ISLAMABAD: A delegation of the United States Army Central (USARCENT) has arrived in Pakistan on a four-day visit to meet with officials of the country’s disaster management authority, provide training and share expertise.
The United States Army Central is home to America’s land domain experts in the Middle East, Central Asia, and South Asia. The operational-level force produces military plans, improves relationships and interoperability with partner nations through exercises, and facilitates the seamless transition of joint forces in and out of war theater.
The visit by the US team comes months after Pakistan was hit by devastating floods that killed more than 1,700 lives, displaced 33 million people, and led to economic losses estimated at $33 billion.
“An eleven-member United States Army Central (USARCENT) delegation, led by Deputy Command Major General Wendul Glenn Hagler, has arrived here for taking part in a four-day interactive session with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) officials and relevant stakeholders dealing with Disaster Management (DM),” the Associated Press of Pakistan reported, citing an official statement.
During the initial session, Chairman NDMA Lt. Gen. Inam Haider Malik briefed the delegation about the lessons Pakistan learnt during the calamities faced by the country in 2022 and indicated areas where possible US cooperation was urgently required.
Maj. Gen Hagler offered condolence over the loss of lives in the floods of 2022 and appreciated the efforts by Pakistan to remodel its disaster management system. The USARCENT team promised all possible cooperation with NDMA.
Training sessions will continue for the next two days in which USARCENT and Pakistan disaster management teams will deliberate on matters related to hazards and vulnerabilities, NDMA’s role in integrating international assistance and the search and rescue capacity of the Pak-USAR Rescue Team.