ISLAMABAD, Oct 23: International partners will help the Capital Development Authority (CDA) develop urban search and rescue teams that are able to respond to disasters related to collapsed infrastructures as well as small and medium size everyday accidents.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in this regard between the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the CDA here on Thursday.

It aims at assisting and improving emergency response capacity for the country, specifically the federal capital.

The MoU was signed against the backdrop of the worst ever terrorist attack in the history of the capital, razing a five-star hotel to rubbles. Analysts believe that not the suicide attack at the gate of Marriott hotel, but the inefficient response to the fire that broke after that and lack of capacity to cope with the situation caused more damage.

The Swedish Rescue Service Agency, Department for International Development, UK and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) Switzerland are in partnership with the NDMA in creating three international standard urban search and rescue teams in Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore. Two heavy teams comprising 86 persons each will be established in Islamabad and Lahore while a team consisting of 52 persons will be raised in Karachi.

These three International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) teams will be created by July 2009.

The INSARAG is a global network of more than 80 countries and disaster response organisations under the United Nations’ umbrella.

It deals with urban search and rescue (USAR) related issues and aims at establishing standards for international USAR teams and methodology for international coordination in earthquake response.

Members of the INSARAG are both earthquake-prone and responding countries and organisations. The group was established in 1991, following initiatives of international search and rescue teams that responded to the 1988 Armenia earthquake.

The Field Coordination Support Section (FCSS) in the Emergency Services Branch (ESB) of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Geneva functions as INSARAG Secretariat.The INSARAG guidelines set standards for earthquake-prone countries in establishing the USAR response capacity as well as checklists for the minimum requirements of its teams envisaged to deploying in international response operations.

In addition, the group guidelines define coordination and cooperation procedures for international and national responders in major disasters.

Under the project, the respective organisations will provide human resource as per standard requirement of the USAR and monetary cost associated with raising and operationalising the teams and training facilities.