Minimizing the Impact of Disasters
Managing the effects of disaster – including addressing the specific needs of women and young people in the wake of a crisis – is a development priority for this earthquake-prone country. It is also an urgent concern for neighbouring countries. UNFPA is embarking on an initiative to strengthen the nation's preparedness to meet reproductive health needs whenever emergencies strike the country. Mobile teams are being trained to provide reproductive health services in disaster-affected areas, reproductive health commodities are being stockpiled, protocols are being developed and logistics systems are being strengthened.
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BAM, Islamic Republic of Iran — In December 2003, a massive earthquake destroyed 80 per cent of this ancient city. Devastation of infrastructure, coupled by the loss of over half the city's health care personnel, paralysed the health care system throughout the surrounding district. More than 30,000 people died, and tens of thousands were left homeless and injured. A week earlier, an earthquake of similar magnitude hit California with only a few casualties. One reason for the disparity is the traditional Iranian building practices and mud construction of the houses; another was a lack of disaster preparedness.
Now, the country is becoming a leader in disaster
preparedness – for good reason: Iran is the world's second most
disaster-prone country. Almost every day, an earthquake or tremor
is felt somewhere within the country, which has the world's highest
number of major (magnitude higher than 5.5) earthquakes. The Islamic
Republic of Iran is also one of the world's most vulnerable countries
in terms of the number of people hurt from earthquakes each year.
| Iran is
the world's second most disaster-prone country. Almost
every day, an earthquake or tremor is felt somewhere within
the country |
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In the aftermath of the Bam earthquake, UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, helped form women support networks to channel the assistance that was coming into the area from different organizations. The Fund also helped procure emergency reproductive health supplies and commodities and install temporary showers and toilets for both women and men.
In the current country programme, UNFPA's assistance
is requested to establish protocols and training for reproductive
health providers, including the delivery of psychosocial counselling
for victims, training and equipping rapid response teams of reproductive
health specialists, and to ensure a steady supply of reproductive
health commodities during humanitarian crises. A growing awareness
of the high toll that disasters take on women and young people makes
this a priority area for UNFPA.
Long-term drought and a growing number of flooding incidents require further development of the country's already large and experienced disaster mitigation institutions and programmes. Disaster preparedness is a critical capacity for neighbouring countries as well, and Iranian policy makers envision the country becoming centre of expertise and resources that can be used to further South-South cooperation in this area. Toward this end, UNFPA is working with the Government and the Iranian Red Crescent Society to develop protocols and train mobile teams on emergency reproductive health services and securing the supply of reproductive health commodities.
Page last updated: 9 February 2006
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