©InfoThe Nepal Red Cross has been working with 15 communities in Illam and Panchtar districts to reduce the risk of disasters since 2006. The disaster risk reduction (DRR) programme, which is supported by the British Red Cross, trains community members in disaster management.
This involves setting up DRR units to prepare communities for disasters, such as floods and landslides. It also includes training people in first aid, as well as establishing emergency funds for responding when a disaster strikes.
The communities the Red Cross is working with in eastern Nepal are not only vulnerable in terms of natural disasters, they are also vulnerable economically. The emergency funds are used to provide income generation loans for people affected by disasters who lose their livelihood.