PCI TRAINS NICARAGUAN GOVERNMENT AND NGOs IN DISASTER RELIEF AND RECOVERY

November 6, 2012 (Managua, Nicaragua) — PCI Nicaragua was selected to conduct a series of disaster management workshops for Nicaraguan government institutions, as well as a variety of other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in disaster response and humanitarian aid. PCI’s workshops focused on populations living in high risk environments to help them develop rescue and emergency plans, and start the rehabilitation and reconstruction process after a detailed assessment and analysis.

In fall 2012, PCI coordinated two workshops using the Sphere Handbook, which sets standards to improve the quality of assistance to people affected by disaster or conflict, as well as the accountability of humanitarian agencies and states towards their constituents, donors and affected populations. The Sphere Handbook represents the most widely known and recognized set of common principles and universal minimum standards for humanitarian assistance. It suggests minimum standards in four life-saving areas: water supply, sanitation and hygiene promotion; food security and nutrition; shelter, settlement and non-food items; and health action all of them base on the humanitarian chart, protection principles and the conduct code, putting the individual as the main focus and his/her right to received humanitarian aid. By utilizing the protocols and quality standards in the Sphere Handbook, PCI and the other members of the humanitarian network will be better-equipped to more effectively and systematically work together before, during and in response to a disaster.

Nicaragua is a country prone to natural disasters like volcanic eruptions, drought and flooding. The Nicaraguan government has made risk mitigation and disaster preparation training a priority and has a National System for Disaster Prevention (SINAPRED) and a Humanitarian Information Network composed by the United Nations and international and local NGOs. Its purpose is continuous education on disaster preparedness.

For 21 years, PCI has implemented integrated development projects in Nicaragua, combining interventions in the areas of health; education; economic empowerment; water and sanitation; food and nutrition security; and disaster response and risk reduction. By taking an integrated approach to all of its programs and focusing on local capacity building, PCI ensures that the impact of its work far outlasts the lifecycle of any given project. One of PCI’s areas of focus is the area of disaster relief and recovery, such as our work to improve food security among farming families in Nicaragua’s rural northern highlands. It also has current disaster risk reduction programs in Haiti and Guatemala.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2011, PCI (Project Concern International) is an international health, development and humanitarian assistance organization, operating in 16 countries worldwide. PCI is dedicated to saving lives and building healthy communities around the globe, benefitting over 6.7 million people annually in Asia, Africa and the Americas. Funded by federal grants and private support, PCI’s current annual budget is nearly $50 million and the organization has 600 employees worldwide. PCI’s headquarters are located in San Diego, CA and also has an office in Washington, DC and a Seattle, WA representative.