Coordination meeting held in Kabul to strengthen disaster preparedness — Pajhwok

KABUL (Pajhwok): The General Directorate of Disaster Preparedness and the Raha Organisation held a coordination meeting in Kabul to strengthen preparedness and coordination in disaster management, with the participation of representatives of international organisations and humanitarian agencies. At the opening of the meeting, Mullah Nooruddin Turabi, head of the General Directorate of Disaster Preparedness, said the gathering aimed to improve coordination and preparedness for disasters. He said the authorities had provided the necessary facilities to organisations in all sectors to help speed up their activities. Referring to the growing needs of people, particularly in remote areas and regions affected by climate change, Turabi urged aid organisations to reduce administrative costs so that a greater portion of assistance could reach vulnerable people directly. He stressed that humanitarian activities should remain separate from politics and described the General Directorate of Disaster Preparedness as a non-political institution. Turabi also described landmines and unexploded ordnance as a hidden threat to the people and said his office was committed to accelerating mine-clearance efforts. He said Afghanistan could have become a mine-free country by now if funds allocated for mine clearance in previous years had been properly spent. The statement said representatives of UNICEF, UNAMA, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and other participating organisations appreciated the coordination between the General Directorate of Disaster Preparedness and…