Ministry of Social Action and National Solidarity

National Committee for Emmergency and Rehabilitation Assistance

01 BP 515 Ouagadougou 01
Tél.: (226) 34 70 03
Fax : (226) 34 52 51
Burkina Faso

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The National Committee for Emmergency and Rehabilitation Assistance

 

 

History

 

The National Committee for Emergency and rehabilitation Assistance, CONASUR, dates back from the great droughts of the 1970s that requiered intervention efforts from the international Community in taking charge of their dramatic consequences. Thus, it became imperative to get prepared for emergency situations in case of national calamities in order to be able to reduce their negative impacts on the lives of populations, hence the creation of a sub-committee for the struggle against drought.

The birth of this sub-committee was concomittant with that of the Inter-State Committee for the Struggle against Drought in the Sahel (CILSS), a coordination instrument for the struggle against drought in the Sahel countries, and which is headquartered in Ouagadougou. The national sub-committee for the struggle against drought had follen into a state of lethargy as the dramatic effects of the drought were fading.

It was not until the next drought cycle that of 1983-84, that the National Commission for Struggle against the Effects of Drought was revived, or rather created; as an inter-ministerial body, it was placed under the administrative and technical supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. It was established under decree N°83-330/ONG/PRES/DR, of December 30, 1983.

Transfered to the Ministry of Family Welfare and National Solidarity for competence reasons, it aimed at favoring social aspects and solidarity actions during disasters. It was reorganised under decree N°85-295/CNR/PRES/MEF-SN of june 3, 1985. This reorganization made it possible to provide the CNLES with an executive body - the Permanent Secretariat, in charge of CNLES executive tasks as well as setting up more operational provincial bodies.

The setting up of this permanent body aims at perpetuating the activities instead of having a provisional body likely to disappear when the disaster abates.

Originally set up within the framework of the struggle against the effects of drought, this body has seen its functions and attributions broadened. From now on, it is in charge of the prevention and management of the other calamities, namely inundations, large-scale bush fires, fires, grasshopper invasions and migrations of populations (displacement of persons, the repatriated and the refugees). In addition, it is in charge of the implementation of rehabilitation programmes.

The National Committee for Emergency and rehability Assistance was thus born in march 1993, by decree N° 93-069/PRES/SASF. This decree was supplemented by the order N° 089/SASF/MD-ASF/SG of August 27, 1993 on the organization of Permanent Secretariat, central executive body of the CONASUR.

MISSIONS

The CONASUR is a humanitarian body in charge of the management and prevention of natural calamities in Burkina Faso.

Mandate of the CONASUR

  • Set up and implement, together with competent ministries, and with development partners, the national plan for preparation and response to emergency situations in case of natural disasters.
  • Organise, coordinate, follow up and evaluate national and/or external interventionsaiming at reducing the effects of natural disasters.
  • Implement the national plan for organisation and coordination of emergency and rehabilitation aids, section on food security.
  • Implement rehabilitation programmes in disaster areas
  • Train technical and administrative personnel in the management of emergency aid programmes.
  • Inform, sensitize and educate the communities in the culture of prevention of natural calamities.


FUNCTIONING

For its functioning, the CONASUR has available a Permanent Secretariat in charge of the coordination and the technical execution of the body's activities.
The PS/CONASUR is made up of four (4) departments or technical services in charge of the conception, the implementation, the follow-up/supervision , and the evaluation of activities and programmes.

Executive bodies

The CONASUR is decentralised at the provincial, departemental, communal and village levels.

The provincial Committee for Emergency and Rehabilitation Assistance (COPROSUR)
  • As an executive body, it is set up in each province and is in charge of the execution of all the tasks of CONASUR IN THE PROVINCE AS A WHOLE
  • Président : Haut -Commissaire of the province
  • Permanent Secretariat : Provincial Director for Social Action and National Solidarity.


Areas of Intervention

In accordance with its missions, the CONASUR is in charge of the management of national programmes in favor of the victims of the different natural disasters.
It works toward curbing the effects of natural disasters on the lives of populations. It thus intervenes in the taking charge of the following disasters:

  • Droughts with food crises
  • Inundations and hurricanes. Invasion by crop predators (grasshoppers, granivorous birds, crop destruction by elephants).
  • Fires and bush fires
  • Community migrations.

Activities

The CONASUR is in charge of :

  • The identification of victims.
  • The collection of humanitarian aid in favour of the disaster-sticken people (food, tents, clothing, medicines,...).
  • Training in the management and prevention of natural disasters.
  • The rehabilitation of the socio-economic infrastructures, and the reintegration of the victims.
  • The assessment of the needs of victims
  • Putting together the intervention programmes
  • Coordinating the follow-up of the interventions
  • Initiating any activity that can alleviate the effects of the natural disasters on the lives of communities.