ASEAN boosts regional response with relief supplies ready in four Member States

MANILA, Philippines–The region is strengthening its disaster response by pre-positioning relief supplies in the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, allowing assistance to move more quickly when disasters strike, Undersecretary Harold N. Cabreros said Tuesday at a press briefing of the ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Disaster Resilience (AMCDR) in Manila.

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Cabreros highlighted the role of the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre), based in Indonesia, as a key hub for regional disaster management cooperation, which he described as “the nerve center of ASEAN Disaster Management.”

“We are establishing our regional warehouses through the AHA Centre. They have already established warehouses here in the Philippines, in Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia,” Cabreros said.

Cabreros added that pre-positioning relief supplies closer to communities allows ASEAN Member States to mobilize resources faster during emergencies while complementing their national response efforts.

The regional warehouses give practical form to ASEAN’s “One ASEAN, One Response” approach, which marks its 10th anniversary this year. The initiative strengthens the region’s ability to coordinate resources and assistance across borders when a Member State faces a major disaster.

Beyond stockpiles, ASEAN Member States continue to build disaster management capabilities through training, knowledge-sharing and exchanges of experience, strengthening preparedness before emergencies occur.

These efforts turn ASEAN solidarity into practical action by bringing resources, expertise and capabilities together so the region can prepare, respond and recover more effectively from disasters.

The AHA Centre was established under the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Maknagement and Emergency Response (AADMER) to facilitate cooperation and coordination among ASEAN Member States in disaster management and emergency response. It works with national disaster management organisations and regional partners to support coordinated preparedness, response and recovery across the region.