ICRC pilots mass fatality response plan in Yobe
By Ahmed Isah Ahmed
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Monday piloted a mass fatality response plan in partnership with the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Damaturu.
The exercise featured a full-scale simulation on managing mass casualty incidents, designed to strengthen the preparedness and capacity of frontline responders in the state.
Mr Sayed Hassan, ICRC Head of Sub-delegation in Yobe, said the initiative was prompted by the increasing number of mass fatalities recorded in Nigeria in recent years.
He listed conflicts, explosions, floods, epidemics, building collapses and other disasters as major triggers of mass casualties, noting that the absence of coordinated responses often worsened the suffering of families and communities.
“The Mass Fatality Response Plan provides standard operating procedures to ensure that, even in the most chaotic moments, we act with dignity, respect and professionalism in the management of the deceased,” Hassan said.
According to him, the plan highlights clear processes that enhance preparedness, coordination and respect for the humanity and identity of every life lost.
“This plan is not just a policy, it is a pathway to restoring dignity to the dead and hope to the living. It ensures families know the fate and whereabouts of their missing loved ones,” Hassan added.
He reaffirmed ICRC’s commitment to supporting the implementation of the plan within its mandate, and to continue collaborating with NEMA, SEMA and other technical partners.
“In our experience, an adequate response requires the coordinated effort of many actors with different roles working jointly to address the needs of families, including their need to know the fate of their missing relatives,” he said.
The simulation brought together emergency managers, health workers, first responders and security agencies to test the framework under real-time conditions.
