Call for a Muslim structured disaster response team

There is a need for Muslims to initiate a structured rapid disaster response team to respond to emerging disasters.

Sheikh Abdullatif Abdulkarim, the Family Resource Center (FRC) chairman, said while other communities have excelled in this field, the disaster response strategies from community members have lacked the required expertise and professionalism, and it is important to improve on this state of affairs.

“We need to change this state of affairs and put in place a structured mechanism where we can respond to disasters that happen not only in our community but in the society as a whole,” he said on Wednesday, October 1, during a 3-day community training programme on Disaster Recovery Management (DRM) held at Sir Ali Muslim Club, Nairobi.

Sheikh Abdullatif emphasized the importance of providing assistance to victims of disaster, saying that this conforms to the Quranic teachings, which place emphasis on saving lives, "Whoever saves a life is as if he saved the whole of humanity" (Chapter 5: verse 32).

“This is a highly beneficial program that the community needs. We need to cascade it to other areas like Mombasa, Garissa and Kisumu and to nurture a team of Trainers of Trainers (ToTs) who can transfer the knowledge and skills gained to other people,” he said.

Speaking at the event, the Al Ameen Mosque Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ali Khalid pointed out that it was high time that effective strategies were put in place to respond to disasters and tragedies in the Muslim community. “We often sit and wait for the Red Cross and other emergency providers to act. Now it is the time to put in place a structured response team to respond to emergencies in our communities and the society at large,” he said.

“Disasters and tragedies are bound to happen in our homes, mosques, communities, and our surroundings. The Nairobi disaster profile is dominated by both natural and human-induced disasters, which include floods, acts of violence, road traffic crashes, building collapse, terrorism, and fire incidents that disrupt people’s livelihoods, destroy infrastructure, divert planned use of resources, interrupt economic activities, and retard national development. We need to be prepared at all times to respond to these calamities, which can have devastating consequences on people’s lives,” he observed.

Training facilitator Mosongo Isaac demonstrates the application of the Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), an emergency life-saving procedure

Ali Khalid noted that disasters such as fire outbreaks were a common feature in many informal settlements, with the results being death and destruction. “With first responders in such areas, such disasters could be mitigated,” he said.

Last month, three fire incidents were witnessed in Kamukunji constituency, leading to the death of one person while hundreds of people were left homeless.

Speaking at the event, Ustadha Aisha Muhammad, a community mobilizer from Mukuru slums appreciated the organisers of the programme pointing out that the training gained will help the community to develop strategies to mitigate disasters in informal settlements.

Participants were trained in various areas of the disaster cycle—preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation—focusing on areas that include survival skills, safety and security, first aid, and disaster risk management.

The programme organised by Al Ameen mosque attracted participants from various areas of Nairobi, which included Kibera, Kawangware, Pumwani, Riruta, Wangige and Mukuru slums among other areas.