Jakarta, 9 June 2021 – The ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre) signed two agreements that will strengthen disaster management in the region. The signing ceremony was held during the AADMER Partnership Conference (APC) that was held virtually on 8 June 2021.

As the primary regional coordinating agency in disaster management in the region, the AHA Centre in cooperation with the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation of the Ministry of Interior of the Kingdom of Thailand (DDPM Thailand) will work together to ensure the speed efficiency and scale of an ASEAN response in the Indo China region. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the AHA Centre and the DDPM Thailand is for the establishment of a satellite warehouse in Chainat, Thailand to house the ASEAN stockpile for immediate deployment in neighbouring countries of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Viet Nam.

Director-General of the DDPM Thailand Mr. Boontham Lertsukekasem mentioned that the establishment and operationalisation of satellite warehouse in Chainat, Thailand is in line with the Roadmap for Enhancing ASEAN Emergency Logistics, that aims to advance ASEAN’s long-term vision to achieve a faster response, more resources and stronger coordination for collective response. “We expect that the establishment of the satellite warehouse will play an important and critical role in ensuring timely and effective ASEAN response,” said Mr. Boontham.

The AHA Centre also signed a Memorandum of Intent (MoI) with Singapore’s Temasek Foundation on cooperation and exchange of expertise in the field of disaster management and emergency response in the ASEAN region. The cooperation aims to assess risks, to improve the readiness to respond, and to build platforms for information exchange and coordination of logistics.

Chief Executive of Temasek Foundation International, Mr. Benedict Cheong conveyed that there is much scope for greater collaboration and coordination in disaster response among the many stakeholders in the ASEAN communities. The MoI will take the partnership of AHA Centre and Temasek Foundation to the next level with greater exchange of information and more meaningful collaborations. “We look forward to working hand in glove with the AHA Centre, to build more crisis-resilient communities in the ASEAN region.  Ultimately this will lead to a better shared future for all in the ASEAN region, and indeed in Asia and beyond,” Mr Cheong added.

Executive Director of the AHA Centre, Ms. Adelina Kamal expressed her gratitude on behalf of the AHA Centre and ASEAN Member States for the MoU with the DDPM Thailand and MoI with Temasek Foundation as well as the Government of Japan through Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF), for the generous support and contribution in the establishment of the satellite warehouse. The DELSA Satellite Warehouse in Chainat, along with its sister in the Philippines and the regional stockpile in Subang, Malaysia, has been an integral part of ASEAN’s collective response. “Moving forward, I hope that the DELSA Satellite Warehouse in Chainat can also serve as platform for other partners and the wider ASEAN Community, including the ASEAN people, to contribute to One ASEAN One Response”, Ms. Kamal said.

With Temasek Foundation, our collaboration started during the response to Central Sulawesi triple disasters in 2018, continued recently with Temasek Foundation donating 1.5 million reusable masks through the AHA Centre as well as, recently, as one of the partners in HELIX or the Humanitarian Emergency and Logistic Innovation Expo, just two weeks ago. “I am confident that our partnership will grow even stronger, because in the past three years, we’ve built trust and familiarity, as well as shared mutual passion, to make our region more disaster resilient. And these for us at the AHA Centre are key ingredients to successful partnership,” Ms. Kamal concluded.

 

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About the AHA Centre:

The AHA Centre is an inter-governmental organisation established by ten ASEAN Member States on 17 November 2011 with the aim to facilitate cooperation and coordination amongst ASEAN Member States and with relevant United Nations and international organisations in promoting regional collaboration in disaster management. The AHA Centre is based in Jakarta, Indonesia.

To subscribe to disaster situation updates in the region, please go to AHA Centre’s website www.wordpress-144887-2329511.cloudwaysapps.com and social media (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn).

For more information, please contact:

Mr. Moch Syifa, Communications Officer of the AHA Centre

Email            : moch.syifa@ahacentre.org

Mobile           : +6281553514882