United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC)
The United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) is part of the international emergency response system for sudden-onset emergencies. It is designed to help the United Nations and governments of disaster-affected countries during the first phase of a sudden-onset emergency. UNDAC also assists in the coordination of incoming international relief at national level and/or at the site of the emergency.
UNDAC teams can deploy at short notice (12-48 hours) anywhere in the world. They are provided free of charge to the disaster-affected country, and deployed upon the request of the United Nations Resident or Humanitarian Coordinator and/or the affected Government. In its first 25 years UNDAC was the first emergency response team to arrive at the scene of over 281 disasters.
UNDAC was created in 1993 and is composed of 259 national experts in emergency situations, as well as OCHA personnel and regional and international organizations, including UN agencies.