"Displacement and Crisis Preparedness" project in Africa

In refugee camps, people from different ethnic groups encounter members of the host community. National and international aid organizations, with assistance from government agencies, are also active in the camps, offering key support such as medical care, shelter and food distribution. Communication in settings like these is vital. If a water pipe bursts, for example, who informs the NGO responsible? Who shows a person who has never gone to school how to obtain a birth certificate? And how do refugees and members of a host community agree on sharing natural resources like firewood and drinking water?

In response, DW Akademie is supporting local partners in developing communication services in refugee camps and surrounding areas. These services are adapted to local conditions and, where possible, are based on a quantitative information needs assessment. Those affected by a crisis and who receive aid not only provide crucial information but also offer feedback. DW Akademie advises partners on organizational issues, promotes trainings on conflict and gender-sensitive reporting and provides material support.

Download the most recent evaluation report for the project here.

All-round communication

While distributing information is vital, so are feedback channels that enable those who have fled to communicate and participate. DW Akademie and its partners are developing feedback mechanisms that link humanitarian service providers with target groups so that providers can adapt and optimize their services according to local needs. This way, refugees and displaced persons can better access relevant information and participate in managing crises affecting them. Humanitarian organizations are also supported in being accountable to affected populations.

DW Akademie's crisis prevention strategy brings together civil society members, government agencies, international organizations and the media to plan crisis communication responses. They look at emerging crises and clarify in advance the contact persons and ways to most effectively communicate with affected groups. DW Akademie supports national crisis communication networks with empirical analyses of the communication behavior of vulnerable groups so that those affected can be involved in planning relief efforts.

Funding: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)

Program Director: Aarni Kuoppamäki

Locations: Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda, Burkina Faso

Local partners:  COME Initiative, Radio Kwizera, Straight Talk Foundation UNHCR Uganda

Focus: Flight and displacement, Innovation for Dialogue