0.2 OBJECTIVES, STRATEGIES AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES
0.2.1 Overall Objective
To ensure that Government and relevant stakeholders have developed a timely, consistent, coordinated and planned response for the initial 10 days after a major/catastrophic disaster, to minimize the potential humanitarian, economic and environmental consequences, as well as, ensure the early recovery of affected communities from 2nd Quarter 2011 to 2012.
0.2.2 Strategies
The Strategies that would guide the achievement of the overall objective are to develop:
1. National Contingency Plan for emergency preparedness and response.
2. Sectoral Response Plans
3. Budget and Pre-positioning of emergency supplies
0.2.3 Guiding Principles
Humanitarian assistance will be organized by observing the principles of humanity, neutrality impartiality and independence. Planned responses will ensure that immediate needs are targeted. In operation, the plan will adopt relevant internationally accepted guiding principles and laws to ensure that rights based approach are emphasized. Therefore, the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response (SPHERE Project) will serve as the operational basis for response and provision of humanitarian assistance.
The National Contingency Plan is designed for the initial ten (10) days immediately after a disaster incident of high magnitude to ensure protection and sustenance of lives within the “golden period”. This plan is based on the premise that Federal Government of Nigeria has a primary responsibility of ensuring protection and responding to the needs of her citizens in an emergency and post-emergency situation