The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has pre-positioned disaster relief supplies in four member states to speed up mobilization of assistance when emergencies and disasters strike.
During a press briefing at the ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Disaster Resilience (AMCDR) in Pasay City on Tuesday, Office of Civil Defense Undersecretary Harold Cabreros said regional relief supplies have been pre-positioned in the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.
The stockpiles, established through the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre), are intended to bring emergency resources closer to affected communities and enable member states to respond more quickly to disasters.
“We are establishing our regional warehouses through the AHA Centre. They have already established warehouses here in the Philippines, in Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia,” Cabreros said.
He described the AHA Centre, which is based in Indonesia, as “the nerve center of ASEAN disaster management.”
Cabreros said the four regional warehouses will allow ASEAN member states to mobilize relief resources faster while complementing their respective national disaster response efforts.
The arrangement puts into practice ASEAN’s “One ASEAN, One Response” approach, which marks its 10th anniversary this year, he said.
The initiative seeks to strengthen the coordination and movement of resources and assistance across borders when a member state is hit by a major disaster.
Beyond pre-positioning supplies, ASEAN member states are also strengthening disaster management capabilities through training, knowledge-sharing and exchanges of experience.
Cabreros said these efforts translate ASEAN solidarity into practical action as the region seeks to strengthen cooperation, anticipate risks and improve early warning systems so authorities can act before disasters strike.
The AHA Centre was established under the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) to facilitate cooperation and coordination among member states in disaster management and emergency response.
It works with national disaster management organizations and regional partners to support disaster preparedness, response and recovery across the region. (PNA)
