05 February 2001

Bonn, Germany: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Volunteers (UNV) are recruiting 107 National UN Volunteers to help coordinate the distribution of relief items in the earthquake stricken region of Gujarat in northwestern India. These UN Volunteers will in turn coordinate a group of 5,000 volunteers from youth organizations, reaching a vast network of towns and villages, mainly in the Kutch district near the epicenter of the earthquake.

The Government of the United Kingdom has allocated US$650,000 for this venture. The funds will also be used to set up a permanent mechanism for disaster preparedness and mitigation training. The project is being put in place by UNDP's Emergency Response Division. The Volunteers are expected to start working in the coming week.

One of their main tasks will be to liaise with humanitarian organizations in the affected area through a network of local coordination units. They will assess needs in the earthquake stricken area, help mobilize communities, and establish partnerships for rehabilitation and reconstruction between development agencies. The Volunteers will also facilitate trauma counseling and help address the special needs of vulnerable groups, such as widows, orphans, and disabled people. "The main idea behind this initiative is to bridge the gap between the relief and development phases of the disaster," said UNDP Resident Representative Brenda McSweeney. Most of the UNVs will be recruited locally in cooperation with NGOs and youth groups, such as the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, a national network of youth organizations. "The assistance will give a boost to coordination and distribution efforts on the ground in the disaster area. This final link in the aid chain is one of the most crucial ones," said McSweeney.