25 Years of Emergency Preparedness: Japan and UNHCR’s eCentre Empower Frontline Responders Across Regions
25 Years of Emergency Preparedness: Japan and UNHCR’s eCentre Empower Frontline Responders Across Regions
When disaster strikes, it is often local responders who stand between chaos and safety. For 25 years, UNHCR’s Regional Centre for Emergency Preparedness and Response – the eCentre – has been equipping these frontline actors with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to save lives.
Established in 2000 in partnership with the Government of Japan, the eCentre has grown into a vital platform for building humanitarian capacity across Asia and the Pacific, and since 2024, in Africa as well. Its creation reflects Japan’s strong belief that preparedness saves lives – and that investing in people and partnerships before disaster strikes is the most effective way to protect those most at risk.
“Training on emergency response at the e-Center plays an important role in protecting people on the ground and in advancing Human Development and the Peace Nexus” stated by Ms. Toshimi Nishizaki, Ambassador for Humanitarian Assistance at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the opening ceremony of the Safety in the Field Workshop for Japanese NGOs on 11 November 2025 in Tokyo.
Over the past 25 years, that commitment has translated into thousands of trained responders, stronger national systems, and a global model for localized preparedness. More than 8,000 humanitarian practitioners from over 50 countries have benefited from the eCentre’s scenario-based trainings, technical support missions, and peer learning programmes.
In November 2025, UNHCR and NGO Safety Management Initiative (JaNISS) co-hosted the eCentre Safety in the Field training in Tokyo, Japan. Twenty-five participants from 17 organizations across the Asia-Pacific participated in field-based simulations designed to equip humanitarian and development workers with essential personal security skills for high-risk environments.
The eCentre’s courses cover a wide range of essential topics: from emergency coordination, humanitarian negotiation, and security management, to protection, gender-responsive planning, and climate and displacement risk reduction. Each session blends technical knowledge with practical exercises, helping participants prepare for the realities of complex field environments.
“Each experience has deepened my understanding of humanitarian response and international cooperation,” said Madoka Moriya of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), Japan. “The eCentre’s commitment to delivering high-quality, practical training has been instrumental in enhancing my professional development.”
For Sadala Ndabaniwe from the Council for Education and Development (COPED) in Burundi, his training made a real difference. “During the training, I assumed the role of team leader, learning how to make decisions in an emergency,” he said. “I was able to apply what I learned, organizing my teams in operations and better coordinating with other agencies during the massive influx of Congolese refugees in Burundi.”
Shuvra Dutta from the Center for Natural Resource Studies in Bangladesh, called the Essentials of Humanitarian Negotiations workshop “one of the most immersive and thought-provoking trainings I’ve attended,” saying it helped strengthen both his technical skills and strategic thinking in real-world crises.
These individual stories represent a much broader impact. The eCentre’s peer coaching and Training of Trainers approach allows participants to share their learning with others, expanding local preparedness networks and multiplying the benefits of each course.
Japan’s sustained support – alongside contributions from other donor governments and private partners – has made this long-term investment in preparedness possible. Funding from the People of Japan has enabled the eCentre to deliver practical, timely, and protection-sensitive training in some of the world’s most disaster-prone and fragile settings.
As displacement crises intensify, the need for preparedness is ever greater. With the dedication of UNHCR’s partners, the eCentre continues to empower those who stand on the frontlines – to respond faster, lead confidently, and protect lives.
Download eCentre brochure: 25 years of strengthening frontline capacity for emergencies
