ASIA/PHILIPPINES -Training for 1 million 800 thousand volunteers ready to cope with disasters and calamities

Manila (Agenzia Fides) - The Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) has organized the training for 1 million 800 thousand volunteers to cope with any disaster that might hit the country. The program, called Red Cross 143, prepares groups of 44 volunteers who will be present in each of the 42 000 villages. They will be given all the basic first aid information skills to respond to the consequences of catastrophes, they will also have be able to monitor and assess disasters and weather emergencies in time. "Disasters and natural disasters are recorded everywhere - according to a statement by the Secretary General of the PNRC - and we need people on site to keep us updated on the various situations so that we can act promptly".
Launched in 2009, the program has already successfully trained volunteers in 60% of the villages. The Philippines, with more than 100 million inhabitants, is one of the countries in the world most vulnerable to disasters, with an average of 20 typhoons a year. Located in the so-called "ring of fire" of the Pacific, the archipelago is also home to about 23 active volcanoes as well as 7 000 islands, and is often difficult to intervene immediately to all affected areas. According to the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) and the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR), of the United Nations, in 2011 33 natural disasters hit the country. The village of Macasandig, for example, was one of the most severely affected by the storm Washi, which killed 1200 people and injured another million. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 03/02/2012)