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Caritas Germany is providing emergency aid through the Caritas network in more than 160 countries in Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe and Latin America. It assists people who are affected by natural and human disasters such as wars, earthquakes, floods, storms, droughts and epidemics (HIV/Aids). Its work focuses on the most vulnerable groups of the society like children, old, ill and disabled persons while always following the idea of the self-help principle. It provides emergency aid in such a way that the dignity of the individual is maintained, long-term self help and self organization is supported, and vulnerability of the needy for the effects of the crisis is reduced. It strives for sustainability through close cooperation with its local Caritas partners who are firmly rooted and respected in the local culture and society. Its work is based on international humanitarian standards and is done without regard to creed, race, gender or ethnicity.
Community-based disaster risk reduction is an integral part in Caritas Germany’s Emergency Aid, which comprises disaster prevention and preparedness. The main focus is on the reduction of vulnerabilities in disaster prone areas through the creation of awareness within the population and developing and strengthening local disaster mitigation structures. Measures therefore mainly address organizations, community groups and multipliers and always aim at providing aid for self-help. Furthermore it supports partners in influencing national or regional policies concerning disaster prevention, with emphasis on the needs of the most vulnerable groups.
Disaster mitigation and risk management in Bolivia
Since August 2008, Caritas Germany and its local partner Caritas Bolivia are realizing with support of the German Government (Federal Foreign Office) a disaster prevention and risk management project in disaster prone areas in Bolivia. The objective is to sensitize and prepare 35 communities to adapt to consequences of climate change (e.g. floods, heavy rains, storms, hail, droughts). Project activities include capacity building for local leaders and state representatives, participative risk and vulnerability mapping in vulnerable communities, as well as local early warning systems for flood prone communities. Additionally and depending on their analyses, communities are motivated and supported to plan their own prevention measures serving as future pilot projects. The project also aims at establishing local organisations with expertise in disaster prevention and mitigation. These will be part of the decentralization strategy of the national civil defence. Therefore Caritas Bolivia and state representatives of different levels are working in close cooperation to integrate the 35 communities into the national disaster prevention plan. Communities and participating organizations will ideally form a disaster prevention network with both state-owned and civil society organizations.
For further information see website (in German):
Disaster prevention in flood prone communities in Colombia
With financial support of the German Government (Federal Foreign Office), Caritas Germany and its local partner Caritas Colombia are realizing a disaster prevention project in three flood prone areas of Colombia for 13 months. Project started in July 2009 and takes place within the communities of the “Mojana” lowlands in the Caribbean region. Beneficiaries are vulnerable populations in San Bernardo del Viento and Ayapel (Departement Córdoba) and San Marcos (Departement Sucre). During the rain seasons from June to July and from September to November, people are confronted with an increasing unpredictability of floods. Consequences are the loss of livelihoods and shelter as well as diseases and infections due to continuing poverty and lack of sanitary infrastructure. Hence, project aims are risk minimization and vulnerability reduction of the flood prone populations in the three districts. Project activities are based on the bottom-up approach and imply participative strategies. Priority is given to the strengthening of disaster prevention structures by means of training courses as well as the allocation of technical equipment for twelve local committees (each with 10-20 persons). Additionally, the self-help potential of teachers, students and their parents will be promoted performing training courses and sensitizing campaigns. Schools will be renovated and equipped in order to use them as common emergency accommodations. It is expected that at the end of the project dependency on humanitarian aid will be diminished and communities will possess sustainable disaster prevention structures on a local level.
The Sendai Framework Voluntary Commitments (SFVC) online platform allows stakeholders to inform the public about their work on DRR. The SFVC online platform is a useful toolto know who is doing what and where for the implementation of the Sendai Framework, which could foster potential collaboration among stakeholders. All stakeholders (private sector, civil society organizations, academia, media, local governments, etc.) working on DRR can submit their commitments and report on their progress and deliverables.
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