GENEVA, 21 October 2013 (ICMC) – As another flood reportedly took 180 lives and affected over 1.5 million people in Pakistan, ICMC launched a programme mid-August to support vulnerable women and children better prepare to resist landslides, earthquakes, and flooding.

In 2010, floods already had displaced over 11 million people in the Pakistan.

ICMC has been active in Pakistan since 1998, and has previously conducted disaster risk reduction in conjunction with livelihood and emergency relief programmes since 2010. It provides services through its two local partners, Farmer’s Development Organization (FDO) and Pakistan Rural Development Programme (PRDP). Yet, the programme represents the first time ICMC will focus solely on DRR thanks to renewed funding from Caritas Germany and Caritas Italy.

The project ensures that disaster-affected families whose livelihoods and homes the monsoon rains regularly destroy, gain the skills and resources to prepare for disasters before they happen, respond to them in a timely and effective manner, and, finally, better recover from them.

ICMC’s programme makes sure children in the disaster-prone centre and southwest of the country receive DRR training in schools to learn how to react in case of such emergencies, in particular with regard to proper hygiene and protection strategies. Other important measures of the programme include the distribution of first-aid and DRR kits and training on how to use them the planting of trees to prevent landslides, and most importantly, hazard mapping and the creation of school safety plans.

The programme puts an emphasis on involving the most vulnerable women, children and the disabled in the prevention and preparation for disasters as well as in relief efforts.

Indeed, half of all those affected by disaster are children, and women and children are 14 times more likely than men to die during a disaster, reports the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR)<. In many countries, women have subordinate positions, restricted mobility, less educational opportunities and less voice in decision-making processes. This means that women often have less money to escape or are not allowed to flee without authorization from a male family member. Furthermore, they are more likely to lack access to reliable information and instead rely on the choices of others.

By giving all men, women and marginalized members an active role as community development volunteers acting for their own protection within ‘village organizations’, and involving teachers as well as religious and social leaders, the programme makes sure the greatest number of people take charge for their own safety in an effective and efficient way that facilitates the spread of good practices.

Finally, as people with disabilities are often overlooked in times of disaster, ICMC makes sure that the community and disaster preparedness and mitigations plans take their special needs into account.

Preparing for disasters can not only save lives and properties, it is also a highly cost-effective tool; it is estimated that each dollar invested in DRR can save two to ten dollars in disaster response and recovery costs. Investing in DRR reduces the impacts of hazards, decreases poverty, and allows communities to adapt to climate change. ICMC does its part by giving Pakistani communities the tools to build resilience in the face of potential disaster.

--by Caitlin Hannahan in Geneva/lb

Photocredit: © UNHCR/B.Baloch/November 2005