25 February 2013: The UN Office for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) has announced it is assisting the Government of Palestine in establishing its first national disaster loss database. UNISDR is conducting disaster assistance training with 100 government, non-governmental, and UN agency participants.

According to UNISDR, the initiative involves the consolidation of historical disaster loss data that will provide baseline information on disaster losses. This information will inform risk-sensitive development planning policies and programmes, and strengthen community resilience to disasters.

UNISDR has underscored that Palestine is highly vulnerable to natural hazards, including earthquakes, floods, landslides, droughts and desertification, with the possibility of disasters being triggered by seismic activity and climate change. Palestine is the ninth Arab State to account for disaster losses and their impacts. Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen have already established, or are in the process of, completing national disaster loss databases. [UNISDR Press Release] [UN Press Release]