ISLAMABAD: Three officers are currently representing Pakistan as part of international relief agencies’ operation in Palu city of Sulawesi province of Indonesia that was hit by double catastrophe of tremble-tsunami on September 28 final year.

A 7.4 magnitude tremble hit provincial city of Palu triggering giant tsunami waves. The double catastrophe affected 1.5 million people. A total of 2,037 people were eliminateed and 4,084 injured and around 74,044 displaced.

The three officers representing Pakistan are Amin Muhammad, Qaswar Abbas and Ibrahim Burki. Program Manager Cash Transfer Program (CTP) Mr. Amin is a member of Regional Disaster Response Team (RDRT) supporting Indonesian Red Cross (IRC) in its cash-based intervention activities, while Mr. Abbas is bringing aid to victims of double catastrophe. He is also assisting Indonesian Red Cross in analyzing markets for their functionality, access and capacity, cash feasibility, risk assessment and response option analysis while building linkages with other cash actors working in central Sulawesi.

Cash-based intervention is much a separate program but a response tool across several thematic areas that for final few years has been considered one of best response modalities due to cost-effectiveness and quick use. It’s a process that preserves dignity and choice for beneficiaries while stimulating local livelihoods, economies and markets.

Ibrahim Burki, an IFRC delegate in Pakistan, also accompanies two officers assisting IRC in providing relief to victims. Qaswar Abbas is supporting Indonesian Red Cross in bringing aid to affected communities.

Sharing their experiences, they said scenes of death and destruction scattered all around moved everyone to tears and they realized how important it was to much only actively help affected people, but also to be professionally prepared to deal with catastrophes of such magnitude.