United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Dec 2013
InterWorks conducted four one-day Situational Emergency Trainings (SET) in the Republic of Chad from 9-14 December 2013. Responding to a request from the Chad Ministère de l’Action Sociale, de la Solidarité et de la Famille, UNHCR Chad engaged InterWorks in partnership with the UNHCR Global Learning Center to conduct training in emergency preparedness for potential refugee influx. Given significant emergencies in neighboring countries (Central African Republic, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo) Chad has the potential for significant refugee emergencies. In response UNHCR and InterWorks developed a French language training on the Preparedness Package for Refugee Emergenceis (PPRE). Four one-day trainings were developed for the following target audiences:
- Chadian government agency officials dealing with refuegee emergencies: December 9th in Ndjamena
- NGO and UN Partners, and UNHCR Chad Staff that work in the refugee situations: December 10th in Ndjamena
- UNHCR Staff in eastern Chad: December 12th in Abeche
- UNHCR Staff in Ndjamena and southern Chad: December 14th in Ndjamena
Given the general lack of emergency preparedness training available in Chad, UNHCR, in consultation with the Chadian Government, identified a need for the national authorities and other emergency organizations to have a better grasp on international standards for assistance and protection in emergencies. The UNHCR Tunisia Country Office requested the assistance of the UNHCR Global Learning Centre (GLC) and InterWorks to develop a Situational Emergency Training (SET) specifically to provide instruction and guidance for Tunisian Government agencies in contingency planning for emergency response. The UNCHR/Ndjamena office also took the opportunity to introduce the PPRE concept and methodology to its own staff and partners in the country.
All four trainings were designed to be highly practical and participatory, demonstrating the importance of contingency planning, undertaking minimum preparedness actions, identifying high risk scenarios for which to do advanced preparedness actions, using a risk matrix chart and avoid typical pitfalls in the emergency preparedness planning process.
The objectives of the training workshops were designed to introduce the PPRE and to prepare the participants to be able to:
- Achieve systematic preparedness for refugee emergencies at field level
- Undertake early context-specific contingency planning – before the emergency
- Respond to new refugee emergencies quickly and effectively
- Focus on key operational protection and assistance strategies.
The trainings were designed and conducted by InterWorks, with the assistance and collaboration of UNHCR GLC, based on material developed by UNHCR for presenting the PPRE to UNHCR staff and partners working in refugee emergencies.
The training was excellent. Please come back to Chad.
– Workshop participant
