ISCG, govt hold workshop on cyclone preparedness

COX'S BAZAR, Mar 13: Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG) and the Bangladesh government jointly organised a Stakeholder Workshop on 'Cyclone and Monsoon Preparedness: Cox's Bazar District and Camp Settlements' ahead of the approaching cyclone and the monsoon season.

The two-day workshop was kicked off on Wednesday.

Representative from the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS), American Red Cross, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the government and other NGOs ate taking part in the event.

In the inaugural session, Cyclone Programme Preparedness (CPP) Director Ahmadul Haq highlighted the CPP volunteers and Coverage in Cox's Bazar. "We have 6585 CPP volunteers ready, among which 990 in Teknaf, 375 in Ukhiya and 1180 in Cox's Bazar," he mentioned in his keynote presentation.

Filip Papas, senior coordinator of ISCG, in his remarks said, "As the Rohingya camps settlements are very dense and built of extremely fragile materials, risk of landfall during and after cyclone (landfall) is still very high. Coordinated system for responding to the impact of the cyclone is essential."

Md Rafiqul Islam Babu, Deputy Secretary General, Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS), stressed the need for collaboration and cooperation among the organisations working in Cox's Bazar for risk reduction.

The first day of the workshop focused on camp settlements level preparations in Cox's Bazar.