JUBA — The Government of South Sudan, in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), on Thursday validated a national Disaster Risk Management (DRM) curriculum aimed at strengthening the country’s capacity to prepare for, respond to, and recover from natural hazards.
The curriculum was validated during a two-day stakeholders’ workshop in Juba attended by representatives from government ministries, development partners, humanitarian agencies, academic institutions, and disaster management experts.
Speaking during the two-day National Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Training Curriculum Validation Workshop on Thursday in Juba, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, William Chan Achuil, said validating the curriculum marks an important milestone in strengthening South Sudan’s disaster preparedness and resilience.
“Now, as you sit here today for the validation of this document, I’m sure the next day the people of South Sudan would be in a better position to be able now to manage the threat of the natural hazards,” Chan said.
Chan said the curriculum will better position the country to manage the growing threats posed by natural hazards and equip the ministry with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively prepare for, manage, and respond to disasters.
“We cannot prevent natural hazards. All we can do is to prepare ourselves and try to cope with it, try to manage it,” he said.
“I am sure the purpose of this document is to strengthen the government and the people of South Sudan, including our partners, now to be able to educate our communities, wherever they are, so that they can now be able to withstand the threat of natural hazards.”
He said the curriculum is intended to serve as a disaster risk management tool, equipping stakeholders with the practical knowledge and technical skills needed to effectively manage disasters.
“As we are here in this room today, we are already getting information from some of our states about the impact of the drought. And very soon, as predicted, we are also going to face flooding in some of the states. So this document has a very important purpose. We have to use it as a tool.”
Niccolo Alberto Chiesa, IOM representative in South Sudan, said the workshop marks an important milestone in a journey that began with the National DRM Capacity Stocktaking Exercise conducted in April 2026.
“This curriculum has been developed using a systematic and internationally recognized approach to training design while remaining firmly grounded in the realities, priorities, and operational needs of South Sudan,” Alberto said.
He said the curriculum will represent an important investment in strengthening the knowledge, skills, and capacities required to effectively prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.
South Sudan continues to face recurrent floods, droughts, conflict, and disease outbreaks that undermine development gains and weaken community resilience. Strengthening disaster risk governance and institutional preparedness remains a national priority.
Led by the Government of South Sudan, the workshop is supported through the Enhancing Community Resilience and Local Governance Project Phase II (ECRP II), funded by the World Bank and implemented in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
