Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan on Tuesday said that India has emerged as a first responder in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief at global level. Mr. Chauhan was addressing a workshop virtually on Humanitarian Assistance, Disaster Relief, Risk Mitigation and Disaster Resilience in New Delhi. The workshop was organized as part of India's Chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and was attended by speakers from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Belarus, Mongolia, Pakistan and China along with speakers from Russia in the virtual mode.<br />''<br />''<span style="color: #222222;">The Chief of Defence Staff said, in keeping with India's cultural beliefs of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – the whole world is one family, India has been playing an important role in providing Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief. He further said that the timely launch of Operation Dost following the recent earthquake in Turkiye is a testimony to India's willingness to extend help to all possible corners of the globe. Mr. Chahuhan further added that collective approach is essential to mitigate the consequences of disasters. He said that Armed forces along with dedicated organizational structure are often the first responders in the event of any disaster.</span><br />