Juba, 20 June 2016 - On 18 June 2016, residents of the Naivasha Residential Compound (the security approved compound for UN international staff) conducted emergency drill exercises to test plans and promote awareness of staff roles and responsibilities during an incident scenario. The simulation was held at the Naivasha Residential Compound.

The simulation consisted of a “scheduled exercise” held on the morning of June 18, 2016, to bring together the internationally recruited staff from WHO, UNICEF, UNDP and WFP.

The objective of the exercise was:

To educate residents of the Naivasha Residential Compound with Evacuation guidelines and principles in the event of a real emergency.
To educate residents of the Naivasha Residential Compound with the Evacuation Plan
To practice one of the Evacuation options contained in the Naivasha Residential Compound Evacuation Plans.
To enable residents to practice responding to an Emergency Alert (EA) Warning to Evacuate.
To identify gaps and areas for improvement and demonstrate organizational resolve to prepare for emergencies as part of due diligence
To improve interagency coordination and communication
Emergency planning and exercise directly influence the outcome of an emergency situation. Mr Joseph Musa Annak, Field Security Specialist for UNDP South Sudan, said such drill will enable organizations to gauge how effectively they have implemented their security and also identify areas for improvement. He also added that staff always reacts more efficiently to situations which are ‘experienced in a simulation’.

“Drills and exercises are used to rehearse anticipated emergency scenarios. They are designed to provide training, reduce confusion, and verify the adequacy of emergency response activities and equipment” said Mr Sylvain Paul Denarie, the Operations Officer for WHO South Sudan.

Emergency Command and Control arrangements, emergency preparedness information and warnings, arrangements for evacuations, and relief and recovery operations were all exercised. All were planned and conducted with maximum participation, guided by a Security Focal Points and wardens of the different UN agencies. In general, the exercise was seen as very successful. Many lessons were identified, procedures were confirmed and such vital tools as protection plans and evacuation plans were confirmed and amended in light of the learning. The experience will be used to improve the preparedness of the communities Naivasha Residential Compound and disseminated across other UN Residential Compounds for communities to benefit.

________________________________________________

For more information, please contact:

Mr Sylvain Paul Denarie - +211-955726127; denaries [at] who.int
Mr Ali Shurie Hussein - +211955033680; husseinal [at] who.int
Ms Jemila M. Ebrahim - +211-950450007; ebrahimj [at] who.int