Port Moresby – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) with funding from the United States Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (USAID/BHA), recently completed a five-day training in Community-Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM).

The training took place in Mount Hagen and was co-facilitated by IOM and Provincial Disaster Coordinators (PDCs) from Hela, Southern Highlands, Enga, Western Highlands and Jiwaka.

The training was attended by 15 women and 30 men from identified disaster prone communities in these provinces. Participants included community focal points as well as district and local level government representatives.

The training addressed various issues, including preparedness to the negative effects of natural hazards, risk reduction measures, and the use of early warning systems.

The training will help participants to undertake disaster awareness, preparedness and mitigation activities throughout the drafting and execution of CBDRM plans. This will in-turn help target communities build resilience to disasters induced by natural hazards.

The PDC for Western Highlands, Robin Yakumb thanked the US Government for its continued support of disaster risk management operations, as well as funding the CBDRM programming, implemented by IOM.

“If these CBDRM trainings had not been conducted by IOM through the partnership with the National Disaster Centre and PDCs, I would not have the skills and knowledge that I now have in disaster risk management. This and other trainings already carried out by IOM such as the Displacement Tracking Matrix, and Camp Coordination and Camp Management are helping me and other PDCs disaster coordinators in delivering our work,” said Robin.

The participants also shared their appreciation of the training. Councillor Mark Barry, of the Sigiri community in Jiwaka extended his heartfelt thanks to USAID/BHA and highlighted that the training has equipped him with the knowledge to help his community when dealing with natural and human-induced hazards.

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For further information, please contact IOM Port Moresby, Peter Murorera, Tel: +675 321 36 55, Email: pmurorera@iom.int or Eliorah Malifa, Tel: +675 7040 1526, Email: emalifa@iom.int