Responding to earthquakes 2008 - Learning from earthquake relief and recovery operations

This paper provides a distillation of the learning from thirty years of response to and recovery from earthquakes, concentrating on issues of particular relevance in earthquakes and practical recommendations for agencies on relief efforts, recovery, risk reduction, the management of aid, and livelihoods and shelter.
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The main intended audiences are operational decision makers and relief and recovery program managers working in the response and recovery efforts following sudden-onset natural disasters.The paper was jointly developed by ALNAP and ProVention.

HPG: Preventing corruption in Humanitarian Assistance

This latest report documents perceptions of corruption in humanitarian operations through interviews with staff of several leading international humanitarian NGOs. It is a joint publication of Transparency International, Tufts University's Feinstein International Center, and ODI's Humanitarian Policy Group.

The report finds that many humanitarian agencies are aware of corruption risks and have developed a range of strategies to prevent it. Whistleblower policies, codes of conduct for staff, and financial controls are among the measures that organisations have already put into place.

However, the humanitarian community at large has not yet addressed this problem in a comprehensive manner. Humanitarian aid providers would benefit from wider and more systematic exchange on new approaches and best practices, including evaluating their effectiveness in mitigating corruption.

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Tufts: 'Complexity and Context as the Determinants of the Future'

By Peter Walker

Humanitarian crises today are not due to one underlying cause but rather to a set of complex issues or an accumulation of adverse trends.

As a result, humanitarian action needs to be more broadly defined and reflect a wide, complementary range of interventions.

Responding to humanitarian needs--created by the combined effect of increasing costs of food, high energy prices, increased production of biofuels, climate change, and resulting natural disasters--is currently one of the humanitarian community's greatest challenges.

This opinion piece by Feinstein International Center Director Peter Walker, first delivered as a presentation to the 2008 meeting of the Global Humanitarian Platform in Geneva, introduces the issue of "accumulating adverse trends" with the aim of provoking discussion on how to better respond to the humanitarian challenges with which we are faced.

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Have Islamic Aid Agencies a Privileged Relationship in Majority Muslim Areas? The Case of Post-Tsunami Reconstruction in Aceh

From the Jounrnal of Humanitarian Assistance

This field study represents the second half of a modest research project to investigate whether international Islamic aid agencies can make use of their privileged relationship in majority Muslim societies to achieve high standards of efficacity, as Christian agencies are often able to do in majority Christian societies. (The first case study was conducted in Mali, where the evidence was clearly positive.) Post-tsunami relief aid in Aceh, Indonesia, was chosen for the second case study, with a focus on rehousing programmes. Attention is given to the contrasting programmes of the Turkish Red Crescent Society (strictly speaking, a non-confessional organization) and of two British agencies, Islamic Relief Worldwide and Muslim Aid. The conclusion is reached that whereas benefit has been gained from the ‘cultural proximity’ of Muslim agencies, this is a problematic concept and the main reason for the high reputation of all three organizations in Aceh has been the recognized quality and reliability of their service delivery. However, in the current international political climate where the entire sector of Islamic charities is experiencing an overreaction against them after 9/11, it should not be necessary for a Muslim charity to demonstrate that it can do better than non-Muslim charities – only that it can do as well.

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ALNAP: 'Don't Chase Headlines, Chase Good Quality News... Don't Be First, Be Accountable' - A New Agenda for News Media and Humanitarian Aid

“Don’t chase headlines, chase good quality news... Don’t be first, be accountable” is the key message delivered to the news media and humanitarian communities by this latest ALNAP report. The report draws on debates at the 23rd ALNAP Biannual Meeting held on the 4th June 2008 in Madrid, as well as a broader programme of research and analysis. It outlines a series of new opportunities and challenges for decision makers across the donor, media and humanitarian communities, and points towards a new agenda for news media and humanitarian aid.

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At the point of a humanitarian crisis, a complex set of obligations and interests arise in media and humanitarian agencies, and become interlocked. Relief agencies rely heavily on the media to get the humanitarian message out, to inform the world of unfolding disasters and to harness the power of donors to raise funds and respond to the crisis. Cash-strapped news agencies primarily concerned with providing coverage of the latest world affairs and ensuring currency, relevance and audience engagement are increasingly dependent on humanitarian agencies for access and information.

The relationships between providers of news and providers of humanitarian aid can influence public perceptions and capture political attention. They can trigger, inform, critique and, in some cases, undermine international responses. They can also fundamentally shape information flows and aid allocations. In times of crisis, the relationship can be essential and complementary, but it is also often - and at the same time - uncomfortable and ambiguous.

The report points to five key changes which could improve this complex relationship in favour of improved humanitarian outcomes. First, greater effort is required to improve understanding between aid and media agencies, moving towards mutual respect – and perhaps even trust – as a means of addressing the current, complex set of relationships. Second, there need to be attempts to change the existing flawed and simplistic narratives about crises and people affected by them, and to change the ‘media logic’ around disasters. Third, local and national media in disaster-affected countries should be viewed as instrumental part of humanitarian response capacities. Fourth, more should be made of the potential of existing humanitarian information platforms for communication. Fifth, and most importantly, those affected by crises need to be put centre stage in efforts to improve humanitarian reporting.

How can such changes be brought about? Increased accountability and transparency within both the humanitarian and media sectors lie at the heart of possible solutions. A wide range of actions, both short term and long term, could be taken by humanitarian agencies, the media and donor governments to change the current paradigm. The discussions at the Biannual Meeting and subsequent research and analysis identified five recommendations:

1. Evaluate the role of media relations and communications in humanitarian action, and actively apply this learning within and across agencies

2. Undertake a regular, independent review of “Humanitarian Reporting”

3. Establish collaborative partnerships to enable cross-sector efforts in “disaster myth-busting”

4. Establish a global alliance of media and humanitarian actors, at the local, national and international levels

5. Establish serving the needs of crisis-affected populations as a central common goal of both media and humanitarian agencies.

'Children and Armed Conflicts in Africa'

The 23rd report in Centre for Conflict Resolution policy seminar reports series examines the role of various African Union (AU) organs in monitoring children's rights in conflict and post-conflict situations. It further examines their linkages to specific child rights advocacy and monitoring mechanisms.
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'Beyond Construction: Use By All - A Collection of Case Studies From Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion Practitioners in South Asia '

From the IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre (IRC)

Nowhere in the world are there larger numbers of people in need of adequate sanitation and hygiene services than in Asia. In South Asia alone, almost 1 billion people do not have access to safe, improved sanitation. Political awareness of the enormity of the problem is growing, as is the recognition of the direct links between sanitation and hygiene on the one hand, and development and poverty reduction on the other. As a result of this, the amount of funds invested in the sector is slowly rising, new sanitation policies are being developed, and large-scale programmes devised and implemented.

But sanitation is a difficult thing to get right, and this rise in commitment, especially when coupled with a rise in delivery speed, could easily lead to more failure, more unused or unsafe latrines and unsustainable services. The practice of monitoring progress, sharing and learning, and continuously seeking to improve programmes based on lessons learnt, is crucial to ensuring success. Of special importance in this, are the practitioners who stand firmly with their feet on the ground, talk from personal experience, and have a direct stake in improving their programmes. These practitioners were the participants of this workshop. As can be read in this report, many of the issues they raised have far-reaching policy and strategy implications, and will require not only more research but also concerted advocacy efforts to raise their profile.

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ICRC: 'Land: A Key Issue for Humanitarian Agencies During Armed Conflicts'

Access to land, its use, its management, its ownership and its transfer are key political issues in many armed conflicts, in particular when forced displacement is a wartime strategy. Land is also at the heart of humanitarian activities as farming it can be a way for communities affected by the fighting to recover long-term economic security.
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The author of this text is political adviser to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The text does not necessarily reflect the views of the ICRC but rather those of the author. This is a translation of the original version in French.

The aim of this document is to present the specific practical challenges of land disputes for humanitarian agencies, as experienced by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in armed conflicts.

It is worthwhile examining those challenges in depth in order to find out how to meet them. However, this document does not set out to provide solutions, our more modest aim being merely to establish the terms of the debate.

MSF: 'Independence and Innovation in Humanitarian Action'

From the Dialogues series of discussions aiming to promote debate on some of the pressing issues facing humanitarian action.

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'The Costly Neglect: Burgeoning Chronic Food Insecurity '

From the Journal of Humanitarian Assistance
By Getachew Diriba

This study is about chronic food insecurity, and offers a broader explanation within the current food price crisis, exposing the sharp decline in investment for the agricultural sector in Africa. Chronic food insecurity (chronic hunger) is ‘a long-term or persistent inability to meet minimum food consumption requirements’ (WFP 2006). The ECOSOC note (May 2008) is instructive: “the global food crisis threatens millions of the poor and vulnerable. It has triggered violent protests around the world in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. It has brought into sharp focus the plight of the poor, the hungry and the malnourished and spurred commitments to action from concerned individuals and institutions around the world. It has also led to a deeper examination of the source/origin of this crisis.

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British Red Cross Uganda Appeal Microsite now up

A fantastic microsite has gone live today supporting our Uganda Appeal - featuring our very own Ros Armitage.

BioMed Central; 'Prevalence and Pattern of HIV-Related Malnutrition Among Women in Sub-Saharan Africa'

The world’s highest HIV infection rates are found in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where adult prevalence in most countries exceeds 25%. Food shortages and malnutrition have combined with HIV/AIDS to bring some countries to the brink of crisis. The aim of this study was to describe prevalence of malnutrition among HIV-infected women and variations across socioeconomic status using data from 11countries in SSA.

This study uses meta-analytic procedures to synthesize the results of most recent data sets available from Demographic and Health Surveys of 11 countries in SSA. Pooled prevalence estimates and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using random-and fixed-effects models. Subgroup and leave-one-country-out sensitivity analyses were also carried out.

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Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining report on Mine Action

The publication is intended particularly for States and their armed forces, but also for international and non-governmental organisations involved in explosive ordnance disposal, risk education or assistance to the victims. This first edition, which takes into account decisions reached at the First Meeting of States Parties to Protocol V in November 2007, reflects the legal obligations laid down by Protocol V on ERW and the non-legally-binding technical annex. Written in a straightforward style, it is intended simply to give guidance in a complex area of endeavour, based on best practice and lessons from the last 15 years of mine action. We hope that it will prove a useful resource to everyone concerned with the consequences of explosive remnants of war.

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IMF: 'Food and Fuel Prices: Recent Developments, Macroeconomic Impact, and Policy Responses'

This report provides a first broad assessment of the impact of the surge in food and fuel prices on the balance of payments, budgets, prices, and poverty of a large sample of countries.

It reviews countries’ macroeconomic policy responses to date and also discusses Fund advice for managing the price increases.

Policies should (i) ensure that food and finance reaches the most affected countries as quickly as possible, (ii) include targeted and scaled-up social measures, and (iii) avoid high costs in terms of macroeconomic instability or loss in future agricultural production. Collaborating with international partners, the Fund also stands ready to provide balance of payments assistance. As the paper presents an initial assessment of a still-evolving situation, the somewhat tentative nature of the analysis should be borne in mind.

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International Peace Institute:'Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities and the Responsibility to Protect: Challenges for the UN'

This report is the first in The Responsibility to Protect Occasional Paper Series.

It summarizes the discussion from the recent policy roundtable held in Stellenbosch, South Africa organized in cooperation with the University of Cape Town’s Centre for Conflict Resolution and the Office of the UN Special Adviser for the Prevention of Genocide.

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Humanitarian Accountability Partnership: 'To Complain or Not to Complain: Still the Question'

It has been more than four years since discoveries of pervasive misconduct and the subsequent release of the UN Secretary-General’s Bulletin catalysed humanitarian organisations to reevaluate their capacities for preventing and responding to sexual exploitation and abuse. In order to envision global prevention and response strategies, there was a close examination of current practices which exposed weak or nonexistent codes of conduct, poor awareness of rights and duties, nonexistent or confusing complaints mechanisms and few (if any) on-staff investigators. Now, the consultations that are the subject of this report underscore that our global expectations of how long meaningful change would take, how much it would cost and what would be involved were unrealistic.

This report provides the background, purpose and methodology of the consultation. Then follows a detailed report for each of the three countries where consultations were held, including country-specifi c recommendations. The report concludes with an assessment of challenges facing humanitarian agencies in their efforts to prevent and respond to sexual exploitation and abuse, and a set of recommendations for next steps.

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Report from Save the Children: 'In the Face of Disaster: Children and Climate Change'

The consensus on climate change is clear: it is already happening and is likely to lead to an increase in the frequency and intensity of natural disasters.

The resulting impact on children is likely to be dramatic.- Malaria, currently responsible for the death of around 800,000 children under five years old in Africa each year, is set to increase. Climate change and its associated impacts also threaten to hinder the achievement of all the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), particularly the commitments to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, and reduce child mortality.

Climate change will demand better disaster response and better preparedness.The United Nations (UN) estimates that for every $1 invested in risk management before the onset of a disaster, $7 of losses can be prevented.This demonstrates the case for disaster risk reduction to be mainstreamed into development planning and programming.For the millions of children who become displaced, lose a parent, become separated from their families, go hungry or become victims of exploitation because of a disaster, the status quo is not good enough.We know the international community can do much better.
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Praxis Paper 21: 'Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation in Practice: Lessons learnt from Central Asia'

Participation in development is generally accepted as a process that is fundamental to addressing issues of ownership and sustainability. Everyone acknowledges the value of participation. Yet when it comes to developing monitoring and evaluation systems many civil society organisations continue to employ experts to develop their objectives, indicators and data collection methodologies – with very little participation from the very people they are attempting to engage with.

This paper records an attempt to develop a fully participative M&E system, drawing on the experience of a team of INTRAC staff working on a civil society strengthening programme in close collaboration with their partners in the five countries of Central Asia.

Praxis Paper 21; 'Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation in Practice: Lessons learnt fromCentral Asia'