TEHRAN, IRAN - - 23 November 2017 - Deutsche
Post DHL Group and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) together
with Iran Airports and Air Navigation Company will carry out the Get Airports
Ready for Disaster (GARD) program at Mehrabad International Airport from 25 to
29 November 2017. Deutsche Post DHL Group and UNDP are working with Iran's
airport and government authorities, representatives of humanitarian response
experts to better prepare Iran's airports for future natural disasters.
Airports are central to
ensuring lifesaving support reach impacted communities in the most seamless and
fastest way possible. In 2009, GARD was
developed by Deutsche Post DHL Group in cooperation with the UNDP with the aim
of preparing airports in disaster-prone areas to handle the surge of incoming
relief goods after a calamity occurs. It also enables the various organizations
and aid agencies to better understand the processes at the airport in the
aftermath of a disaster, which will help facilitate relief efforts and enhance
overall coordination. To date, GARD workshops have been held at more than 40
airports. Over 40 officials and experts will participate in the five-day GARD
workshop in Tehran, starting 25 November, which will be led by specialists from
Deutsche Post DHL Group and UNDP. During the workshop, the participants and
trainers will evaluate the current level of preparedness at the airport,
conduct training exercises, and develop specific recommendations and an action
plan that ensures Mehrabad International Airport is prepared for future
disasters.
"By developing strong and
effective contingency plans to manage the flow of emergency relief goods to the
people in need, the GARD workshop will enable airport operators and aid-related
organizations to act more effectively in the aftermath of a natural disaster.
Preparedness is key in ensuring such effective response and the GARD workshop aims
to support the Iranian government in mitigating the impact of any future
disasters," said Chris Weeks, Director of Humanitarian Affairs for DHL.
Iran, being situated in one of
the most disaster-prone regions of the world, means it is highly susceptible to
droughts, earthquakes, floods and industrial incidents. Forest fires and sand and dust storms increasingly affect different parts
of the country. Iran's main concern however continues to be seismic risk. Due
to its particular location in the Alpine-Himalayan mountain system, the Islamic
Republic of Iran is also highly vulnerable to numerous and often severe
earthquakes
such as the one that hit western parts of the country on 12 November 2017.
According to news reports, the 7.3-magnitude earthquake, which struck in a
populated region on the border of Iran-Iraq where more than 1.8 million people
live, is estimated to have taken the lives of about 500 people and injured
another 7,460. It is by far the deadliest earthquake to strike Iran since 2012,
and most lethal in the world in 2017.
As part of the current GARD
workshop, Deutsche Post DHL Group's aviation experts, UNDP leaders and Iran
Airports and Air Navigation Company representatives will equip participants
with best-practice logistics management during natural disasters and work with them to
devise customized disaster-response plans for the airport. The workshop will
also raise awareness of Disaster Risk Reduction, which taps on Deutsche Post DHL Group's extensive logistics experience
to focus on surge capacity so that airports better handle the overwhelming
international support that they receive after a disaster, and identify
priorities for investment in national infrastructure, which could further
improve the resilience of emergency
supply chains during a disaster.
About GARD In 2009, GARD was developed by
Deutsche Post DHL Group in cooperation with the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) with the aim of preparing airports in disaster-prone areas to
handle the surge of incoming relief goods after a natural disaster occurs. It
also enables the various organizations and aid agencies to better understand
the processes at the airport in the aftermath of a disaster, which will help
facilitate relief efforts and enhance overall coordination.
To date, GARD workshops have
been held at more than 40 airports in Armenia, Bangladesh, the Dominican
Republic, El Salvador, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon,
Macedonia, the Maldives, Nepal, Panama, Peru, the Philippines, the Seychelles,
Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan and Turkey.
GARD trainers and training
materials are provided free-of-charge by Deutsche Post DHL Group while UNDP
leads the project implementation and facilitates the coordination with the
government authorities. GARD training workshop arrangements and logistics costs
are fully covered by UNDP with funding contribution by the government of
Germany.
GARD is an integral part of
Deutsche Post DHL Group's GoHelp program in which the Group pools all of its
activities related to disaster preparedness and management. As a form of crisis
prevention, GARD workshops are used to prepare airports for coping with
potential natural disasters. Should a disaster strike, Disaster Response Teams
(DRTs) provide emergency aid and ensure that relief supplies can be accepted in
a coordinated manner and passed on to the correct aid organizations.
The DRTs were established in
cooperation with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs (UNOCHA). They encompass a worldwide network of more than 400 volunteers,
all specially trained employees of Deutsche Post DHL Group.
You can
find the press release for download as well as further information on
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