Develop a Unified Framework to Respond to Disasters
Published on 17 June 2011
At the Aid & International Development Forum (AIDF) in Washington on 8-9 June 2011, Muslim Aid urged governments, relief organisations and the private sector to develop a more unified framework to respond to disasters. The Charity also called on the aid and development agencies to focus more on disaster prevention by remaining engaged on key issues and sharing information on lessons learnt and good practices.
The annual event, attended by aid agencies, government representatives, NGOs and the private sector, brought together leading experts to discuss the effective delivery of humanitarian aid in disaster and conflict areas around the world. Addressing the event on 8 June, the CEO of Muslim Aid Syed Sharfuddin said: “A priority for governments, NGOs and the private sector should be to form partnerships based on better coordination, planning and delivery mechanisms. Complex emergencies do not happen in a vacuum or overnight. There are many opportunities for NGOs, governments and the private sector to play a role in strengthening disaster risk reduction and mitigation.”
He went on to say: "The private sector with its range of expertise in infrastructure development, energy, insurance, climate change adaptation, supply chain and project management can play a key role in disaster prevention and conflict avoidance, as well as damage limitation. The scientific community and research and knowledge-based institutions enable policy makers to learn important lessons and take informed decisions. Relief and development NGOs, including faith-based NGOs such as Muslim Aid can bring communities together by building resilience and working with local populations to alleviate poverty and promote sustainable development.”
Muslim Aid has long experience of working in disaster areas, including Indonesia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Somalia and Sudan.
During his visit to the US, Sharfuddin also had meetings with the senior management of Americares Disaster Relief and Humanitarian Aid Organisation (AmeriCares) in Connecticut, the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) in New York, and American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA) in Washington.