PUTRAJAYA: Asean member states have agreed to contribute US$90,000 (RM373,000) to the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre) starting next year.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said the fund was important to assist people during disasters and emergencies.
“Previously the member states only contributed USD 50,000. It is important to increase the fund because the AHA Centre needs more than that, I think we need USD 1.2 million to help.
“So that in cases of any emergency we are ready to help,” she said at a press conference today.
Earlier, she chaired the 6th Asean Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management and Emergency Response.
Dr Wan Azizah also said that the ministers had agreed to support the resource mobilisation efforts, among others, by engaging potential partners, including private sector entities, philantropic organisations and key influncers to support Asean’s collective response to disaster.
“Strengthening public-private partnerships is essential to disaster management. This has been repeated many times and should not be merely ‘lip service’, she added.
Also present were Asean Secretary-General Datuk Lim Jock Hoi.
She said at the meeting, Asean Ministers also commended the initiatives taken by ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM) in collaboration with other sectors to better address disaster hazards.
“These include concept papers on Women, Peace, and Security in Disaster Management and Promoting Gender Mainstreaming in Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation as well as exploring collaborations with relevant sectoral bodies on multi sectoral response to pandemic related disasters and mental health and psychosocial support in disaster,” she said.