on behalf of their respective organizations at a ceremony held here at the NDMA head office. 

The partnership agreement will provide the broad framework for cooperation between the two organizations in enhancing mutual interest and understanding particularly in areas of Communities Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM), Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), collaboration in tacking disasters and other emergency situations in the country through efforts focusing on preparedness, mitigation, risk reduction, relief and rehabilitation.  

Speaking on the occasion, Abrar ul Haq said that both organizations will work together to promote a culture of prevention, mitigation, better & enhanced coordination among key stakeholders involved in Disaster Risk Management (DRM). “The collaboration between PRCS and NDMA on community-based disaster risk reduction (CBDRR) will not only help disaster-struck communities in an organized manner but also make service delivery quicker and efficient”, he added. 

Abrar ul Haq said PRCS has a huge volunteer base and its nationwide presence puts it in a unique place vis-à-vis effective handling of disasters or emergency situations. He said PRCS and NDMA will also develop linkages and build partnerships with academia through research study, knowledge exchange, and exchange of resource persons for trainings, workshops and seminars. 

NDMA Chairman Lt Gen Akhtar Nawaz hailed the PRCS endeavors for supporting the vulnerable segments of the society. He said NDMA and PRCS partnership will go a long way in mitigating the sufferings of vulnerable communities. He said NDMA will enhance collaboration with PRCS in the field of volunteer engagement, capacity building trainings in collaboration with NIDM (National Institute of Disaster Management) and community engagement.