Pandemic Disaster Preparedness Exercise participant receives his certificate in the presence of General Mathieu Boni, Benin’s Chief of Defense, left, James Knight, U.S. Ambassador to Benin, second from left, and Kevin Armstrong, USAID Mission Director, far right.
( From US AFRICOM ) |
06.25.2010
Kevin Armstrong, USAID Mission Director in Benin, addressed participants of U.S. Africa Command's West Africa Pandemic Disaster Response Exercise during closing ceremonies in Cotonou, Benin, June 25, 2010.
"This conference has really challenged us to think outside our traditional roles of the military in coordination with national, regional, and international organizations. It is only by working under the civilian national disaster assistance authorities that we can succeed in harnessing all of the talent to tackle the toughest of pandemic disasters," said Armstrong.
The five-day exercise, led by U.S. Africa command with funding from USAID and the support of the Center for Disaster and Humanitarian Assistance Medicine (CDHAM), brought together civilian and military representatives from 15 African nations as well as experts from international agencies, to assess and develop national and regional disaster response plans. James Knight, U.S. Ambassador to Benin closed the exercise with a keynote speech and stressed that this exercise is only the first stage of an ongoing effort to ensure that West Africa's regional and national capabilities for disaster response are developed as fully as possible. |
