This afternoon, Captain Gernot Hirschmugl, an experienced expert in international disaster relief operations, is flying to Beirut, where he will coordinate the relief efforts of international aid organizations to deal with the effects of the explosion on behalf of the United Nations.
The task of the Styrian is to coordinate Lebanese authorities as well as national and international aid organizations in crisis management as part of a 12-member UN coordination team. The aim of the multinational coordination unit is to coordinate the various aid organizations in the best possible way through humanitarian crisis and disaster management in order to be able to help as efficiently and quickly as possible. There should be no duplication or mutual obstruction in the disaster area. Hirschmugl, the only Austrian on the UN staff, is expected to be deployed for three weeks. “The deployment of our disaster relief expert shows how quickly the Austrian Armed Forces can provide expertise in crisis situations – also internationally. It follows a long tradition when it comes to providing rapid and competent assistance in multinational cooperation. I wish Captain Hirschmugl all the best for his task, which he will perform in a very challenging situation,” said Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner. The Covid-19 situation, the catastrophic situation in the blast zone and working in a state of emergency pose particular challenges. A great deal is being demanded of the international and local helpers, the local authorities and, above all, the population.
The Styrian career officer, nephew of Brigadier General Alois Hirschmugl, who worked in a similar role for many years, has been an active UNDAC member since 2017. In 2018, Hirschmugl supported the Nigerian authorities in coordinating the emergency services to deal with the flood disaster there. Prior to that, he took part in the “Humanitarian Assistance in West Africa Course” at the Kofi Annan Peace Keeping Training Center in Ghana. Austria has been involved in the UNDAC system since the beginning with experts from various specialist areas and currently has five experts available for missions. The Ministry of Defense is currently contributing two experts. The United Nations provides the multinational coordination staff as part of a “United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination” (UNDAC) team. UNDAC also coordinates closely with the EU Disaster Coordination Unit on site.
