The Chairman of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Committee of Ministers, Peter Kazadi, chaired a meeting of SADC ministers responsible for the interior and disaster management. The objective of this meeting was to discuss disaster prevention and risk management in the SADC region. On this occasion, the DRC and Malawi signed a memorandum of understanding to create a center for humanitarian and emergency operations. Peter Kazadi encouraged other Member States to also sign this protocol in order to strengthen the region’s disaster preparedness and response.
The creation of this humanitarian and emergency operations center is essential in a region prone to unpredictable and often cross-border disasters. This pooling of efforts will boost the effectiveness of the implementation of the disaster preparedness and response plan throughout the SADC region.
Eleven of the sixteen Member States were present at this meeting, thus underlining the importance given to the development of a regional plan for the prevention and management of disasters and risks.
For the SADC region to be better prepared for disasters, the establishment of this center is a big step forward. This will enable effective coordination on the ground and faster response, helping states to better protect their citizens from disaster damage. The DRC, which is often the victim of natural disasters, will also benefit from this center for humanitarian and emergency operations.