The tsunami that hit the Maldives in 2004 brought up the critical need for the local authorities to be prepared for action for any large-scale natural disaster in the future.
On January 27, 2010 a team of experts from the Israel Foreign Ministry's Agency for International Development Cooperation (MASHAV) headed by Dr. Yosef Baratz arrived in the Maldives. The team is now training 35 officials from the relevant Maldivian agencies responsible for emergency preparedness, with the purpose of transferring the knowledge accumulated by Israel in the field of emergency relief, while practicing different models of reaction to various scenarios. During the two-week course, the Israeli trainers and the Maldivian authorities will develop joint protocols for times of emergency.
This effort is an another important step in the relations between Israel and the Republic of Maldives, which are considering other opportunities for cooperation and transfer of Israeli knowledge in areas such as agriculture, emergency medicine and evacuation.
Mr. Abdulla Shahid, Minister of State for Housing Transport and Environment and Chief Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Center in the Maldives stated that this workshop will provide a good opportunity to take advantage of Israeli expertise in this field.