Burkina Faso - From 24 to 26 July 2023, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in close collaboration with the municipality of Banfora, the Directorate General of Civil Protection (DGPC), Permanent Secretariat of the National Council for Emergency Relief and Rehabilitation (SP CONASUR), Centre for Health Emergency Response Operations (CORUS) and General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI) organized three capacity-building sessions on emergency first aid for community leaders in Banfora and the Regional Council for Emergency Relief and Rehabilitation (CORESUR) in the Cascades region.

The first two training sessions focused on communication in crisis situations and emergency first aid for community leaders. A total of 100 community leaders, including 26 women from the village of Tengrela, attended the training sessions. Officers from the Banfora Fire Brigade (DGPC) met with women, men, religious and traditional leaders to explain the warning mechanism, civil protection, and management of haemorrhages, cases of loss of consciousness, discomfort and trauma.

“We are very pleased with the training, which is an asset for us. Over the two days, we learned from the fire brigade how to behave and help each other in the village. It was a great collaborative experience that enabled us to strengthen our first aid skills. We would like to thank IOM for these training sessions and encourage them to organize more.” Tou Brahima, focal point for the Tengrela community.

Almost simultaneously, on 25 and 26 July 2023, the third capacity-building session on Operational Coordination and Communication in Crisis Situations (security, humanitarian and health) was held for CORESUR in the Cascades region. The 29 participants, including 1 woman, were able to review better operational organization to coordinate better responses to crises.

Following these various training sessions, an ordinary session of CORESUR was held on 27 July 2023, with discussions focusing on a reminder of CORESUR’s duties, the identification and reduction of disaster risks in the Cascades region, as well as prevention measures.

As a reminder, the simulated border crisis management exercise (SIMEX) held on 11 May 2023 in Banfora, enabled the authorities and communities to practise providing care for vulnerable people. These training sessions, held in July, enabled them to address the gaps identified during the SIMEX and adopt best practice in risk and disaster prevention, and the effective care for victims.

In implementing this activity, IOM and its partners intend to support the Government’s efforts to prevent and prepare for the management of humanitarian crises, thereby ensuring better protection for vulnerable communities.

This capacity building was supported by the project: “Promoting coordination and cooperation between border communities and border management authorities in Burkina Faso and Niger” funded by the US Department of State.

***

For more information, please contact:

Familia Idelki, IBG Programme Coordinator, IOM Burkina Faso  ifamilia@oim.int  

Photo : Bayala Nathalie Bienvenue @ IOM Burkina Faso