Myanmar - IOM is this week training 30 disaster management officials from Myanmar’s troubled Rakhine State in Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM), alongside counterparts from the Myanmar government’s  Relief and Resettlement Department. 

The region is highly prone to disasters, having been hit by cyclone Giri in October 2010, affecting 260,000 people, and by floods and mudslides earlier the same year, when 29,000 were affected.

The current training is focused on supporting the authorities to prepare ahead of the 2014 monsoon cyclone season. It will enhance technical expertise to manage all aspects of evacuation, displacement and camp/collective centre management.

Opening the training yesterday, Rakhine State Minister for Social Affairs U Kyaw Khin said: "As Rakhine State sees many disasters such as flash floods, cyclones, and tsunamis, this type of training will be extremely useful to the participating township authorities. It will also strengthen communication and coordination mechanisms, especially between the government and communities."

Kieran Gorman-Best, IOM Chief of Mission, noted: “This practical training will ensure all communities are included in disaster preparedness plans, which is critical, as we know from previous disasters."

Facilitated by IOM’s emergency and post-crisis specialists, the training will cover global experiences of managing displacement in post-disaster situations, roles and responsibilities in disaster response, and community participation in evacuation centres.

The training complements the UN contingency response plan for natural disasters in Rakhine State and is financed by USAID’s Office for Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA).

For more information, please contact

Kieran Gorman-Best
IOM Myanmar
Email: kgormanbest@iom.int