Online Reporter
Samuel Kadungure
Mutare Bureau
SADC has set up a standby emergency response team to provide timely assistance to member states facing natural and human-induced disasters.
This was announced by Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe at the opening of a training workshop for the SADC Emergency Response Team in Nyanga yesterday.
Minister Garwe, represented by his deputy Engineer Benjamin Kabikira, emphasised the region’s growing vulnerability to disasters.
The workshop, attended by participants from Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe, seeks to equip the region with critical skills for disaster response.
“We are witnessing trends indicating that both natural and human-induced hazards are becoming more frequent and complex to manage, causing humanitarian challenges all over the world.
“This necessitated the region to make a decision to establish a standby emergency response team to facilitate a timeous response to distress calls from member states.
“With the SADC Humanitarian Operations Centre in operation and the SADC Secretariat coordinating, it is our hope as a region that this initiative will help minimise the losses associated with disasters and also ensuring well-coordinated response mechanisms and operations,” said Minister Garwe.
He said the inaugural SADC cohort for the emergency response team, comprising 32 participants, underwent training in Botswana last year, thanks to the support of co-operating partners.
Additionally, a group of representatives from member states previously gathered in Eswatini for training on using drones in disaster preparedness and response.
These trainings equipped the 32 member SADC team with SADC and International rapid disaster preparedness and response mechanisms. It also prepared the members with personal and team readiness for deployment.
“Participants enhanced their knowledge on effective coordination and interoperability with other stakeholders during emergency response as well as enhancing their understanding of rapid response team functionality based on the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) methodology, which was tailor-made to suit the context of the SADC emergency response system.
“The training also promoted understanding of the methodology through practical exercises, discussions, use of case studies and peer-to-peer learning through experience-sharing and this ultimately led to a team with better levels of understanding of the current international humanitarian response architecture and the roles and mandates of key actors,” he said.
Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution Advocate Misheck Mugadza said Zimbabwe, like many SADC nations, continued to grapple with severe natural and human-induced disasters.
These experiences had profoundly shaped the approach to disaster management, highlighting the critical need for preparedness, swift response and robust recovery mechanisms.
“Under the visionary leadership of His Excellency, the President Dr Mnangagwa, Zimbabwe has embraced a proactive and comprehensive stance on disaster management.
“Our President has consistently reiterated that no Zimbabwean must succumb or die from hunger or any disaster. This guiding principle underpins our national disaster risk reduction strategies and responses, calling for a “whole-of-Government” approach and fostering partnerships with all stakeholders, from local communities to international partners.
“The President’s decisive declarations of national disasters, such as those for the recent El Niño-induced drought and during the Covid-19 pandemic, demonstrate a firm commitment to mobilising all necessary resources to protect our citizens and ensure their well-being,” said Minister Mugadza.
He said the country recognises that disaster management is a collective responsibility that transcends national borders.
“We are fully committed to strengthening regional cooperation in this vital area. Our participation in SADC’s Disaster Risk Reduction Unit and the implementation of the SADC Disaster Risk Management Strategy and Action Plan (2022-2030) reflect our dedication to a coordinated regional approach.
“We actively engage in discussions and initiatives aimed at enhancing early warning systems, promoting cross-border collaboration and aligning our national strategies with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction,” he said.
