Figure 5: How the AHA Centre Works

the AHA Centre works closely with the ASEAN Secretary-General in that person’s capacity as SG-AHAC, and together they mobilize resources and coordinate within ASEAN and globally.

Beyond member-states’ NDMOs, the AHA Centre partners with international organizations, the private sector, and civil society, including the AADMER Partnership Group, and it has established multi-lateral cooperation structures with ASEAN partners, including Australia, China, the European Union (EU), Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the U.S.22 Of note, because the AHA Centre coordinates humanitarian assistance to be turned over to the national government for distribution, many parties have expressed concern that the Myanmar military regime will seek to exploit this assistance and prevent its distribution to anti-regime populations. The U.S. government has chosen not to direct aid to Myanmar through the AHA Centre after the February 2021 coup for these reasons.23

The functions of the AHA Centre can be found in several places: 1) as an Annex to the AADMER; 2) in Article 4 of the Agreement on the Establishment of the AHA Centre; and 3) in the Standard Operating Procedure for Regional Standby Arrangements and Coordination of Joint Disaster Relief and Emergency Response Operations (SASOP). More recently, ASEAN Vision 2025 on Disaster Management identifies as a key strategy that the AHA Centre should play a stronger role in facilitating capacity building to bring ASEAN member-states to a regionally and globally recognized standard, and that the AHA Centre will serve as repository of information sharing of lessons learned and best practices.24

Figure 5 illustrates the steps taken and processes used by the AHA Centre to mobilize and coordinate large-scale humanitarian assistance in the wake of a disaster.25

Laid out in successive AADMER Work Programmes and AHA Centre Work Plans, AHA Centre activities fall under four main rubrics: • Coordination - Supporting affected ASEAN member-state’s disaster response operations.

Facilitating and coordinating arrangements for disaster relief assistance from memberstates, ASEAN partners, and humanitarian actors. Strengthening scaling-up of resources and capabilities to support affected countries to enhance and complement national leadership. • Disaster Information Management -

Monitoring hazards, and collecting, analyzing, and disseminating key relevant information to support DM and to contribute

a platform for exchange and Figure 5: How the AHA Centre Works