Development of a comprehensive communication strategy
Ouagadougou, February 20, 2013 – Caritas organisations from the Sahel region are joining forces to tackle the food and socio-political emergencies affecting the area. This is the goal of a meeting that began on February 19 in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, bringing together Caritas representatives from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Sénégal. Since 2007, these groups have formed the Caritas du Sahel platform.
The gathering, which runs until February 23, involves communication and emergency response officers who aim to establish a regional communication system among the various Catholic aid organisations.
This meeting is a key part of the Emergency Appeal 28/2012, titled “Project to strengthen Caritas’ overall preparedness and response capacity to humanitarian emergencies caused by the crisis in Mali.”
According to Father Isidore Ouédraogo, executive secretary of Caritas Burkina, the specific objective is to create a common working framework for all communication and emergency officials of the Sahel Caritas, thereby improving their intervention capabilities.
Estimates indicate that around 300,000 Malian refugees are currently hosted in neighbouring countries.
