NDMA On Regional Contingency Planning for Humanitarian Assistance

The National Disaster Management Agency, with
support from the World Food Programme (WFP) on
Wednesday began a weeklong training workshop on
development of regional contingency planning for
humanitarian assistance, at the Regional Education
Directorate in Kerewan, North Bank Region (NBR). The
objective of the convergence is to reduce the adverse
effects of anticipated disaster on the affected population.
Speaking at the occasion, the deputy executive director of
NDMA, Serign Modou Joof noted that development of
contingency planning for humanitarian assistance is crucial
in enhancing humanitarian works. According to him, coming
up with regional contingency planning would help the region
to mobilise resources and better plan to prevent and
mitigate disasters. Deputy executive director Joof lauded
WFP for their foresight in complementing the efforts of the
National Disaster Management Agency in empowering
regions to come up with comprehensive contingency
planning, in order to enhance disaster response.
Bibhuti Bhusan Gadanayak, the Disaster Risk Reduction and
Climate Change Adaption specialist, said building the
capacities of stakeholders on contingency planning and
early warning system would help communities to identify
hazards, gaps; and by extension adopt best practices to
avert occurrence of disaster. He thanked Central Badibou
District authority for the establishment of District Disaster
farm, noting that it demonstrates their resolve to disaster
responds.
NDMA's focal person at WFP, Fatou Sowe-Jaiteh, who
lauded the partnership the between the two institutions,
said it would strengthen human development on
contingency planning and humanitarian assistance and
build ownership.
For his part, Francis Abanzi, the programme manager of
WFP lauded stakeholders and partners in the humanitarian
work in NBR for the development of regional contingency
planning on humanitarian assistance. He then noted that it
would help in the preparation of national contingency
planning, so as to enhance humanitarian response. Abanzi
further stated that the involvement and participation of
partners and stakeholders would help the region to build
ownership of the document and mobilise resources.
Alieu Jonga, WFP's Emergency and Preparedness officer,
based at the WFP Regional office in Dakar stated that the
planning would enhance The Gambia's humanitarian
response. According to him, it would empower regions to
map out early warning mechanism to accelerate
humanitarian response.
For her part, Mama Manneh, the director of Njawara
Agricultural Training Centre affirmed that building the
capacities of stakeholders and partners on contingency
planning would obviously enhance humanitarian response.
He then used the opportunity to call on the Regional
Disaster Management Committee to be proactive in the
utilisation of contingency planing towards mobilising
resources.