By Ishmael Zay-Bangura
Freetown, 30th July 2026– Save the Children has taken a bold step to reinforce Sierra Leone’s disaster response capacity by hosting a two-day Emergency Preparedness, Response and Resilience (EPRR) Workshop at Hotel Barmoi, Aberdeen, on July 28 and 29.
The initiative brought together government agencies, humanitarian organizations, civil society groups, and children’s representatives to sharpen strategies for anticipating, preparing for, and responding to emergencies that disproportionately affect children and vulnerable communities.
Opening the workshop, Patrick Analo, Save the Children’s Country Director, underscored the urgency of proactive planning. “Emergencies compound existing challenges facing children while creating new threats to their safety, education, and survival,” he said. “This workshop positions us to act swiftly and effectively before crises escalate into humanitarian disasters.”
Children’s voices were also front and center. Gabriel Jr. Mallon, Secretary General of the Children Forum Network, stressed that young people must be active participants in shaping emergency response. “In saving children from emergency situations, it’s vital that we are involved to showcase our views,” Mallon noted, adding that strategies are stronger when they reflect children’s lived realities.
The workshop’s first day focused on mapping risks, reviewing humanitarian coordination structures, and identifying Sierra Leone’s most pressing vulnerabilities. Discussions integrated perspectives from children and communities, ensuring that preparedness measures were grounded in real experiences rather than abstract planning.
On the second day, participants developed emergency scenarios, set early warning indicators, and agreed on anticipatory actions and coordination mechanisms. Mohamed Conteh, WASH Program Manager at Concern Worldwide, described the event as “a vital workshop for strengthening emergency response to disaster situations across the country.”
Stakeholders included representatives from Save the Children, the National Commission for Persons with Disability, Concern Worldwide, the Children Forum Network, the Sierra Leone Police, and other humanitarian actors. Together, they validated key actions and recommendations that will form the backbone of Save the Children’s Emergency Preparedness, Response and Resilience Plan for the next twelve months.
The plan is expected to significantly bolster Sierra Leone’s ability to respond to disasters while ensuring that children’s unique needs remain central to all preparedness and response efforts.
