PAID–ESA has successfully completed an advanced professional certificate training in Humanitarian Action and Disaster Risk Reduction, strengthening the competencies of humanitarian professionals from Africa and Asia.
The Pan African Institute for Development – East and Southern Africa (PAID–ESA) has successfully concluded an advanced professional certificate training on Humanitarian Action and Disaster Risk Reduction, held online from 15 to 18 December 2025. The intensive program brought together close to 50 participants from diverse humanitarian and development contexts, benefiting from the expertise of seasoned international facilitators.
The training delivered a comprehensive and practice-oriented curriculum covering the full humanitarian cycle. Core modules included humanitarian assistance architecture and mandates; humanitarian principles, international humanitarian law and policies; rights-based approaches to disaster risk management; African regional frameworks (AU, ECOWAS, ECCAS); disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation; humanitarian access negotiation and community engagement; coordination and information management; the Humanitarian–Development–Peace (HDP) Nexus; mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS); humanitarian logistics and cross-border response mechanisms; field safety and security; and conflict sensitivity, Do No Harm, and the humanitarian imperative. Case studies and interactive reflections reinforced real-world application, negotiation skills, and wellbeing considerations.
Participants joined from a wide range of countries, including Cameroon, Nigeria, South Sudan, Somalia, The Gambia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Malawi, South Africa, and Bangladesh, underscoring the program’s strong international and South–South learning dimension.
Through this advanced certification, PAID–ESA reaffirmed its commitment to andragogical, practice-driven capacity building, equipping humanitarian actors with the knowledge, tools, and ethical grounding required to operate effectively in complex emergencies. As part of the global PAID network, the Institute continues to promote concerted, decent, and sustainable development by investing in people-centered, high-impact professional training across Africa and beyond.