NGOs in Complex Emergencies

Objectives

• To understand the complexity of the ‘NGO community’

• To understand the principles and characteristics of NGOs

• Identify coordination mechanisms of NGOs

Components of a Response• International Organizations (IOs)

• United Nations (UN) humanitarian agencies and programs• Regional Organizations• International Organization for Migration (IOM)

• Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)• The Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement• Donor Governments/Agencies (USAID/DfID, etc)• Affected Population• Host Nation Organizations/Agencies• International/Regional Financial Institutions• Business Community• General Public (public opinion/direct donations)

• And when requested/needed…• UN/Coalition Military Forces

The “NGO Community”

1 Source: The Commonwealth Foundation, February,1996

• Broad Definition:• Every organization in society which is not part of

government, and which operates in civil society1

• Diversity:• Size• Operating Styles• Geographic Focus• Religious background• Programmatic Orientation2

• UN Agencies and the Red Cross are not NGOs!

2 Source: Paula Hoy, Players and Issues in International Aid, 1998

NGO Typesno strict categories – often based on programmatic/regional focus

• Advocacy• Press international community for action on particular issues

• Development• knowledge of pre-existing disaster levels of basic service

• Disaster Relief• Attempt for programs/actions to be “Apolitical”• food/relief are “above the battle”

• Human Rights Organizations• - Speak out policy: Monitor actions of politicians, military, police, other

organizations, etc.

• Indigenous• Many are implementing partners for int’l NGOs• community level knowledge of actors and customs

The “NGO Community”• Who they are…

• Skilled professionals• Paid workers and volunteers• Local and expatriate

• Why they respond…• Humanitarian Principles and Geneva Conventions• Host nation agreement and/or CNN Effect• Some claim the “right” of intervention

• Varying Sizes/programmatic focus• Local/Int’l, global, regional or community interests

• Implementing partners of UN/Donor agencies• Competition for funding sources

Principal UN Organs - Security Council - Int’l Court of Justice

- General Assembly - Secretariat

- ECOSOC - Trusteeship Council

UN Agencies UN Departments

- UNHCR (est. 1951) - DPKO

- UNICEF (est. 1946) - DPA

- WFP (est. 1961) - DESA

- UNDP (est. 1965) - DPI

- WHO (est. 1948) - OCHA

- UNHCHR (est. 1994) - EOSG

- IAEA (est. 1957) - OLA

UN

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tem

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• Voluntary• IMPARTIALITY: Aid is given regardless of race, creed, or

nationality.

• NEUTRALITY: Aid will not be used to further a particular political or religious standpoint.

• Independence• Humanity• Unity• Universality

Guiding Humanitarian Principles

NGO Strengths• Critical recipient level work• Less bureaucratic/more cost-effective• Access to local knowledge• Neutrality essential to security• Work protected by international conventions

Source: Paula Hoy, Players and Issues in International Aid, 1998

NGOs Weaknesses• Not homogenous system• Lack of collaboration• Failure to see the ‘big picture’• Government $$ erodes independence• Can be perceived as threat to host nation

NGO funding sources

• Government Donors: Give with humanitarian objectives in mind but may be constrained by other political/policy issues

• USAID, AusAID, ECHO, Bi-lateral, etc• View NGOs as critical partners in aid delivery• Identify gaps in humanitarian response and target aid to fill gaps• Will have some form of accountability mechanism

• Implementing partners of UN Agencies• Foundations• Individuals/general public• Effect of donor fatigue and/or lack of strategic interest

on NGO operations?

Major Government Donors to NGOs

• ECHO• European Community Humanitarian Office

• JICA• Japanese International Cooperation Agency

• AusAID• Australian Council for International Aid

• DfID• UK Department for International Development

• USAID• United States Agency for International Development

• CIDA• Canadian International Development Agency

Major Donors: Examples of funding(Source: ReliefWeb, 12 April 02. USDoS: PRM)

Agency Amount Total Purpose

UNHCR TOTAL $54.0 million Emergency Response to Afghan Refugees and IDPs; Support for Voluntary Repatriation and Reintegration for Returning Refugees

ICRC TOTAL $13.5 million Emergency Response for Conflict Victims in Afghanistan and neighboring countries

OCHA TOTAL $3.6 million Inter-Agency Coordination in Pakistan and AFG

IOM TOTAL $3.0 million Emergency Assistance, Logistics, Assistance to IDPs and Returning Refugees in Afghanistan

WFP TOTAL $5.5 million Logistics, Food Mgmt & Supply in Afghanistan and Pakistan

UNICEF TOTAL $6.0 million Emergency Health, Education, Wat/San Assistance to Afghan Refugees and IDPs; Support for UNICEF's Back-to-School Program for Returning Afghan Refugees

WHO TOTAL $1.0 million Support for the Provision of Basic Health Services for Returning Refugees

Mercy Corps (MCI) $0.16 million Support to Maintain Operational Capacity Inside Afghanistan (October-December 2001)

Efforts to improve accountability

• Sphere Project: Minimum Standards in Disaster Response:• water supply and sanitation

• nutrition

• food aid

• shelter and site planning

• health services

• ICRC/NGO Code of Conduct• 130 organizations have signed

• Donor demands for increased accountability• What is “acceptable loss”

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NGO Training• RedR

• Security Management Workshops• Transport Access in Emergencies• Site Selection and Planning

• People in Aid

• World Vision Security Training

• Individual organization training/recruitment policies• i.e. OXFAM GB: Knowledge/experience with

Sphere Standards

Major NGOs in Emergencies• CARE• World Vision• Catholic Relief Services• Save the Children• International Medical Corps• Médecins sans Frontières• Doctors of the World• World (IRISH) Concern• Adventist Dev. & Relief Int.• Food for the Hungry• International Rescue Committee• Joint Relief International

• Mercy Corps

• Africare

• Concern

• World Relief

• OXFAM

• Lutheran World Relief

• Refugees International

• American Friends Service Committee

• International Aid

• American Refugee Committee

NGO Coordination• VOLUNTARY• AS NEEDED• CONSENSUS• PERSONALITY DRIVEN

• Strategic level coordination• IASC, InterAction, ACFOA, VOICE, etc.

• Tactical level, typically will coordinate around sectoral or functional areas, i.e.

• Health, Wat/San, Food/Nutrition, logistics, etc.

• Some by policy will not collaborate with uniformed/armed military

• NGOs may have own coordination mechanism separate from the UN.

NGONGO

ICRCICRC

Affected Country Requirements

THE FOG OF RELIEF:THE FOG OF RELIEF:International Relationships During DisastersInternational Relationships During Disasters

DonorDonor

DONORDONOR

NGONGO

DONORDONOR

NGNGOO

NGONGO

NGONGO

UNHCRUNHCR

WFPWFP

Red Cross/Red Cross/CrescentCrescent

UNICEFUNICEF

Private Private DonorsDonors

NGONGOUN Coordination: UN Coordination: HOC, OSOCC, etc.HOC, OSOCC, etc.

INT’L

MIL

ITARY FORCES

CIMIC

, CM

OC, etc)

Selected NGO/Red Cross/Donor web sitesInternational Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA)

www.icva.ch

InterActionwww.interaction.org

Voluntary Organizations in Cooperation in Emergencies (VOICE)www.oneworld.org/voice

Australian Council for Overseas Aid (ACFOA)www.acfoa.au

The Sphere Projectwww.sphereproject.org

International Committee of the Red Crosswww.icrc.org

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

US Agency for International Development (USAID)www.usaid.gov

European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO)www.europa.eu.int/comm/echo/en

Australian Government’s Overseas Aid Program (AUSAID)www.ausaid.au

Selected UN System web sitesHumanitarian Information Center - Afghanistan

www.hic.org.pk

United Nations Joint Logistics Centerwww.unjlc.org

Relief Web and UN Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Onlinewww.reliefweb.int

www.reliefweb.int/ocha_ol/

United Nations System Locatorwww.unsystem.org

United Nationswww.un.org

United Nations Children’s Fundwww.unicef.org

UN Development Programwww.undp.org

UN High Commissioner for Human Rightswww.unhchr.ch

UN High Commissioner for Refugeeswww.unhcr.ch

World Food Programwww.wfp.org