Disaster Management Strategy (2014 – 2017).

This Disaster Management Strategy focuses on preventing destruction from (natural) disasters through advocacy, prevention, knowledge management, better coordination, capacity building strategies, and better preparedness through advanced emergency response. It is MRRD's understanding that deaths and damages that result from human acts of omission and commission are unnatural. The strategy is built on disaster management continuum as a main component of the strategy. It comprises of responding to the needs of victims and survivors of disasters, prevention to minimise the risk of disaster, preparedness to respond effectively to disasters, improved recovery mechanisms and disaster mitigation for reducing the vulnerabilities to the natural hazards in rural communities of Afghanistan. It views disaster management as a human right issue for better response and recovery. This involves developing the capacities of institutions and individuals at sub-national levels under MRRD’s mandate of local governance. The framework has a holistic approach and supports country specific disaster prevention, preparedness and mitigation as well as advocacy, education and awareness raising, coordination and knowledge management.
The Vision of the Strategy is turning Disaster Resilient Rural Afghanistan by 2020. Its Mission to reduce incidences of disaster risks through early recovery and mitigation. The Strategy is divided into four Strategic Objectives: 1: Institutionalise and integrate risk reduction systems in MRRD’s development Programmes and Directorates for disaster resilient communities to mitigate and respond to the risks of disasters. 2: Capacity building and Develop a knowledge management system and research environment to maximise the impact of, and value of, MRRDs activities in disaster risk reduction. 3: Addressing the social and economic marginalisation of those more vulnerable to disasters and the underlying root causes of vulnerabilities. 4: Address Disaster Recovery needs of the community, and provision of Emergency Response and Immediate Relief within MRRD programmes. Disaster Management support is also generated through the cluster approach of humanitarian support established for: Education, Food Security and Agriculture, Health, Logistics, Nutrition, Protection, and is sub divided in Child Protection in Emergencies, Gender Based Violence, Housing, Land and Property task Force, IDPs task Force, Mine Action and Water & Sanitation. This strategy acknowledges the particular vulnerabilities of women, IDPs, migrants, pastoral communities, returnees, children, the elderly, people living with disabilities, and families and individuals living in poverty.
The key components objectives of this strategy are: disaster mitigation and emergency response articulated in Hyogo Framework for Action. Emergency Response and Immediate Relief Focusing on the social protection, safety and rights of vulnerable people to disasters regardless of individuals gender, disability, age, ethnicity etc., they will receive emergency preparedness and response messages through MRRD's local governance structures. Emergency relief through humanitarian assistance will be delivered to vulnerable communities living in remote areas through the MRRD national programmes and departments in coordination with ANDMA and UNOCHA.