A four-day capacity building training on the Sphere project for regional disaster management committees started on Sunday January 25th at the Trans-Gambia lodge in Pakalinding, Jarra West District, Lower River Region.

The training was organised by Concern Universal in collaboration with the National Disaster Management  Agency.  Declaring the training open, the regional governor of LRR, Modou Soma Jobe, welcomed any effort that increases the disaster awareness of communities.  He said the Sphere humanitarian charter and minimum standards in disaster response represent a positive global framework for understanding their roles as humanitarian workers.

He called on the participants to take the training seriously and commended concern universal for complementing government’s efforts. The coordinator of the National Disaster Management Agency, Essa Khan, pointed out that the continued capacity building for disaster preparedness and response is in line with the Hyogo International framework of action and the ECOWAS policy for disaster risk reduction. He stated that the government of The Gambia is committed to this approach and has recently passed the National Disaster Management Bill.

He stated that this provides a legal framework for the management of disaster and establishment of the National  Disaster Management Agency. He commended Concern Universal for playing a pivotal role  that  provides a model of collaboration. The Concern Universal Disaster Risk Reduction project manager, Ebou Faye Njie, said that over the years, Concern Universal has been working with local partners and the government of The Gambia in various areas of national development. One of these areas is disaster management.

He asserted that disasters are becoming more complex and difficult to manage as a result of  climate change and this has led to an increase in complexity of human existence and vulnerabilities of communities in the last few decades.

The deputy governor of LRR, Momodou Katim Touray, who chaired the occasion noted that the importance of the training cannot be over emphasised, as it will enhance the understanding and application of the humanitarian charter and minimum technical standards in disaster relief. It also  provides a linkage between Sphere project and disaster preparedness.

He opined that the training is in conformity with the emphasis put on capacity building in the National Disaster Management Policy.