It’s exactly 25 years since the UN created a new international emergency response team to respond to disasters around the world.

Officially known as the UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination system (UNDAC) the team pools expertise from Member States, to rush to the aid of fellow Member States, hit by sudden-onset emergencies.

On Monday, the different countries that fund UNDAC from all the continents of the world, met for their yearly-gathering in Geneva.

The team is part of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and it was founded in 1993.

Over the past 25 years, UNDAC has responded to more than 281 emergencies in over 100 countries; ranging from floods, to earthquakes and man-made disasters, borne out of conflict.

For this podcast to mark the anniversary, UN News brought together four team members, who have always got an emergency bag packed by the door, and ready to go. 

Music Credit:  No Need Sleep by Ketsa