Enhancing disaster preparedness was one of the main conclusions made in a three-day tsunami forum hosted by Hong Kong Red Cross which closed Saturday.

The forum had gathered more than 100 representatives from the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in about 50 countries and regions to set out its long-term plan of reconstruction for survivors of the devastating earthquake and tsunami on Dec. 26, 2004.

Alongside a strategy to help devested communities back on their feet again, attendees of the forum agreed on ways to better protect those in peril against future catastrophe.

Special representative for the tsunami operation of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Johan Schaar commented at a press conference that strengthening community resilience and empowering communities to respond in times of crisis by placing disaster risk reduction at the center of regional plans is an extremely critical element.

Returning people to what was the status quo is not enough. Therefore, the organization is pushing ahead with disaster preparedness plans as part of its overall strategy such as tsunami early-warning system which allow people enough time to escape, said he.

Besides, the Red Cross and Red Crescent will develop a range of recovery programs ranging from large-scale reconstruction projects in health, housing and social infrastructure to community-level activities.

The undersea earthquake and aftermath tsunami left about 286,000 people dead and 7,900 missing in a number of south Asia and southeast Asian countries.

So far, at least 22,000 volunteers and nearly 300 international staff have been mobilized in the disaster-affected areas. About 700,000 people have received some form of assistance from the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

(Xinhua News Agency March 6, 2005)