Crisis managers, the disaster risk reduction agenda, and the human right to information: a case study of building translation capacity in Sierra Leone

Abstract The multilingual population in Sierra Leone witnessed the devastating effects of linguistically and culturally inappropriate risk communication during the 2014 Ebola epidemic, when many residents coud not access critical information in a language they understood, contravening the 1948 UN Charter of Human Rights. The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) terminology aims to support global disaster risk reduction efforts, yet its availability in only six official UN languages limits accessibility. To strengthen Sierra Leone’s translation capacity and crisis preparedness, YMCA Sierra Leone and University College London launched a crisis translation training project in 2020. Crisis professionals translated the UNDRR terminology into Kono, Krio, Limba, Mende, and Themne, producing a multilingual disaster risk reduction resource. This paper examines the interactional dynamics among the project’s sponsors, participants, and the language experts that supported the quality assurance procedures. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders recruited through snowball sampling, we present preliminary findings. Results highlight the importance of framing language protection as a right-based approach to prevent discrimination and past failures. Recommended measures include formalizing translation and interpreting policies in crisis management, integrating multilingual training, expanding access to multilingual disaster risk reduction materials, and leveraging technology for real-time interpreting.