Building Preparedness for Resilience

We work in: Myanmar, Sierra Leone and Uganda

From the year 2000 to the present, more than 10 million people have been affected by disasters in Myanmar, Sierra Leone and Uganda. Myanmar and Sierra Leone were ranked as the “most at risk” countries according to the UN risk model in 2016. In Uganda alone, there have been 50 disasters with 1,195 people killed and more than 4 million affected in the past ten years. Those most affected by disasters tend to be people living below the poverty line, mainly people with disabilities, women, children and the elderly, with women and children comprising more than 50 percent of the total affected population. Disasters have negatively impacted progress towards achievement of Millennium Development Goals and will impact achievements of the Sustainable Development Goals.

OUR APPROACH

With support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, we are focusing on enhancing the emergency response capacities of local governments, schools, vulnerable communities and BRAC Country Offices in operating countries. We are currently implementing our emergency preparedness model in six localities, six schools and six communities in Myanmar, Sierra Leone, and Uganda, selected on the basis of their vulnerability to disasters. Our preparedness plans, trainings and consultations focus on inclusive disaster risk reduction with special attention to women, children, adolescents and youth.

We have provided technical support to the EU-funded Pro-Resilience Action (PRO-ACT) project being implemented in 6 counties of Liberia. Leaders of 22 community-based organisations have been trained on the process of weather monitoring and disseminating weather-related information at the community level. In collaboration with BRAC Liberia’s Agriculture and Food Security Programme of BRAC Liberia, we have conducted Disaster Risk and Vulnerability Assessments (DRVA) in the target counties and developed a national report with recommendation to integrate DRVA into all future development projects in Liberia.

We have responded to disasters in our operating countries, such as the 2016 Kagera Earthquake in Tanzania, the August 2017 landslides in Sierra Leone that killed more than 1,000 people, and most recently the July 2018 floods in Myanmar. We were able to provide immediate relief and emergency funds to approximately 10,000 people in Tanzania, 6,000 people in Sierra Leone, and more than 62,000 in Myanmar’s Bago Region.

OUR IMPACT

  • Emergency response coordinators at country level have developed partnerships with the government, UN Clusters, UNOCHA and other UN agencies, NGO forums, etc.
  • We have initiated emergency response capacity building process in BRAC International country offices, as well as in 6 vulnerable communities, 6 schools and 6 local governments in Myanmar, Sierra Leone and Uganda.
  • Disaster Risk and Vulnerability Assessments (DRVA) have become an integrated activity in all food security and livestock-related projects of BRAC International through successful piloting in PRO-ACT project in Liberia. The Government of Liberia and the EU have recommended similar assessments all over Liberia as part of all future development projects.

DRVA should be an integral part of all development projects in Liberia as it helps us, as well as implementing organizations, government and donors to understand the impacts of disasters on development and make necessary changes to build our resilience.”.

– Communities in Liberia

Highlights:

  • Oriented 1,040 country staff and external stakeholders on humanitarian leadership, disaster preparedness, and crisis and security risk management
  • Collaborated with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to provide First Aid training with simulations to 247 country staff
  • Drafted 96 weekly situation updates through the monitoring of natural hazard and human-induced disasters, safety and security issues, and notable sociopolitical changes in all BI countries
  • Conducted Disaster Preparedness Plan Consultations with 93 internal and external participants in five countries
  • Drafted 7 disaster profiles and 7 disaster preparedness plans of 7 BI countries
  • Developed Global Security Risk Management Guideline
  • Contributed USD 20,000 to the President’s Emergency Relief Fund in Sierra Leone following the August 2017 mudslides and USD 100,000 for flood-affected populations in Bago, Myanmar

MOVING FORWARD

We will explore the replication and scaling-up of our capacity-building model in other communities, while simultaneously strengthening the emergency response capacity and resilience of target schools, communities and governments. We will also continue to develop local and organizational capacity and strengthen collaborative relationships with local governments to build resilience and expedite effective emergency response.

YOUR SUPPORT helps build stronger communities that are better able to resist erosion of life and property, better cope with the impact of disasters, and build back better.