CEA in Emergencies

This page is a one-stop shop for CEA in emergencies. It outlines the minimum actions for community engagement at each stage of the response, and the tools to help you put these into practice. It has links to CEA training packs for emergencies, a guide to CEA in emergencies, and case studies specific to conflict, earthquakes, and extreme weather. For health related emergencies, visit our CEA and Health page.

Ten actions to engage communities during emergency response operations

To successfully engage communities during emergency response operations, CEA should be incorporated into all stages of the programme cycle. To help you to do this, you can follow the ten actions below which have been categorised by the different stages. Under each action, you’ll also find a list of related tools from the CEA Toolkit. View a full explanation of each step here.

Explore CEA in Emergencies Related Trainings

21 July 2022

CEA in Emergencies Training

A one-day training package exploring in detail the 10 minimum actions for good community engagement and accountability in…

21 July 2022

CEA in Emergencies Module

A three-hour training module providing an introduction to the 10 minimum actions for good community engagement and accountability…

18 July 2023

CEA branch-level training (updated)

A highly interactive two-day training to support branch staff and volunteers to improve levels of community engagement in…

The end goal of community engagement is really about people having the information they need to take action.

It’s about people having a way to feedback to us, to influence the way we deliver an operation…

Explore CEA in Emergency Case Studies

25 September 2023

Eswatini Drought FbF: Validating Early Actions with Community Members

This case study captures learnings from an Early Action Protocol (EAP) validation exercise which was carried out by…

22 February 2023

Engaging communities to build resilience and accountability mechanisms

A case study on engaging communities to build resilience and accountability mechanisms after the Nepal 2015 earthquake.

28 September 2020

Feedback mechanism, the guidelines: Hurricane Dorian operation

As part of the Hurricane Dorian emergency appeal, a community feedback mechanism was established by Bahamas Red Cross…

24 September 2020

Case study: Operating a feedback hotline in the Bahamas

This case study presents the process of establishing and operating a feedback hotline that was undertaken by the…

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17 March 2022

How do you talk to children about war?

Type:

Guide

Organization:

IFRC

A one-page guide for parents and caregivers on how to talk to children about war. This can be used for children either directly or indirectly affected by conflict.

  • Children
  • Conflict
  • MHPSS
  • Ukraine

1 March 2022

CEA during the Beirut blast response

Type:

Video

Organization:

Lebanese Red Cross

In this video, Pamela Saab, CEA Coordinator for Lebanese Red Cross, explains how, after the Beirut port blast, CEA was used by the Lebanese Red Cross to recognise and value…

  • Arabic
  • CEA and Cash
  • Lebanon
  • Shelter

21 October 2021

Shelter & settlements roadmap

Type:

Roadmap

Organization:

IFRC

This roadmap is designed to aid Americas National Societies to develop a strong shelter and settlement capacity to efficiently lead, and respond and contribute to the integrated and participatory processes.…

  • CEA and Cash
  • Disaster
  • Shelter
  • Spanish

30 September 2021

Review of the evidence landscape on the RCCE interventions among the Rohingya refugees

Type:

Report

Organization:

Social Science in Humanitarian Action Platform

This report is the first output in a body of work undertaken to identify operationally feasible suggestions to improve risk communication and community engagement efforts (RCCE) with displaced Rohingya people…

  • Conflict
  • Displacement
  • CEA and Health
  • CEA and Migration

8 July 2021

Pre-Hurricane Conference Webinar

Type:

Webinar

Organization:

IFRC

A webinar on the “Challenges, opportunities and lessons learned in communication and community engagement and accountability in disasters” during the Pre-Hurricane Conference held on Wednesday, June 23. More than 200…

  • Disaster
  • Extreme weather
  • Hurricanes
  • Spanish

9 December 2020

Flood preparedness and resilience in Latin America and the Caribbean social media template guidance

Type:

Tool

Organization:

IFRC, Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance

A toolkit with risk communication materials for social media assets about what to do before, during and after a flood. Available in English and Spanish.

  • Americas
  • Extreme weather
  • Flooding
  • RCCE

28 September 2020

Feedback mechanism, the guidelines: Hurricane Dorian operation

Type:

Case Study

Organization:

Bahamas Red Cross

As part of the Hurricane Dorian emergency appeal, a community feedback mechanism was established by Bahamas Red Cross and IFRC. In this context, this document provides guidelines on how to…

  • Complaints
  • Disaster
  • Extreme weather
  • Feedback

24 September 2020

Case study: Operating a feedback hotline in the Bahamas

Type:

Case Study

Organization:

Bahamas Red Cross, IFRC

This case study presents the process of establishing and operating a feedback hotline that was undertaken by the BRCS and the IFRC to support operational community engagement and accountability (CEA)…

  • Case study
  • Disaster
  • Emergencies
  • Extreme weather

1 July 2020

Collective approaches to communication and community engagement in the Central Sulawesi response

Type:

Case Study

Organization:

Humanitarian Policy Group

This case study is part of a wider project commissioned by UNICEF on behalf of the CCEI to identify solutions to address current bottlenecks and challenges in the Sulawesi earthquake…

  • Asia Pacific
  • Case study
  • CCE
  • Disaster

8 April 2020

CEA in emergency operations

Type:

Case Study

Organization:

Philippine Red Cross

This case study sums up the experiences of Philippine Red Cross (PRC) in engaging the affected communities of the Batanes Earthquake. It features the key role of Community Engagement and…

  • Case study
  • Disaster
  • Earthquakes
  • Emergencies

1 April 2020

Communications preparedness and accountability for disaster response

Type:

Report

Organization:

CDAC Network

This report produced by CDAC Network, Ground Truth and Care investigates the effectiveness of the many systems and networks which are currently in place in Vanuatu to support communication with…

  • Community
  • Disaster
  • Emergencies

1 April 2020

CEA helps to tackle corruption in Malawi

Type:

Case Study

Organization:

IFRC

This case study produced by IFRC and Malawian Red Cross details how Malawi Red Cross Society used community engagement to tackle corruption by community leaders as part of the Cyclone…

  • Accountability
  • Africa
  • Case study
  • Corruption

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