THE secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) called for the immediate activation of the Asean Humanitarian Assistance Center to respond to the recent natural disasters that hit members including the Philippines.

Surin Pitsuwan, Asean secretary- general, said in a letter to Thai Foreign Minister Dr. Surapong Tovichakchaikul that the secretariat will deploy members of the Asean Emergency Rapid Assessment Team to observe and do preliminary assessment of the situation in Thailand.

Pitsuan said the emergency team will consist of four to five experts who will help coordinate Asean and international cooperation, for immediate relief and long-term recovery of flood-stricken areas.

“Asean needs to able to coordinate, so as to effectively respond to the calamities,” said Pitsuwan in his letters of condolence to the foreign ministers and secretaries of Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

Torrential rains and violent storms have caused havoc in many Asean members, starting with the Philippines, which claimed the lives of 102 people, and Laos where 30 people were killed and affected nearly half a million people. Cambodia also suffered devastating Typhoons with 170 killed and 18,000 households affected.

Surin said the worst-hit so far is Thailand where more than 200 people have died in one of the worst floods to hit the kingdom.

Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba said his government will give full support to the Asean disaster management plans to prevent members from being sidetracked in their goals to establish the Asean single market by 2015.

The Asean secretary-general said he hopes that Asean leaders meeting for the 9th Asean summit in Bali next month will finally launch the the Asean Humanitarian Assistance Center to respond to disasters in the region. (Estrella Torres)