The objective of the convergence held at the Regional Education Directorate in Kerewan North Bank Region was to reduce the maximum extent possible adverse impact of an anticipated disaster on the affected population.
Speaking on the occasion, NDMA deputy executive director Serign Modou Joof said the development of contingency planning for humanitarian was crucial in enhancing humanitarian work.
He said that coming up with regional contingency plan would help the region to mobilize resources and better plan to prevent and mitigate disasters.
Deputy executive director Joof lauded WFP for their foresight in complementing the effort of the NDMA in empowering regions to come up with comprehensive contingency plan to enhance disaster response.
Bibhuti Bhusan Gadanayak, Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaption Specialist, said building the capacity of stakeholders 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 authorities for the establishment of district disaster farm, noting that it demonstrated the community’s resolve at disaster response.
Fatou Sowe Jaiteh, NDMA Focal Person at the WFP, praised the sound partnership that exists between the two institutions, noting that it would strengthen human development on contingency planning and humanitarian assistance and build ownership.
Head of programme at WFP, Francis Abanzi, lauded stakeholders and partners in humanitarian work in the North Bank Region for the development of regional contingency plan on humanitarian assistance.
He said the development of contingency plan would help in the preparation of national contingency plan to enhance humanitarian response, noting that the involvement, participation of partners and stakeholders would help the region to build ownership of the document and mobilize resources.
Alieu Jonga, WFP Emergency and Preparedness Officer based at WFP Regional Office in Dakar, said the plan would enhance country humanitarian response.
He said the plan would empower region to map out early warming mechanism to accelerate humanitarian response.
Mama Manneh, director of Njawara Agricultural Training Centre, said building the capacity of stakeholders and partners on contingency plan would obviously enhance humanitarian response.
He called on the Regional Disaster Management Committee to be proactive in the utilization of contingency plans to mobilize resources.
