IONS conducts meeting on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief

Best practices related to maritime disaster relief operations were deliberated at the two-day 3rd Meeting of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Working Group on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) which commenced here Thursday.

The event was inaugurated at the Maritime Warfare Centre by Eastern Naval Command Chief Staff Officer (Operations) Rear Admiral Mahesh Singh, a Navy release said.

Besides the hosts, it is being attended by IONS member nations, including Australia, Bangladesh, France, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Oman, and Thailand.

The participants shared their experiences gained and lessons learned during the conduct of various HADR operations by their Navies and deliberated on best practices that can be imbibed during Joint HADR operations in the Indian Ocean Region, the release said.

A "Table Top Exercise" is scheduled Friday simulating a real-time scenario of a major disaster in the IOR and working out coordinated efforts and effective Joint HADR operation in the region. The event would culminate with the formulation of guidelines to render HADR assistance in future, it added.

Initiated in 2008 by the Indian Navy, IONS primarily seeks to enhance maritime cooperation amongst navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean by providing an open and inclusive forum for discussion on regionally relevant maritime issues and promotes friendly relationship among member nations.

It presently has 24 members and eight observer navies, the release said.