Senior UN officials visits disaster-prone Philippines
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Government representatives and partners assess needs of people at risk of statelessness in the Philippines
A senior United Nations humanitarian officer is visiting The Philippines to see first hand how the country is well prepared for natural disasters.
Rashid Khalikov, the Director of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Geneva, began a week-long mission to the country on Monday.
OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke says that The Philippines is ranked third among 173 countries on the World Risk Index.
"The Index measures countries' exposure to natural hazards and their degree of vulnerability. So during this trip, Rashid Khalikov will see first-hand how the Philippines is strengthening national and local capacities for emergency preparedness faced with its ranking or situation. He will meet government officials, aid organizations and people affected by natural disasters and conflict situations to discuss ways to build resilience among communities that are prone to disasters." (Duration: 28")
OCHA says that current preparedness work in The Philippines integrates the lessons learned from the response to Tropical Storm Washi that devastated northern Mindanao in late 2011 and affected nearly 700,000 people.
