Deutsche Post DHL and UNDP, the UN’s global development network, carried out the third four-day “ Get Airports Ready for Disaster” (GARD) training programme in Indonesia last week to teach the
airport personnel how to act during the aftermath of a disaster.The trainings took place at Polonia Airport in Medan, the fourth largest city in Indonesia, andat Sultan Iskandar Muda Airport in Banda Aceh, located on the island of Sumatra in the west of thecountry.
The programme aims to prepare the airport staff to handle high volumes of incoming goods and anincreasing number of passengers in case of a natural disaster. Similar trainings took place in 2009and 2011 at different airports in Indonesia.
Susanne Meier, Vice President Go Help at Deutsche Post DHL, said: “In close cooperation withDHL’s experienced aviation trainers, participants identify possible bottlenecks in their airport inthe event of a disaster. The goal is to develop a plan which ensures relief goods and aidchannelled through airports can reach communities quickly and efficiently.”
“The Ministry of Transportation has been improving the capacity of 27 airports in variousdisaster-prone areas in Indonesia. In view of this, we see GARD as a very relevant training as itcan help airports to be better prepared when there are disasters,” said Abdul Hani, the Head ofAirport Authority Region II from the country’s Ministry of Transport.
GARD trainers and material are provided free of charge by DHL. Training is organised and foundedby the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation and Ministry of State-Own Enterprises through one ofits subsidiaries, PT. Angkasa Pura II, with coordination support from UNDP Indonesia.
“In 2010, 664 disasters occurred in Indonesia. More than 1,700 people were killed, and almost1.4 million were injured or reported missing. UNDP draws on its global networks of expertise toextend participation and investment in disaster risk reduction in Indonesia – by communities, civilsociety and the sub-national and national governments,” UNDP Indonesia Country Director BeateTrankmann said.
The GARD concept is part of Deutsche Post DHL’s commitment to humanitarian relief, which beganwith the Disaster Response Team (DRT) programme. Since 2005, the DRTs have been deployed at over 20airports. They work free of charge and in close cooperation with the UN helping to keep the flow ofincoming relief goods moving at disaster-site airports.
