Red Cross organises disaster response work

A 10-day disaster response workshop aimed at establishing a network of disaster management focal points on Western Africa national Red Cross Societies to enhance cooperation in times of disasters was underway in Accra.

It was also aimed at educating participants on disaster management concept, usage of tools and systems and a basis for the training of national and regional teams and the use a standardised system for the societies.

The workshop that was opened on Sunday under the theme, ''special relief and disaster management training for regional disaster response teams,'' was being organised by the Ghana Red Cross Society in collaboration with the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent society.

The thirty participants were drawn from six Anglophone West African countries including, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, the Gambia, Cote D'Ivoire.

Topics being discussed centre on camp selection, planning, and set up and management, provision of water and sanitation, health, food security and shelter for displaced people.

Mr John Watt, Senior Relief Officer, Disaster Management and Coordination division of the international Federation of the Red Cross and crescent societies said the workshop was expected to bring about improvement in the disaster response in Ghana.

He said this was due to the outcome of previous workshops held in Southern Africa in 2000 and Cameroon in the 2002 for Central Africa.

Mr Watt said workshop currently underway was the third in the series adding that national societies in the regions would have a better understanding of the challenges Federation.

He said globally, more than 90 national societies expressed their readiness to be part of the regional disaster response mechanism of regional disaster response teams.