Antigua and Barbuda: IFRC partners with ABRCS to execute disaster preparedness

Antigua and Barbuda: The International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) in partnership with the Antigua and Barbuda Red Cross (ABRCS) has initiated a disaster preparedness mission to combat life-threatening disasters.

The authorities aim to develop an imminent Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) in order to assist ABRCS in enhancing its capacity and efficiency.

The initiative has been led to protect the country from tropical storms or hurricanes that the country could experience in the coming time. The twin island nation being susceptible to such natural calamities often experience them indicating the development of a robust plan.

This mission will hence create a well-established plan in response to tropical storms and hurricanes, further supporting local communities. The partnership also aims to enhance collaboration among the IFRC secretariat projects which are under development.

It will also focus on the strategic deployment of regional and global volunteers to overcome the damage from potential crises and disasters.

ABRCS, with these initiatives, will respond swiftly during times of disaster and ensure public safety and timely availability of healthcare facilities.

According to the IFRC, plans have been made to predict, mitigate, and cope with the possible consequences of the disasters.

“Our participatory work, which is crucial in developing a new concept for an Integrated Response System for the region, involves sharing knowledge to strengthen local capacities,” IFRC stated.

Notably, this will enable the communities to prepare even before disasters occur and respond effectively to them.

“By improving disaster preparedness and intervention at local, regional, and international levels, we aim to clarify the roles of local actors,” the authorities added.

The IFRC is one of the globally recognized humanitarian networks that aims to provide support to more than 191 countries and brings together 16 million volunteers for humanitarian aid.

The strong volunteer network of the federation aims at providing the best facilities to those affected by the disaster even before, after, and during the incidents.

It is to be noted that, the Twin Island nation has been a threat to potential disasters for a while now. The island nation’s potential position in the Caribbean makes it more prone to these disasters and implementing resilience measures then becomes a necessity for the authorities.