IFRC Disaster Law engages in the Sahel sub-region by providing technical support for the development of draft legislation. We have, for example, provided support to Burkina Faso and The Gambia in the development of disaster management-related laws. IFRC Disaster Law also works with the Regional Committee for Disaster Management in West Africa (GECEAO) to promote the development of disaster laws in West Africa and the Sahel.
In 2021, IFRC Disaster Law embarked on a research project to map the status of the auxiliary role in domestic legal frameworks as well as to map the legal arrangements for Disaster Risk Management in Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali and Niger. This activity formed part of a larger exercise to identify and analyse the legal and policy arrangements for the auxiliary role and disaster risk management across the continent. Moreover, to support effective and timely disaster response efforts, IFRC Disaster Law developed an International Disaster Law Fact Sheet to support response activities to the devastating floods that impacted Cabo Verde in 2025. This factsheet essentially provides a brief overview of the relevant legal framework that is applicable to international disaster assistance and can be used by assisting actors seeking to understand the applicable legal framework in the country.
