Key Stakeholders In Humanitarian Assistance

1
Key Stakeholders In Humanitarian Assistance

• Humanitarian Assistance refers the assistance
  given to a group of people during/affected by
  calamity or disaster.
• Emergencies have become more complex and
  therefore skills to respond have also become more
  complex.

2
Key Stakeholders cont..

• Major Humanitarian agencies
• ICRC
• IFRC
• MSF
• Oxfam
• Save the Children
• Tearfund and many others in recent years

3
Key Stakeholders cont..

• Responsibilities of Humanitarian Agencies is to
  provide
• Shelter
• Food
• Water
• Health services
• Psychological/emotional needs

4
Key Stakeholders cont..

• The Humanitarian Charter governs the Roles and
  responsibilities of Humanitarian Assistance. The
  Charter is based on the principles and
  provisions.
• The Humanitarian Charter governs the Roles and
  responsibilities of Humanitarian Assistance.

5
Key Stakeholders cont..

• The Charter is based on the principles and
  provisions of
• The International Humanitarian Law
• Refugee Law
• The code of conduct for the ICRC and the Red
  Crescent Movement and the NGOs in Disaster Relief

6
Key Stakeholders cont..

• The Charter describes the core principles that
  govern humanitarian action and asserts the right
  to populations to protection and assistance.
• It defines the legal responsibilities of states
  and parties to guarantee the right to assistance
  and protection
• When states are unable to respond, they are
  obliged to allow interventions of humanitarian
  organizations.

7
Key Stakeholders cont..

• Minimum Standards (SPHERE PROJECT)
• Provide guidelines on how to respond to the needs
  of the affected in order to achieve impact.
• Limitations of the Humanitarian Charter and
  Minimum Standards
• Political and security factors outside the
  control of the humanitarian agencies

8
Key Stakeholders cont..

• The extent to which the agencies have access to
  the affected population
• The availability of sufficient financial, human
  and material resources is essential
• The cooperation of the authorities in charge, and
  whether they can operate in conditions of
  reasonable security.
• The Charter is a set of general principles and
  do not attempt to deal with the whole spectrum
  humanitarian concerns.

9
Principles of the humanitarian Charter

• 1. The right of life with dignity reflected in
• The right to an adequate standard of living
• Freedom from cruel, inhuman or degrading
  treatment or punishment
• Not with holding or frustrating the provision of
  life-saving assistance

10
Principles of the humanitarian Charter

• 2. Non-combatants are entitled to immunity from
  attack.
• 3. The principle of re-foulement. No refugee
  shall be sent back to a country which is or his
  life or freedom would be threatened
• ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
• Those affected are entitled to protection and
  assistance
• Recognition and support the protection and
  assistance mandates of the ICRC and UNHCR under
  the control of the human agencies.

11
The SPHERE Project

• The minimum standards are based on agencies
  experiences of providing humanitarian assistance
• The achievement of the standards depends on a
  large range of factors, many which may be outside
  the control of the agencies.

12
The Sphere Project

• Started in 1997, born out of the of the
  inconsistencies in disaster response and lack of
  accountability
• Developed by the Steering Committee for Human
  Response and InterAction. Red Crescent Networks
  represent many hundreds of agencies committed to
  improving in quality and accountability of
  disaster response.
• SPHERE minimum standards have been universally
  tested in various set ups.

13
The Sphere Project cont..

• Sphere is a consolidation of standards to enable
  the agencies undertake their work in a more
  professional, responsible and and accountable
  manner
• Based on the Humanitarian Charter
• It covers
• _ water supply and sanitation,
• - nutrition
• Food Aid, shelter and site planning
• Health services

14
The Sphere Project cont..

• The project is
• A Process It gives guidelines on how to
  implement assistance.
• It gives the minimum levels to be attained in
  each area of assistance
• The key indicators that show that standards have
  been attained.
• 2. Handbook it provides guidance notes to
  include practical guidance
• 3. Commitment Reflects a legal and moral
  commitment to adhere the standards

15
Minimum Standards in Nutrition

• Initial Assessment of nutritional situation
• Response based on the causes of malnutrition
• Monitoring and Evaluation
• Community participation
• General nutritional support for the population
• Nutritional support to those suffering from
  malnutrition
• Human resource capacity building and training
• Competence of staff
• Use of local capacity and skills