ISLAMABAD - Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman on Thursday said there was a need to reassess strategic plans on relief and rehabilitation in response to changing nature and complexity of disasters. She made these remarks at the closing ceremony of first Simulation Exercise on Flood and Rain conducted by the NDMA in partnership with the Ministry of Climate Change. The Minister acknowledged the value of simulation exercises to coordinate disaster responses and underlined the significance of local involvement and the most vulnerable in real-time response efforts. “The identification of fragility and vulnerability, and the inclusion of those who are the most vulnerable must be at the front and center as we move forward. Rather than being relegated to the periphery, we must consider the entire spectrum of vulnerability. In particular, we must recognize that those who are most vulnerable often face significant challenges during the rehabilitation phase, when the loss of livelihoods and health crises impact them first.” “Despite limited resources, we must innovate and develop a deep understanding of the shocks faced by these communities, both during and after immediate relief efforts. This exercise pivots on local assistance, and it has got to work as a well-oiled machine,” said the minister.
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“Uncertainty has become the new normal in the 21st Century, where we have lost all sense of what is to be expected from a monsoon or a riverine flood. To respond effectively to this dynamic change, our own response and learning must also be dynamic. We must create islands of relief and response that enable quick and accessible outreach of relief goods to populations under threat.”