The Global Early Warning – Early Action (EWEA) report on food security and agriculture is developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of
...
the United Nations (FAO). The report is part of FAO’s EWEA system, which aims to translate forecasts and early warnings into anticipatory action.
more
How should humanitarian organisations prepare and respond to COVID-19 in humanitarian settings in low- and middle-income countries?
This Rapid Learning Review outlines 14 actions, insights and id
...
eas for humanitarian actors to consider in their COVID-19 responses. It summarises and synthesises the best available knowledge and guidance for developing a health response to COVID-19 in low- and middle-income settings as at April 2020
The paper, supported by the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock, will be updated throughout 2020 to reflect emerging knowledge and evidence on the most effective approaches to respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
more
The first section highlights knowledge and questions regarding security incidents, trends, and causes of violence, including around causes and motives for
...
attacks, and tensions between individual and collective responses. The next section then explores the role of the humanitarian principles, and the perceptions of humanitarian actors, in affecting their security in the field. Building on this, the final section examines the protection of humanitarian action under international law, and the impunity gap resulting from effective implementation or enforcement of the law.
more
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created a global and gendered crisis that is compounding existing inequalities and disproportionately affecting girls and women. Emerging evidence from
...
the COVID-19 crisis in 2020 shows school closures, disruptions in essential services and rising poverty contributed to girls’ increased risk of female genital mutilation (FGM). School closures limited the monitoring and reporting of cases of FGM. Rising household monetary poverty may have contributed to families adopting negative coping mechanisms, including having girls undergo FGM as a precursor to marriage to reduce household costs. A report from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates 2 million additional cases of FGM by 2030 due to the pandemic.
more
During the reporting period, 5,068 people were identified as being displaced by conflict and in need of humanitarian aid. In addition, 434 people w
...
ho were affected by conflict received humanitarian assistance across the north.
more
This report assesses the impact of the conflict in Ukraine and its implications for organized cr
...
ime and security-related issues for neighbouring countries, with a focus on Moldova.
These include:
Organized crime and illicit trafficking (including trafficking in persons, drugs, arms, illicit tobacco, and other goods); Cybercrimes and fraud; Disinformation and propaganda; and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) threats.
more
This study looks at commitments made at the World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) under the Grand Bargain and provides an overview
...
of good practices on localisation approaches, provides a number of case studies from the regional response and makes recommendations on how to further strengthen leadership and participation of national and local actors within the response to the Syria crisis.
more
This brief summarises key considerations about the social, political and economic context of Goma in relation to the outbreak
...
of Ebola in the DRC as of March 2019. Goma is the administrative capital of North Kivu province and a major urban centre in the Great Lakes Region. The city is home to an estimated 1.5 million people and serves as an important economic and transportation hub that links eastern Congo to the broader East African sub-region. The arrival of Ebola in Goma would substantially increase the at-risk population and heighten the potential for cross-border transmission to neighbouring countries, particularly Rwanda. This brief therefore focuses on local social and political structures that can be leveraged to promote preparedness and readiness actions.
more
Globally, it is estimated that 128.6 million people are currently in need of humanitarian assistance. Of these individuals, approximately one-fourt
...
h are women and girls of reproductive age. Although family planning is one of the most life-saving, empowering, and cost-effective interventions for women and girls, it remains an overwhelming gap in emergency responses due to a lack of prioritisation and funding. Consequently, many women and girls are forced to contend with an unmet need for family planning and unplanned pregnancies in addition to the traumas of conflict, disaster, and displacement.
more
Thailand is exposed to flooding, landslides, drought, earthquakes, tsunamis, heat waves, forest fires, and epidemics. Thailand is also exposed to technological hazards such as chemical accidents. Flooding is the natural hazard with
...
the most significant impact on human life, livelihoods, and the economy for the country. The occurrence of droughts has increased in recent years due to the effects of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle, which brings drier-than-average rainfall conditions. Drought has adversely impacted the country’s agriculture sector, which employs around one third of the country’s workforce.
more
Climate change is a growing concern for Bangladesh because 90 percent of the country is approximately 10 feet above sea level. An evaluation was co
...
mpleted which discovered that high tides in Bangladesh were increasing 10 times more rapidly than the global average. This predicted rapid increase in sea levels places Bangladesh four times higher than the global average. By 2050, approximately 20 percent of the inhabited land in Bangladesh will be inundated by the sea resulting in displacement for nearly 20 million people. The Government of Bangladesh has implemented policies and plans to focus on climate change concerns, but there is still much work to be completed.
Bangladesh is a nation which will continue to experience the devastating effects of climate change. These concerns for the nation are recognized and the Government of Bangladesh is working progressively to implement mitigation and preparedness measures along with making national economic and transportation improvements to better sever and protect the people of Bangladesh.
more
The Handbook is primarily addressed to child protection coordination teams, which may include coordinators, co-leads and information managers, the
...
guidance is equally valid for all members of the child protection coordination group, including national and international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), government representatives and other members, who seek to achieve an effective and coordinated response
more
Humanitarian NGOs have made increased use of Private Security Providers (PSPs) over the last decade. There is a gap between
...
the ways that NGOs actually use PSPs and the regulation of this engagement. These guidelines aim to assist humanitarian NGOs in reaching an informed decision about when, how and under what conditions to seek PSP services. The guidelines are aimed at operational managers of NGOs, from headquarter to field level. The guidelines do not only cover armed guarding or armed protection, but can be applied to the wide range of services provided by PSPs. Document also available in French.
more
The strategic priorities of the CCS 2014–2018 are:
(1) Strengthening the health system.
...
(2) Enhancing the achievement of communicable disease control targets.
(3) Controlling the growth of the noncommunicable disease burden.
(4) Promoting health throughout the life course.
(5) Strengthening capacity for emergency risk management and surveillance systems for various health threats.
more
Reflections and a call for action after a two-year exploration of emergency response in acute conflicts
There is general consensus that the
...
humanitarian sector is failing to mount timely and adequate responses in the acute phase of conflict-related emergencies, according to the two-year Emergency Gap Project by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
The Project has explored what works for or against effective emergency responses. Its final report, Bridging the emergency gap, draws on the Project’s thematic papers and case studies, and consultations with more than 150 senior-level representatives from 60 key organisations across the humanitarian sector.
more
Myanmar has made significant progress in its disaster management policies, plans, and procedures since 2008, when Cyclone Nargis impacted the country leaving devastation in its aftermath. The Govern
...
ment of Myanmar (GoM) has modified the government structure and created new authorities and plans to improve the effectiveness of disaster management at all levels. While this progress is encouraging and shows the determination of the government to make necessary adjustments, the resources to implement the policy changes have been slower to develop. Myanmar has made significant progress in its disaster management policies, plans, and procedures since 2008, when Cyclone Nargis impacted the country leaving devastation in its aftermath. The Government of Myanmar (GoM) has modified the government structure and created new authorities and plans to improve the effectiveness of disaster management at all levels. While this progress is encouraging and shows the determination of the government to make necessary adjustments, the resources to implement the policy changes have been slower to develop.
more
The Indonesian government has reformed its laws, policies, and institutions to better manage disaster risk since the significant 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.
...
The Government of Indonesia now has contingency plans for every disaster-prone city which identifies its vulnerabilities, outlines the relief response, and builds overall preparedness. In 2007, the government introduced a disaster management bill that incorporated disaster management prevention into disaster management response. In 2008, Indonesia created the National Disaster Management Agency (Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana, BNPB). The new shift led to the strengthening of the country’s disaster management agency, and the addition of district branches and representatives. Despite the progress made, more work is needed at the local level as well as integration of disaster risk reduction in government departments.11 Under Indonesia’s 2007 Disaster Management law, provincial and district administrations are mandated to head disaster management during a crisis.
more
Disaster Management Reference Handbook Series Overview.
Floods, storms, and wind account for large proportions of displacement compared to other disasters. Floods are
...
the most frequent type of disaster whereas wind-related disasters constitute the biggest losses in terms of economic damage, displacement, and number of affected people. ASEAN has succeeded in developing institutions not only for addressing the threat posed by natural hazards but also for building resilience into communities at risk
more
Specific action sheets offer useful guidance on mental health and psychosocial support and cover the following areas coordination assessment monitoring and evaluation protection and human rights sta
...
ndards human resources community mobilisation and support health services education dissemination of information food security and nutrition shelter and site planning and water and sanitationthe guidelines include a matrix with guidance for emergency planning actions to be taken in the early stages of an emergency and comprehensive responses needed in the recovery and rehabilitation phases
more
Hands-on information and practical advice for everyday life and work in the field as well as background information on crisis management structures in international organizations lie at
...
the heart of the new handbook. It has been developed in the realm of Europe’s New Training Initiative for Civilian Crisis Management (ENTRi) by the project coordination team at ZIF.
The handbook is designed to accompany civilian experts on their way to crisis management missions. In addition to providing a general overview of the institutional landscape of crisis management as well as relevant concepts, the handbook also provides practical information on a variety of issues that are common to working in a mission. From dealing with health and security challenges to technical information on radio operation, map reading, four-wheel driving – the ENTRi handbook is a valuable companion for work in a mission.
more