BEVERLY HILLS, CA, November 14, (THEWILL) – The United States on Thursday expressed its willingness to support the Federal Government in the area of disaster management and emergency response.
At a ceremony attended by the U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission Maria Brewer in Abuja, the United States officially handed over to the Federal Government a Pandemic Preparedness and Response Plan, the Armed Forces of Nigeria Pandemic Contingency Plan and the Military Assistance to Civil Authorities (MACA) Disaster Contingency Plan.
These documents, according to a statement by the Information Office of the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria, will provide guidance for an effective response in the event of severe pandemics or other disasters in Nigeria.
The event which held at the Hilton Abuja was attended by U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defence (Health Affairs) Dr. Jonathan Woodson; Deputy Commander Military Operations, USAFRICOM, Lieutenant General Steven Hummer; Hon. Minister of Health, Nigeria, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu; representative of the Chief of Defence Staff, Nigerian Armed Forces; Hon. Minister for Women Affairs, Hajia Zainab Maina; Director General, Nigeria Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)], Alhaji Muhammad Sidi and other senior government officials.
Deputy Chief of Mission Brewer, in her remarks at the occasion , noted that “USAFRICOM engagements in disaster preparedness with Nigeria since 2009 have strengthened partnerships and friendships, which have enhanced regional collaboration and national pandemic preparedness and disaster response plans.”
The statement said official handover of the plans will be followed by a seven-day training event which will include: plan familiarisation briefings to clarify the roles and responsibilities of civil and military authorities during pandemics and other disasters; a tabletop exercise to identify current strengths, weaknesses, gaps and development of a five-year Disaster Management Strategic Work Plan to outline potential support for capacity and capability building in partnership with the United States Government via the United States Africa Command.
The development of these plans and the execution of this event, the statement added, is a result of the United States Africa Command’s Disaster Preparedness Program, implemented by the Centre for Disaster and Humanitarian Assistance Medicine.
