CU/partners end contingency planning on disaster preparedness

Disaster means any great or sudden misfortune that erupts on people, making them displaced, leading to the destruction of properties or even causing death. Preparing people by enhancing their capacity on techniques and methods to use in addressing disaster matters is vital.
 
In a bid to positively respond to disaster related matters in the country, Concern Universal (CU), in collaboration with its partners, recently concluded a week-long training workshop on disaster risk reduction. The training was another move to prepare the participants with techniques and methods to use when disasters occur. The training was conducted at the Saint Joseph Family Farm Centre in Bwiam.

Ebou Faye-Njie, project manager of the Disaster Risk Reduction at Concern Universal said the contingency plan seeks to co-ordinate and put down tangible strategies to adequately and effectively respond to disaster in the country.  “The gathering,”  he added, is of paramount importance, observing that it is part of a wider strategy of preparedness that can be defined as the activities and measures taken in advance to ensure effective response to disasters.  He stressed the need for a joint contingency planning, which will enable Concern Universal and its partners, to quickly respond in co-ordinated manner when disaster occurs.

Ebrima Sonko, co-ordinator of Oxfam America Regional Humanitarian, told the gathering that disaster risk reduction, preparedness and capacity building, form part of Oxfam’s overall humanitarian mandates. To this end, Sonko said, different approaches may be taken to address disaster, which include the operational planning in both within the right crises change objective and the regional operational plan. According to Sonko, the contingency plan should be the first reference point to be used for response and responsibilities when a disaster occurs.