Save the Children Collaborates with Partners for Emergency Preparedness Planning

^{Director of Programmes taking participants through the principles of emergency response. March 2023. Photo Credit; Abdul Sillah}

Save the Children, in partnership with the National Disaster Management Agency, National Fire Force, Freetown City Council, and the National Commission for Persons Living with Disability, among other stakeholders, has begun a three-day emergency preparedness planning workshop at the new Brookfields Hotel in Freetown. The objective of the workshop is to develop a plan that will guide Save the Children's emergency response for the next year.

The Save the Children Country Director, Patrick Analo, opened the workshop by emphasizing the importance of emergency preparedness planning. He stated that the workshop would equip staff and partners with the necessary skills and attitudes to respond to abrupt and developing emergencies.

He further emphasized that involving communities, partners, and the government in the planning process would ensure that the emergency response is timely, appropriate, and effective.

On the first day of the workshop, the emergency response team lead guided participants through the principles of humanitarianism and the nine commitments of proper humanitarian response. The session was highly participatory, with lots of group work to discuss and put the plan together.

Emergency preparedness planning is a crucial aspect of Save the Children's mandate to respond to emergencies. This planning session, which involves various stakeholders, will go a long way in mitigating the impact of any potential emergencies that may occur.