Australia to create crisis-response corps: PM

October 25, 2009 04:51:55 PM

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Australia will form a civilian crisis-response corps to enable the rapid deployment of experts to regions hit by natural disaster or unrest, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Sunday.

The prime minister, who is in Thailand for an annual summit of Asian leaders, said his government would provide 52 million dollars (48.3 million US) for the initiative, which he expects to be fully operational by early 2011.

"The civilian specialists will be deployed to assist in early recovery and reconstruction efforts after initial emergency response operations have concluded," Rudd said.

The 500-strong corps could be used to help restore electricity and water supplies, provide essential health-care infrastructure and rebuild core government institutions, he said in a statement.

"Deployed civilians may work alongside the Australian military and police where present or in a stand-alone capability," Rudd said.

"They may work alongside foreign military, United Nations peacekeepers, police and civilian experts from other countries."

Assignments will range from immediate stabilisation and recovery work to longer-term capacity building, "recognising that the consequences of disasters can be felt for many years after their immediate impact," he said.

The government hopes to create a register of up to 500 specialists who can be deployed overseas at short notice by the new Office of the Deployable Civilian Capability (DCC).

"As we have seen in recent weeks with the disasters in Samoa and Tonga, and in East Asia Summit member nations including Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines, countries affected by crises require significant assistance to alleviate human suffering and to begin the process of recovery," Rudd said.

"Often this assistance is needed urgently, and requires specialised knowledge and skills. By providing skilled professionals through the DCC, Australia can play a greater role in this process."

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