AKIPRESS.COM - The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) handed over IT equipment to the Tajik Committee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defence (CoES) to strengthen the country’s emergency preparedness capacity. The equipment includes brand-new GPS navigators, cameras, laptops, tablets and printers. These will be used by Tajikistan’s Information Management and Analytical Centre (IMAC) of Sughd Region to conduct risk assessments, collect, analyse and disseminate data on disasters.

“As Tajikistan is prone to disasters that affect the most vulnerable the most, technology can help the country in preparing for them and minimising the risk,” said WFP Representative and Country Director in Tajikistan Alberto Correia Mendes. “The equipment will strengthen IMAC’s capacity to monitor disasters and help the CoES to respond to them effectively and in a timely manner.”

In addition to its school feeding, nutrition and resilience capacity building programmes in Tajikistan, WFP works to develop the capacity of the government and stakeholders in disaster risk reduction as well as emergency preparedness and response in the country.

Over the past four years, WFP has provided technical assistance, equipment, and extensive trainings to CoES staff at the local and regional levels through awareness campaigns to build disaster-resilient communities and promoting the work of CoES among the population.

During the handover ceremony Chairman of CoES Rustam Nazarzoda thanked WFP for its support and expressed his wish to expand the partnership on emergency preparedness and response activities in the country.

The United Nations World Food Programme - saving lives in emergencies and changing the lives of millions through sustainable development. WFP works in more than 80 countries around the world, feeding people caught in conflict and disasters, and laying the foundations for a better future.