Preparing for disaster displacement across borders - a simulation exercise between Colombia and Ecuador

This presentation shares lessons learned from a cross-border disaster-displacement simulation exercise held at the end of March 2022 between Colombia and Ecuador. This government-led, multi-stakeholder exercise simulates the displacement of a number of persons in a border area. The aim is to develop and test Standard Operating Procedures that assign roles and responsibilities to responders from National Disaster Management Offices (NDMOs), Migration Authorities, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Local Authorities, Civil Protection, the Red Cross, civil society and others to improve preparedness, emergency procedures, contingency plans and response mechanisms in the event of a disaster. This case study builds on the methodology developed in a similar exercise on the Panama-Costa Rica border in 2017. It can serve as a model for other countries across the world wishing to explore cooperation and to set up mechanisms to deal effectively with cross-border displacement in the context of disasters.