TEHRAN –The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the Disaster Management Organization (DMO) of Iran conferred on ways to enhance cooperation in dealing with emergencies, providing rapid response to incidents, and taking humanitarian measures.

Birgit Velte, the OCHA humanitarian affairs officer for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, and Nejad Jahani, the DMO deputy director for reconstruction and rehabilitation affairs, met in Tehran on Sunday, January 21.

Referring to the positive relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United Nations, especially the Regional Office of OCHA, Velte said the office is trying to overcome its weaknesses and have a road map for emergency situations, IRNA reported.

She added that the OCHA office's main responsibility is to coordinate the entry of foreign forces and facilities during emergencies, at the request of the affected country’s government.

“We want to develop a preparedness plan based on international and the Islamic Republic of Iran’s laws to provide rapid response to incidents,” Velte said. Developing such a plan requires more cooperation and talks, she added.

“According to United Nations Resolution 2665, all humanitarian aid programs are exempt from any sanctions, and American sanctions cannot stop banking operations and the provision of equipment in times of emergency,” IRNA quoted Velte as saying.

She went on to add, “We are ready to cooperate for the joint implementation of the program to remove international sanctions in crisis conditions, taking into account national and international capacities.”

Jahani, for his part, said that the humanitarian activities of Iran have nothing to do with political issues.

On the contrary, certain countries delay the delivery of humanitarian aid, even from Iranians to other countries by imposing cruel sanctions, he stressed.

Crisis Management Organization is a coordinating organization the same as OCHA, and according to the organization's rules, the whole goals, duties, and tasks are foreseen for crisis management in emergencies, he highlighted.

Jahani expressed hope that the development of cooperation along with the exchange of experiences and knowledge and cooperation in the programs of INSARAG (International Search and Rescue Advisory Group) and MIRA (International Search and Rescue Advisory Group) will reduce the problems after the accidents and meet the needs of the victims.

IRCS, OCHA to boost co-op

Velte also met the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) director for international affairs, Razieh Alishvandi, on Monday, January 22.

The two sides discussed ways to improve the efficiency of rapid response to accidents and disasters.

Presenting the IRCS capacities and humanitarian services, Alishvandi said one of the main missions and duties of the IRCS, according to the country's crisis management law, is to provide general relief training at the community level, as well as the training of specialized forces to immediately respond to accidents and disasters.

Velte, for her part, lauded the operational capabilities of the IRCS and its strong presence to provide help in disasters both in Iran and other countries, such as quake-hit Afghanistan, Turkey, and Syria, or flood-hit Pakistan.

She went on to stress the formation of Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams under the standards of INSARAG in Iran and obtaining approval and final evaluation in order to strengthen this capacity as much as possible.

OCHA

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is part of the United Nations Secretariat responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure a coherent response to emergencies.

OCHA's mission is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors in order to alleviate human suffering in disasters and emergencies; advocate the rights of people in need; promote preparedness and prevention and facilitate sustainable solutions.

OCHA works with Governments to strengthen their capacity with early warning information, contingency planning, national capacity-building and training, and by mobilizing support from regional networks. It helps Governments access tools and services for life-saving relief (rapid-response teams, needs assessment, funds, reports, and civil-military coordination).

Moreover, it identifies and analyses trends and helps the humanitarian community develop common policy, based on humanitarian principles. It speaks out publicly when necessary, works behind the scenes, negotiating on issues such as access, protection of civilians and aid workers, and humanitarian principles.

It also gathers and shares reliable data on where crisis-affected people are, what they urgently need, and who is best placed to assist them; Helps manage humanitarian donations from more than 130 countries through its financial tracking services.

OCHA’s key objectives are to convene humanitarian and development partners to work strategically and coherently to strengthen resilience and build national and local capacity; advocate a resilience-based approach and ensure resilience concepts are integrated into the humanitarian program cycle, and humanitarian tools and mechanisms are used to optimum effect.

OCHA works to incorporate Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) approaches into humanitarian programs and strengthen preparedness for effective humanitarian response. Emergency preparedness and DRR are critical to building community and household resilience.

MT/MG