October 13th as the International Day of Disaster Reduction, 'All together for Civil Protection' activity

Published: Wednesday, 13 October 2021 16:17

For the second year in a row, the National Agency of Civil Protection in the framework of the "International Day of Disaster Reduction", in cooperation with the Albanian Red Cross, United Nations Development Program (UNDP), World Vision Albania, prefectures, municipalities, as well as the Ministry of Education and Health, reintroduces to 12 schools in the country, the activity with the theme "All together for Civil Protection".

As initiated by the convening of the United Nations General Assembly in 1989, to have a day where society's global attention will be focused on the opportunity and ability of people or communities around the world to reduce their exposure to disasters, October 13^th was observed as a day that serves to raise awareness and the importance of risk prevention to these disasters.

Natural disasters have no borders, they require real and concrete actions on climate or global warming and agreed on policies, therefore the 2021 edition focuses on the 6th objective of the Sendai targets, which is about "International cooperation for developing countries to reduce their disaster risk and disaster losses.", on the slogan "All together ".

Some elementary schools, in cities such as Tirana, Durres, Vlora, Lezha, will welcome this activity, which will be displayed to the squares of these cities, to continue during the day through open discussions and distribution of information brochures near the tents in the presence of representatives of AKMC, partner organizations, the Ministry of Education and Health, as well as local government.

Albania, in recent years has faced a series of disasters, such as earthquakes, COVID-19 pandemic, floods, and the last was the situation with massive fires this summer (2021). All these disasters demonstrate the commitment of human, institutional, technical and financial capabilities required for such emergencies, where international assistance cannot be lacking in the event of an escalation of the situation, without calculating the costs of damage to human life, livestock, property, and environment. Although the fire situation highlighted the readiness of institutions, operational structures, volunteers, and the effectiveness of the civil protection mechanism in Albania, this is still not enough for future challenges in the framework of climate change. Therefore, more awareness, commitment, and action of each of us is required, in order to prevent risks with greater consequences.

In order to convey to the younger generations a culture of prevention, response, and restoration - in the face of extreme weather events and other risks with special prominence on the motto of this day that "Only together" we can, it is worth emphasizing the role and contribution of partner organizations in the field of disaster risk reduction, which have joined this activity.

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Albania is currently contributing to the strengthening of Rapid Recovery Capabilities (RESEAL), at central and local levels. It will also assist AKMC in capability building, preparation of national strategic documents, and assistance in their preparation at the local level. The education and standardization of curricula for the education of future generations in this field has also been a key focus.

World Vision in Albania, is currently engaged through the Disaster Risk Reduction (RRF) Capability Building project, with a focus on communities and schools, supported by UNICEF, SDG Acceleration Fund, through Dutch government funding.

The Albanian Red Cross, which has expanded its coverage across Albania with approximately 2500 active volunteers and 90,000 thousand members, also contributes continuously, where one of the most important programs of this organization is disaster preparedness and response, as well as awareness. Sealing a culture of awareness in this area in the upcoming years, requires the commitment of all along with increased, preventive action for our protection and that of the planet above all as a citizens' duty

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