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Message from Head of OCHA Regional Office, Kelly David
In view of the potential for floods and cyclones in the next 3 to 6 months, the Regional Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs of Southern Africa held a
workshop from 5 – 7 December 2007 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Reflecting back to late 2006 and early 2007, floods, cyclones and windstorms battered numerous
countries in Southern Africa, threatening the lives of more then a million vulnerable people. Although regional capacity for disaster and emergency preparedness and response has
increased in recent years, the early arrival of the rainy season with unusually heavy rains stretched local authorities and humanitarian partners to the limit. Communities in
Angola, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia and Zambia all struggled and in some cases are still recovering from the destruction and devastation caused by several months of
relentless rainfall.
Preparation for this rainy season, the objectives of the workshop are to:
- To reach a common understanding of the implications for humanitarian responders of: weather forecasts for the next
3 to 6 months, and; longer term outlook for the region due to climate change.
- To review and clarify national capacities and gaps going into the 2008 floods and cyclones season.
- To identify the required action of regional and humanitarian actors necessary to fill these gaps in both the immediate
(3-6 months) and longer term.
- To develop a framework for action identifying clear roles, responsibilities and sources of funding to address the gaps.
The workshop provided a useful opportunity to review lessons learned from the 2007 flood and cyclone responses, the status of national plans, identify opportunities for regional
support, as well as raised awareness of thematic and cross-cutting issues in planning and response interventions.
On this package, you will find all the background documents, operational guidelines and presentations pertaining to the above. The documents and presentations can be accessed by
clicking on the programme agenda, under which you find the presentations of the day. In further assisting you, related materials are provided at the click of a button.
Thank you for attending the workshop and we hope you find the related documents useful. Should you require any assistance or further support, please do not hesitate to contact
us.
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