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The Diplomat
a day ago
- Politics
- The Diplomat
France, Mongolia Expand Civil Security and Emergency Response Cooperation
Beyond political and cultural relations, Ulaanbaatar and Paris have built up robust cooperation in civil security and disaster relief. Mongolian Deputy Prime Minister Amarsaikhan Sainbuyan, French Ambassador to Mongolia Corinne Pereira Da Silva, and Major General Ariunbuyan Gombojav, Chief of the National Emergency Management Agency, attend a specialized training in heliborne emergency medicine, in collaboration with the Foundation of the French Academy of Medicine. June 2025. This year marks the 60th anniversary of Mongolia and France's establishment of diplomatic ties. In the last six decades, the expansion of this bilateral partnership has engulfed tangible and assessable cooperation mechanisms. Beyond political and cultural relations, Ulaanbaatar and Paris have build a robust cooperation mechanism in civil security and disaster relief management. In June, the French Academy of Medical Sciences Foundation, France's General Directorate for Civil Security and Crisis Management, and Mongolia's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) co-organized a two-day training as part of the France-Mongolia 60th anniversary. The joint training focused on rapid response to disaster relief included airlifting with NEMA's Air Rescue Unit 111 – Mongolia's first joint air ambulance training. The training encompassed over 100 medical and emergency response professionals from Mongolia. While such civil security cooperation projects began in 2010, the French government began to initiative emergency response trainings in Mongolia during the 1990s, while also providing assistance to hospitals in rural areas. In 2010, the Disaster Management Agency of France and Mongolia's NEMA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which financed the partnership through a soft loan and private-public partnership, laying the foundation for joint efforts in disaster risk management. The agreement also included a capacity building element, under which France would provide 12 helicopters, 12 mechanics, and French professionals to provide training for emergency response medical teams. In 2019, the governments of Mongolia and France signed a 30-year soft loans for 57.9 million euros, which secured the delivery of three helicopters, 42 specialized fire trucks, and the establishment of an aerial search and rescue unit in Mongolia. The emergency response cooperation between Mongolia and France continued without interruption despite the COVID-19 pandemic and a change in personnel. The 2019 deal was signed during the tenure of Philippe Merlin as France's ambassador to Mongolia. Sebastien Surun, Merlin's successor, received the emergency response vehicles and helicopters in 2022. That same year, the first evacuation rescue mission was completed with one of the new helicopters. Identifying the successful cooperation and the implementation of the agreement, Ambassador of Mongolia to France Nyamkhuu Ulambayar told The Diplomat, 'Between 2020 and 2023, this aerial search and rescue unit responded to 157 emergency calls and rescued over 200 individuals. A second phase launched in 2024 focuses on advanced training and additional equipment to further build operational independence.' 'Our cooperation with Mongolia's National Emergency Management Agency is ground-breaking,' Surun, who is now France's deputy ambassador in Ukraine, highlighted in an interview with Bolor Lkhaajav. In the same interview, he announced that 'this year, we will have a civil security officer based in Ulaanbaatar. We want to take our cooperation in emergency management to the next level.' Mongolia's NEMA has been working toward further strengthening and expanding cooperation mechanisms with France's General Directorate for Civil Security and Crisis Management. In 2023, during President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa's state visit to France, a financial agreement was signed to continue financing France-Mongolia emergency response programs, and the two sides agreed that France would provide additional training for the Air Search and Rescue Unit. Following the agreement, in 2024, the head of NEMA, director of Fire Fighting Department, and directors of the Air Search and Rescue Unit all visited France and signed technical agreements that aimed to contract French companies to deliver the firefighting vehicles and technical equipment that will ensure rescue operations are completed properly. One of the highlights of this meeting was a deal on constructing a new helicopter base. According to NEMA, the emergency and disaster relief sector has received robust support from a wide range of global partners, including Russia, China, South Korea, Japan, the United States, France, Hungary, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. On a multilateral level, Mongolia seeks a deeper cooperation with international organizations such as the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center. Mongolia's global partnerships have helped expand these relationships, and NEMA units have participated in global disaster relief efforts. A Mongolian search and rescue K-9 unit worked in Turkiye in 2023 in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake that killed around 55,000 people. The advancement of Mongolia's emergency response mechanism also correlates to the increase in international tourism to Mongolia. As more tourists immerse themselves in nomadic activities in remote locations, having a robust emergency response unit is critically important for Mongolia's civil security sector. A spokesperson for Mongolia's NEMA told The Diplomat that the Air Search and Rescue Unit has saved 'the lives of 210 people, including 157 adults and 53 children,' since cooperation with France began. Looking ahead, cooperation between Mongolia and France will likely to expand – not only in mining, education, and culture, but also capacity building in civil security, particularly in emergency response.
The Star
5 days ago
- Business
- The Star
On the path to boosting disaster cooperation
WELLINGTON: Malaysia is seeking to expand cooperation with New Zealand in disaster management, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. The Deputy Prime Minister said this comes as the national disaster management agencies of both countries are in talks to ink an agreement to strengthen collaboration in several areas. 'Malaysia and New Zealand have long established cooperation in various fields but disaster management still has ample room to be strengthened bilaterally,' he told reporters here yesterday. Ahmad Zahid, who also chairs the Central Disaster Management Committee (Nadma), said talks with New Zealand's National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) are at its final stage for the drafting of a memorandum of understanding (MOU). He noted that there is vast potential for both nations to strengthen bilateral cooperation in disaster management in a more holistic manner. 'I am confident this effort will become a milestone in fostering more organised, structured and effective cooperation between our two countries. 'Such efforts are crucial to ensure better safety of our people while developing stronger regional preparedness.' Ahmad Zahid added that the proposed collaboration will see strategic cooperation involving information sharing, disaster safety education and training. This includes rescue simulations and logistics management of disaster victims. Earlier, Ahmad Zahid visited the 'Beehive Bunker' located within New Zealand's Parliament building. The bunker serves as New Zealand's National Crisis Management Centre, which is designed to be self-sufficient in the event of a disaster. Meanwhile, Ahmad Zahid met up with the Malaysian community at a dinner gathering attended by some 250 Malaysians. He also announced a special allocation of RM250,000 to the Malaysian High Commission in New Zealand. He said the allocation would enable Malaysians in New Zealand to celebrate National Day on Aug 31 in a grander and lively manner this year. The Deputy Prime Minister said he noticed that Malaysians living abroad displayed a strong sense of unity and love for the country whenever he went abroad. He said events held at Rumah Malaysia in Wellington are usually sponsored by Malaysian companies in New Zealand. Ahmad Zahid will conclude his five-day working visit to New Zealand today.
New Straits Times
6 days ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Malaysia, NZ to strengthen disaster management ties, boost regional preparedness
WELLINGTON: Malaysia and New Zealand have the potential to enhance bilateral cooperation in disaster management through a more holistic approach, following Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's visit to New Zealand's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), also known as the Beehive Bunker, today. The visit, part of the final day of his five-day official working trip to the country, is expected to open new avenues to reinforce emergency and disaster management collaboration between the two nations. Zahid, who also chairs Malaysia's Central Disaster Management Committee (JPBP), said the visit was more than symbolic and carried a mission to expand strategic cooperation. This includes sharing information, disaster safety education and training, rescue simulations, and logistical coordination for disaster victims. "After the visit to NEMA, I held a bilateral meeting with New Zealand's Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Trade and Investment, Todd McClay. "I shared my experience at the Beehive Bunker and welcomed the effort to finalise a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on disaster management between Malaysia and New Zealand ahead of the Asean-New Zealand Commemorative Summit in October," he told reporters. Zahid also expressed Malaysia's readiness to work hand-in-hand with New Zealand in strengthening regional disaster preparedness. During the meeting, McClay also expressed interest in Malaysia's halal industry, aiming to become a strategic partner not only in certification but also as a gateway to the Asean market of over 600 million people. Zahid said New Zealand was also open to importing more Malaysian agricultural products, particularly tropical fruits like pineapples. In return, McClay expressed his country's commitment to opening more investment opportunities for Malaysian companies in New Zealand's construction sector. "Overall, the meeting reached a strategic consensus to expand bilateral trade relations, including New Zealand's active involvement in platforms such as the Asean-GCC-China Summit and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), aimed at strengthening Indo-Pacific economic integration. "God willing, with mutual commitment, Malaysia-New Zealand ties will not only remain strong but continue to grow as a regional strategic cooperation model that brings tangible benefits to the people of both countries," he said.
TimesLIVE
17-06-2025
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
Charred bodies, shattered lives after gunmen kill 100 in Nigeria
The gunmen attacked after dark and chased farmer Fidelis Adidi away from the central Nigerian village of Yelwata. The next morning he returned to find the charred remains of one of his two wives and four of his children. They had been living in a room he had rented in the market, in an attempt to keep them safe from a wave of clashes between cattle herders and farmers in the country's Middle Belt region. His second wife and another child were badly wounded in the assault that began on Friday night and, according to Amnesty International, killed around 100 people in the town in Benue region. "My body is weak and my heart keeps racing," the 37-year-old told Reuters as he stood outside the room, surveying the damage. "I lost five of my family members." In another room in the market, bodies lay burnt beyond recognition next to blackened piles of food and farm equipment. Authorities have struggled to contain the violence that has simmered for years, fuelled by competition over land as well as ethnic and religious divisions. President Bola Tinubu — who called the recent upsurge in attacks "depressing" on Monday — is due to visit Benue on Wednesday, his first visit there since coming to office two years ago. Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency said it was working with aid agencies to help at least 3,000 people displaced by the violence in a territory where the majority Muslim north meets the predominantly Christian south. Market trader Talatu Agauta, who is pregnant with her second child, fled when the attackers came on Friday night and took refuge in the state capital Markudi. She came back over the weekend to find 40 bags of her rice had been burnt — a devastating blow but not enough to drive her from her home. "I came back and even if I die here, I don't mind," she said.
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First Post
03-06-2025
- Business
- First Post
Nigeria: Nearly 200 dead in floods, govt says about 30 of 33 states affected
Severe flooding in Nigeria's Niger State has displaced nearly 2,000 people and killed close to 200, according to the country's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) read more Damaged buildings following floods in Mokwa, Niger State, on June 1. AFP File Severe flooding in Nigeria's Niger State has displaced nearly 2,000 people and killed close to 200, according to a Bloomberg report, citing the country's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). NEMA spokesperson Manzo Ezekiel said on the disaster, which began in late May in the town of Mokwa, has affected more than 3,000 residents and left 98 missing. Mokwa, a key agricultural and transport hub in central Nigeria, has seen extensive damage to farmland, homes, roads, and bridges. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The flooding has disrupted trade routes linking southern Nigeria to northern food-producing regions, further threatening the country's already fragile food supply chain. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) described Mokwa as playing a 'strategic role in regional commerce and transportation,' warning that the flooding could intensify economic disruption across the region. Meteorologists forecast that the flooding could worsen in the coming months, with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency warning that 30 of Nigeria's 36 states are at risk this year. Heavy rains and thunderstorms are expected this week in major northern agricultural states, including Taraba, Kaduna, and Gombe. The floods come amid ongoing insecurity in northern Nigeria, where frequent bandit attacks have already displaced farmers and disrupted food production. Combined with last year's floods that wiped out thousands of acres of farmland, this year's disaster threatens to deepen the country's food crisis. The United Nations estimates that 33 million Nigerians could face food insecurity in 2025, a figure that may rise as climate-related disasters and conflict continue to plague key agricultural zones. With inputs from agencies
