3 SCDF Officers Deployed To Support Philippines In Preparation For Tropical Storm Bopha
SCDF has deployed three of its officers to support Philippines in the emergency planning and preparation for the Tropical Storm Bopha. The three officers left Singapore this morning (3rd December 2012) at 0935hrs and arrived in Philippines at about 1300hrs.
The three officers are deployed under the auspices of United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs or UNOCHA. One of the officers will be deployed as part of the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team to carry out an assessment of the situation, the resulting humanitarian needs and to assist to put in place an information management mechanism to ensure information flow between the affected area, the capital of the affected country, and to the international organisations involved in the relief efforts. Two other officers, who are communications specialists, will be deployed under the Asia-Pacific Humanitarian Partnership (APHP) team to provide communications support for the UNDAC teams.
SCDF, as a member of the international civil defence fraternity, has actively taken part in various overseas humanitarian missions/exercises and meetings conducted under the UNOCHA. SCDF has officers on 24/7 stand-by for deployment to overseas disaster sites to carry out rapid assessment of priority needs, and support the United Nations Resident Coordinator to coordinate international on-site relief efforts. The three officers are expected to be in the Philippines for about two weeks.
SCDF team returns home from Bopha relief efforts
SINGAPORE: The three officers from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) who were deployed to help in the Tropical Storm Bopha relief efforts in the Philippines have returned to Singapore.
An SCDF statement said the officers returned home on Friday at 11:45am.
They went to the Philippines on 3 December.
The
three officers were deployed under the auspices of United Nations
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA).
One
of them was deployed as part of the United Nations Disaster Assessment
and Coordination (UNDAC) team to help in assessing the situation and the
resulting humanitarian needs.
He also helped to set up and
oversee the management of a humanitarian office near the most affected
areas to better coordinate relief efforts.
The two other
officers, who are info-communications specialists, were deployed under
the Asia-Pacific Humanitarian Partnership (APHP) team.
They
supported the UNDAC teams in information management, and set up
communication links to facilitate coordination of the relief efforts.
- CNA/ck