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UNICEF and ECHO, the Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection of the European Commission are joining efforts in the area of disaster risk reduction (DRR) and emergency preparedness in education.

DUSHANBE, 6 December 2012 – The Government of Tajikistan and UNICEF signed a memorandum of understanding to implement an EC-funded partnership project entitled “Supporting Disaster Risk Reduction amongst Institutions and Vulnerable Communities in Tajikistan”.  This project will educate school children in acquiring DRR skills and on vital safe behaviour during disasters, and will be implemented in close cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Committee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defence under the Government of Tajikistan.

Within this partnership, UNICEF is working in seven countries across South Caucasus and Central Asia: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan to improve disaster preparedness and risk reduction. UNICEF Tajikistan receives under this partnership € 200,000 to implement the DRR project, primarily in the education sector.

Tajikistan’s schoolchildren from 10 schools in remote Rasht, Aini and Kulyab districts together with teachers, parents and other community members will have opportunities to consolidate the skills they acquire through simulation drills and other activities on disaster risk reduction and emergency preparedness. This project will also provide schools with the minimum set of equipment and tools that are to be used in case of disasters.

“The project aims to contribute to the efforts of the Government of Tajikistan to increase resilience and reduce vulnerability of children and schools in areas prone to natural disasters. It will certainly help to build an expertise in the area of DRR in education and enable to address this issue at a national level. ”, says Ms. Laylee Moshiri, UNICEF Representative in the Republic of Tajikistan.

The DRR project also puts an emphasis on training of adults, including the staff of ministries, local authorities and schools. It expects to develop training plans and learning materials that can be applied in all schools throughout the country to ensure that every child is aware of safe behavioural skills during earthquakes, mudflows, fires and other disasters.

In addition the project aims to build partnerships among the stakeholders and consolidation of efforts in mainstreaming of DRR as part of the Life Skills Based Education into the school education.

About ECHO
The European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Department funds relief operations for victims of natural disasters and conflicts outside the European Union. Aid is channeled impartially, straight to people in need, regardless of their race, ethnic group, religion, gender, age, nationality or political affiliation.

About UNICEF 
UNICEF works in 190 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. For more information about UNICEF work in Tajikistan visit www.unicef.tj. Follow us on Facebook.com/uniceftajikistan

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