Crisis Prevention and Recovery

Approach The United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) work in crisis prevention and recovery strengthens countries’ resilience for managing conflicts and disaster risks, and empowers people to build back their lives following crises. In 2010 UNDP provided disaster risk reduction, conflict prevention and recovery services to 88 countries, working to support livelihoods with short-term employment, re-establishing governance and the rule of law, and promoting gender equality. This work plays an important role in helping countries to overcome setbacks to ongoing development when a disaster or conflict strikes.

R E S U L T S Conflict prevention and recovery UNDP provides support to prevent conflict in approximately 30 at-risk countries, and helps to strengthen national and local institutions and public and security services in post-crisis countries to avert violence, manage conflicts and engage in peaceful political transitions.

• In Afghanistan, public confidence in the national police force has increased, as shown through two surveys. A 2010 UNDP-commissioned Police Perception Survey conducted for the first time in the country, showed that 79 percent of Afghans held a favourable opinion of the police, with 73 percent saying they respected the national force. A 2010 US military survey concluded that timely police remunerations through the UNDP-administered Law and Order Trust Fund had led to an eight percent increase in police retention over previous years and a 13 percent decrease in absenteeism, contributing to greater professionalization in the force.

• In conflict-affected areas of 10 states in Sudan, about 800,000 people benefited from UNDP-supported construction and restoration of basic services, including 685 water pumps, 281 classrooms, 88 health facilities and 3,350 latrines. UNDP administered almost US$1 billion in international assistance for the country.

• In South Sudan, UNDP conducted community-based conflict analyses in 37 counties across five states, half of all counties, providing state and development actors with guidance on community priorities to inform resource allocation.

• In Kyrgyzstan, UNDP, in partnership with the European Commission, helped to diminish potentially violent inter-ethnic tensions during the October 2010 parliamentary elections by promoting dialogue and enhancing collaboration between civil society, law enforcement agencies and the Central Electoral Commission. Six ‘area advisory committees’ were established and early warning hotlines installed at national and local levels. Both the constitutional referendum and parliamentary elections, expected to be affected by significant turbulence, concluded peacefully.

Early recovery and livelihoods UNDP provides immediate recovery support following a crisis, including through short-term employment and income-generating initiatives.

Crisis Prevention and Recovery Expenditure: 2010

US$ Millions Total: $1,114.9

Source: UNDP Operations Support Group, August 2011

Other: $10.2 1%

Strengthened Post-Crisis Governance:

$628.1 Restoring Foundations for Development:$304.1

Enhancing Con!ict and Disaster Risk Management:$172.5

15%

56%

27%

 

For more information: United Nations Development Programme Office of Communications One United Nations Plaza New York, NY 10017 www.undp.org

September 2011  

 

• In Pakistan, following the epic 2010 floods, UNDP launched early recovery initiatives reaching 915,000 individuals. Among them: 170,000 participated in cash-for-work initiatives; 150,000 benefited from solar-driven lights or pumps; 27,000 received agriculture and livestock support; 6,130 received small business grants; 4,900 were trained on vocational skills for new livelihoods; over 4,000 were helped to obtain replacement identity cards and legal documents. UNDP also supported construction of around 1,000 houses for those displaced and completed 3,100 infra-structure restoration projects.

• In Haiti, one year after the devastating January 2010 earthquake, UNDP’s employment creation programme, in partnership with the World Food Programme, had reached 240,000 people— 40 percent of them women. By July 2011, UNDP and partners had helped to clear up to four million cubic metres of the estimated 10 million cubic metres of debris created by the earthquake; restore streets and water and sanitation systems; build more than 4,000 permanent houses and repair over 5,300; and provide over 82,000 temporary shelters.

Disaster risk reduction UNDP supports national efforts for reducing the impacts of disasters in advance of their occurrence, as well as preparing for and responding to disasters in a timely manner. This support has put in place resilient structures and standardized procedures to save lives in the future.

• In response to Haiti’s earthquake, UNDP helped the Government set up and run Emergency Operation Centres across the country, keeping Haitians informed about Hurricane Thomas in November 2010. UNDP also helped to develop 11 contingency plans, tested in national simulation exercises to prepare for the 2011 cyclone season, and produced and disseminated seismic zoning maps showing soil stability in Port-au-Prince and seven other cities to ensure construction of more earthquake-resistant new buildings.

• 100,000 people living in exposed coastal areas in parts of the Philippines were put on stand-by for emergency actions within five minutes of alerts being issued about a possible tsunami from the magnitude 9.0 earthquake that struck off the coast of Japan in March, 2011. The alerts were part of UNDP-supported systems for the region.

• In Papua New Guinea, 300,000 mobile phone messages as well as radio and television broadcasts were delivered to residents of areas at high-risk of large-scale waves and flooding following the 2011 Pacific tsunami.

• In Mozambique, deaths related to cyclical flooding events were less than 25 percent of the 10 year average, with UNDP having supported the government in significantly improving its flood preparedness and response.

Women and girls UNDP places the rights and needs of women and girls at the centre of crisis prevention and recovery, from promoting gender justice and women’s participation in political and peace processes, and eradicating gender-based violence, to ensuring equality in disaster recovery and risk education.

• In Democratic Republic of the Congo, where 8,000 women were estimated to have been raped in 2009, some 14,000 women and girls who experienced sexual violence registered at UNDP-created community centres where they received psychosocial support and professional counselling to enable them to re-enter the workforce.

• In Afghanistan, despite dramatic gender imbalances across all areas of social and political life, by the end of 2010, UNDP had recruited 832 new female police officers, bringing the total number of women in the Afghan National Police to 1,073. It also trained 300 police trainers on how to respond to domestic violence. Eight UNDP-supported legal help centres in Herat and Balkh provinces have been addressing an average of 100 cases of domestic violence each month during the last year.