Ouahigouya: Members of the Departmental Council for Emergency Relief and Rehabilitation (CODESUR) of Ouahigouya carried out a contingency plan simulation at an internally displaced persons (IDP) site in Gourga, sector 15 of the city. This exercise aimed at enhancing the management of disaster risks, as observed by AIB.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the simulation followed the development and validation of the contingency plan for the department of Ouahigouya in September 2025. The activity was supervised by Honore Sawadogo, Secretary General of the town hall and vice-president of CODESUR, representing the prefect who presides over the special municipal delegation.
The simulation was a critical exercise to test the effectiveness of intervention and coordination mechanisms. Conducted at the Gourga IDP site, the exercise spanned three hours and aimed to evaluate the response of actors involved in potential disaster scenarios during the rainy season. Participants included CODESUR members, civil society, humanitarian partners, media personnel, and targeted populations playing the role of disaster victims.
The scenario involved five villages in the Ouahigouya department impacted by violent winds during the rainy season, causing significant material damage, casualties, injuries, and missing persons. Village Development Committees (VDCs) leaders raised the alarm, prompting the prefect to convene an emergency meeting and inform higher-level emergency services to facilitate aid to the victims.
CODESUR Ouahigouya Vice-President Honore Sawadogo expressed satisfaction with the exercise, highlighting the opportunity to rectify errors and thanking SP/CONASUR and NGO Help for their support in developing the contingency plan.
Issiaka Kabore, program coordinator of Help-Burkina, emphasized the importance of supporting Ouahigouya and its villages, affected by the crisis since 2015 and hosting a considerable number of IDPs, in their contingency planning efforts.
Boureima Nacanabo, Head of the Disaster Prevention Department at SP/CONASUR, praised the simulation, noting that all participants understood their roles well, which enhanced awareness and achieved the exercise's goals of strengthening field actors' capacities and understanding emergency response mechanisms.
The simulation concluded with a distribution of food to the "victims" and a community meal, leaving all involved satisfied.