Nimba: Host Disaster Risk Reduction Workshop

In preparation for untimely occurrence of disaster in the country, the National Red Cross in partnership with the UNDP and UNMIL held a 3 -day disaster resilient building that focused on local communities through women.

The workshop, which brought together 25 persons from across the country, is also intended to train trainers in Ganta for Disaster Risk Reduction.

UN Head of Field Office, Dr. Wesley B. Natana said the program is aimed at building national and local capacity on disaster risk management in Liberia. He encouraged the participants to actively use the workshop to benefit from the knowledge and skills that facilitators passed on to them.

“On our part as UN System, we remain committed to work with the Liberia National Red Cross and other partners so that together we can manage disaster effectively in all parts of Liberia”.

Dr. Natana said “This  is the program part of  poverty Reduction Strategy and the County Development Agenda as disaster can result to poverty  and death if we do not managed it well’, he added.

Nimba County experienced lot of disasters during this post war period. Many of the structures which were believed to have been sub-standard were either destroyed by rain or storm.

The head of the Nimba Chapter of the Red Cross, Madam Mary-Ann Swote cautioned participants, urging them to take the training exercise seriously. The participants included gender coordinators and members of the LNRCS disaster commission along with the Internal Affairs Ministry.

The topics included; risks and hazard mapping, vulnerability assessment and analysis, gender and disaster, preparedness planning (mitigation and prevention), coping mechanism among others.The types, causes and effects of disaster with reference to women and vulnerability will also be discussed.