DISASTER MANAGEMENT

The Georgia Red Cross Society Disaster Management Department is encouraged to initiate the disaster preparedness process at community level in high-risk communities of Georgia through the evaluation of disaster risks and the integration of risk reduction into strategy formulation and planning. Promotion of good governance in disaster management, raising awareness, advocacy and strengthening early warning dissemination at family and community level are also important.

The DM Department is planning to cover schools and universities of the most affected rural and urban areas of Georgia. The total target population is 21,200 people covering 11 districts of Georgia. The beneficiaries will receive training on disaster mitigation, nutrition, first aid and humanitarian values. They will be provided with education and information materials of sustainable community-based activities in the field, social activities and disaster preparedness, as well as first-aid skills. The used community-based participatory approach will not only ensure that local needs are addressed, but will also stimulate beneficiaries and target groups to participate and show initiative.

The Georgia Red Cross Society recognizes that the integration of gender perspectives will increase the effectiveness of the organization taking into account gender balance in all activities within the programme, and equal mobilization of volunteers within the local communities.

GRCS provided emergency assistance to the armed conflict victims in the region as a response to the humanitarian crisis; assistance was provided for the affected people in the villages surrounding Gori. The support was provided according to the request of the Ministry of Refugees and Resettlement of Georgia. The affected villages received: beds, mattresses,blankets, food parcels and bottled water.

In October 2008, GRCS DM Department conducted training for DM persons from local branches; the training was aimed at explaining the logics and importance of creating GRCS Contingency plan. Until the end of February 2009 all 25 local branches will finish their part of CP / mostly the appendixes. After this the DM Department will start the implementation of GRCS Contingency plan.