Disaster Awareness Week to start today

ISLAMABAD: Disaster Awareness Week will be celebrated from October 5-11 throughout the world. Every year since the early nineties, United Nations organises a World Disaster Reduction Campaign, which culminates on International Disaster Reduction Day, the second Wednesday of October.

This year's International Day for Disaster Reduction falls on the third anniversary of the massive 2005 earthquake that devastated a whole region of Pakistan, a private TV channel reported.

A series of equally devastating disasters this year have highlighted the urgent need to reduce disaster risk and vulnerability to natural hazards.

Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar, the Wenchuan Earthquake in China's Sichuan province and Hurricane Ike across Texas.

The purpose of week is to have a heightened period of activity to get across key civil defence emergency management messages to the general public. app