REDLAC

What is REDLAC ?

The Latin America and the Caribbean region is a region vulnerable to natural disasters and its effects. Added to this vulnerability are problems of poverty, inequality, emigration, accelerated urbanization, social unrest, and environmental deterioration.

One third of the region’s population is continuously exposed to the consequences of natural catastrophes and man-made disasters.

To respond to these and other needs, humanitarian institutions and organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean are specialized in disaster management and work to promote programs and projects in the areas of risk management and mitigation of disasters and emergencies. These programs and projects are designed to assist affected populations and reduce their vulnerability levels by strengthening their response capacity and reducing their exposure to risk.

Inspired by the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 46/182, the Disasters Management Team (UNDMT) mandate, the presence of various regional humanitarian agencies in Panama, and the need to reinforce collaboration between the different regional agencies on the topics of disasters preparedness and response, the Risk, Emergency, and Disasters Task Force of the Regional Inter-Agency Standing Committee was created.

The aim of this Task Force is to create a platform for information exchange, reflection, and organization of joint efforts to optimize preparedness and response actions aimed at preventing and mitigating the suffering of populations vulnerable to natural disasters in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Strategy

The group’s main strategies are coordination, as a mechanism to improve the response in affected countries, and the exchange of information, for discussion and reaching a consensus within the forum. Decisions that are reached by consensus do not compromise the humanitarian mandate of member’s respective agencies.

Activities

The group shares information before, during, and after a disaster or emergency. It also organizes the implementation of join disaster preparedness and response projects to maximize existing resources. The group focuses its intervention on the preparedness and response stages, and coordinates prevention, mitigation, and reduction tasks with other actors.

Results from the workgroup in areas of coordination and cooperation will be sent to UNDMT members in vulnerable countries, to widen and strengthen their regional vision as well as their capacities for coordination and disaster management.

Operation

In the event of a disaster in the region, the regional OCHA office is responsible for assembling the group in order to exchange the information needed to define joint strategies for managing the emergency.

The group meets bimonthly (once every 2 moths) and the sessions are chaired by the representative of the regional OCHA office. In his/her absence, he/she will delegate the responsibility to another permanent member of the group.

OCHA also acts as the group’s executive secretariat and is thus responsible for: facilitating the channels of communication among members, arranging meeting, collecting though meeting minutes-agreements and decisions made during the meetings.

Sub workgroups on information management, purchasing, and logistics have also been created to coordinate and define related actions at an operational level.

Services

During an emergency, the group offers the following specialized services:

Continuous sharing of information about the event;
Support for an inter-agency needs assessments for an integral understanding of the needs;
Support the preparation or application and establishment of humanitarian assistance interventions in cases where the event exceeds the national capacity (inter-agency appeals).

How long has REDLAC been in operation?

The REDLAC group was formed in 2004. During this time, the group has undertaken following activities: 2006 - 2005 - 2004

2006

A sub-regional Journalist Workshop for Central America on “Speaking the Same Language on Disasters” was held in Panama. The purpose of the workshop is to avoid encouraging an alarmist sensation and to improve the skills of journalists for adequate management of information related to natural disasters. The objectives of the workshop were to: share the same terminology and concepts on topics of disasters, adopt a common intensity scale, simplify the message so that it can be captured by all communities and societies, and include educational and disaster prevention contents.

IFRC Regional Team Leaders partcipated in a session on Key Partners in Emergencies during the UNDAC Induction Course for the Americas held on May 30^th.

The regional information management sub-group was reactivated and the terms of reference were revised and drafted.

An regional inter-agency cluster task force has been formed to facilitate the cluster approach according the Humanitarian Reform.

A focal point from PAHO/WHO for Avian Influenza and Pandemic influenza was identified.

A consultant was hired to review the different inter-agency rapid assessment tools and methodologies from the different member agencies, with the objective of proposing one common format or guideline, validated by the REDLAC, for use by the UN Emergency Technical Teams (UNETE).

2005

A Regional Humanitarian Information Management Assessment was carried out with participation from REDLAC, donors, NGOs and regional governmental institutions, to provide a comprehensive inventory of the different information management tools in the region. The aim of the assessment was to determine the need for a common inter-agency humanitarian information tool.

An Interagency brochure was created containing information on the REDLAC Regional Coordination mechanism and the role of each agency in disaster situations. 2,250 copies were printed (1,250 in Spanish and 1,000 in English)

A new mechanism for managing and exchanging information during emergency situations was developed for proper information flow during the 2005 hurricane season.

Meetings held during and after several emergency situations caused by the hurricanes in Central America and the Caribbean. Major hurricanes during the 2005 season include: Dennis, Emily, Katrina, Rita, Stan, Wilma, Alpha, and Beta.

Joint missions to various countries for the development of workshops including Guyana, Venezuela, Mexico, and Jamaica

2004

Several Meetings held in Panama during the emergencies of “Hurricane Ivan” and “Tropical Storm Jeanne” that affected the Caribbean.
Meetings with group members to discuss lessons learned after the Dominican Republic floods.
Regular briefings of the humanitarian and political situation in Haiti
A meeting with the Haitian Embassy to dicuss the possibility of regional support to Haiti.
Joint missions were held by OCHA, WFP and UNICEF to assist the Resident Coordinator in Bolivia in the event of a developing crisis due to the country's humanitarian situation.
Meeting held in Guatemala to strengthen the civil-military relationship in the region in the event of a natural disaster. WFP, IFRC, UNICEF, OCHA, ISDR, UNDP-BCPR, PAHO/WHO, CEPREDENAC, European Commission, and ECHO-Regional Support Office for Latin America all participated.