About DPPA in Ethiopia

1. Background
The Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Agency (DPPA), formerly known as the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC), was first established in June 1974 following the outbreak of famine in the two northern provinces of Ethiopia, namely, Wollo and Tigray. Since then, it has undergone several transformations, the latest of which is its re-establishment in August 1995 as the DPPC under Proclamation No-10/1995.

1.1 The objectives of the Agency
Prevent disasters by way of removing the basic causes thereof (i.e. Prevention),

Build, in advance, the capacity necessary to alleviate the extent of damages that could be caused by disasters (i.e. Preparedness),

Ensure the timely arrival of necessary assistance to victims of disasters (i.e. Response).

1.2. Policy Direction
Cognizant of the country’s deep rooted problem, the Federal Government has since 1993 adopted a National Policy on Disaster Prevention and Management (NPDPM) which aims at tackling disasters and ensuring that famine situations are addressed in ways that reduce people’s vulnerability to disasters.

According to the NPDPM, relief resources should contribute towards addressing the root causes of vulnerability to famine and food shortages by linking relief with development. Such a linkage serves the prevention of human suffering through the availability of relief resources while at the same time promoting development works. The latter includes environmental protection, infrastructural development, water harvesting and building up of community assets with drought-proofing content. In line with the Government’s federal structure, a bottom up approach in both the planning and implementation of disaster prevention and preparedness programmes is a key element of the policy. In this regard, the empowerment of regions and sub-regions in disaster management is an important aspect.

Next