May 04, 2019 , 1:48PM

UN agency praises India on minimising loss of life from Cyclone Fani

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The UN agency for disaster reduction has commended the Indian Meteorological Department's almost pinpoint accuracy of early warnings that helped authorities conduct a well-targeted evacuation plan and minimize the loss of life as extremely severe cyclonic storm Fani made landfall near the coastal city of Puri.

Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General (SRSG) for Disaster Risk Reduction, and Head of the Geneva-based UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), Mami Mizutori said that India's zero-casualty approach to managing extreme weather events is a major contribution to the implementation of the Sendai Framework and the reduction of loss of life from such events.

Mizutori was referring to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, the first major agreement of the post-2015 development agenda. It is a 15-year, voluntary, non-binding agreement which recognizes that the state has the primary role to reduce disaster risk.

UN agencies are monitoring Fani's movements closely and taking measures to protect families living in refugee camps in Bangladesh, which is on .