Pacific Humanitarian Team

PHT Year in Review22 October 2012, Nadi, Fiji

Nastaran Jafari, PHT Education Cluster Co-coordinator, Regional EiE Advisor, Save the Children, Australia

Dijana Duric, Emergency Specialist UNICEF Pacific

Overview of Presentation

1) PHT Background and Overview

2) PHT Emergency Responses

3) Recent PHT Initiatives & Global Policy

4) 2012 - Cluster Achievements & Challenges

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PHT and Clusters in the Pacific

• Operational since 2009; IASC endorsed since 2012

• Membership: PHT covers 14 PICs and includes 150 organizations (UN, NGOs, Red Cross, Donors) with members based in 27 countries (900 members)!

• 8 ‘Clusters’ - 7 clusters plus 1 ER network

• Predictability Accountability Leadership Partnership

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Three layers of coordination

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Linking with National Coordination Mechanisms

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International Humanitarian Community National Disaster Response Structure

PMO / Cabinet

NDC / NDMO

Ministry of Health

Ministry of Education

Ministry of Works

Air services / Police / Customs /

Foreign Affairs

Emergency Operations

Ministry of Social Welfare

Ministry of Planning

Resident Coordinator / PHT

Heads of Org

OCHA / Inter-cluster Coordination Group

Health-Nutrition

Emergency Education

Water-Sanitation-Hygiene

Logistics

Shelter

Protection

Early Recovery

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WHO, UNICEF, USG, Red Cross (RC), UNFPA, WVI, UNDP,

SCF, OXFAM, NZ, AUS, EU

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Pacific Humanitarian Team (PHT)

Preparedness activities:• Contingency Planning activities

• Trainings, simulations (cluster coordination, Logs/Education/Protection cluster, national etc..)

• Cluster-specific preparedness (Standard operating procedures, Contingency plans)

• Emergency Stock Pre-positioning

Response activities:• Initial rapid needs assessments and sectoral needs assessments

• Cluster response, cluster management/coordination, inter-cluster coordination

• Monitoring & Evaluation

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Emergencies supported by the PHT since 2008

2009• Fiji Floods (Jan)

• Guadalcanal floods (Feb)

• Ambrym Volcano and Flood (Apr)

• Samoa & Tonga Tsunami (Sep/Oct)

• Gaua Volcano (Dec – 2010)

• TC Mick in Fiji (Dec)

2010• Rendova Tsunami - Solomon Islands

(Jan)

• TC Pat in Aitutaki – Cooks (Feb)

• TC Tomas in Fiji (Mar)

• TC Ului in Solomon Islands (Mar)

2011• TC Vania in Vanuatu (Jan)

• TC Atu in Vanuatu (Feb)

• Drought Response Planning in Kiribati (Feb)

• Drought response Tuvalu/Tokelau (Oct/Nov)

2012• Fiji Floods - TD 06F (Jan)

• Vanuatu TC Wilma (March)

• Fiji Floods - TD 17F (March/April)

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PHT Response in 2012

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• Fiji Floods - TD 06F (Jan)

• Vanuatu TC Jasmin (Feb)

• Fiji Floods - TD 17F (Mar/Apr)

PHT Initiatives 2012

• Formalization of the PHT Clusters arrangements • PHT Performance Review underway • Climate and weather updates for PHT partners • Communications for Disaster Affected Communities• Institutionalizing Gender Mainstreaming• IASC Transformative Agenda (deployment mechanisms,

improved strategic planning, enhanced accountability HC/HCT, streamlined coordination mechanisms) – Pacific context?

• “Resilience” – Old word, fresh breath

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Global Policy & Practice for PHT Development• “Resilience”

• Manage the risks and not the crisis• EW translates to effective early action

• Dichotomy between development and humanitarian • Improve hum-dev coordination

• Emergency preparedness, early action, early recovery• Scale up DRR into humanitarian programming

• Increase predictability of financing • Not ad hoc initiatives by donors• Long- term, predictable and flexible

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2012 - Cluster Achievements and Challenges

Health & Nutrition • Strong response to two major Fiji flood events, including strong leadership by Ministry of

Health (MoH) staff and community level activity led by Fiji Red Cross.

• Nutrition assessment tool piloted in Fiji (flood-affected communities & evacuation centres)

• Nutrition Surveillance System set up for Fiji (Nat. Food & Nutrition Centre)

Emergency Logistics • Emergency Logistics Preparedness program (ECHO, WFP, NDMOs & PHT) in the Pacific

region to improve emergency preparedness. Three countries 2012: Fiji, Samoa and Tonga.

• Logistics Capacity Assessment, Logs Contingency Plan & Preparedness Action Plans, Logs Emergency Response training, Logs Coordination Groups” set up in each country.

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WASH• Strong leadership of government line ministry (MoH) as co-cluster lead during Fiji Floods

• Defined ToR for the Pacific WASH Cluster with roles and responsibilities

• Pre-positioning of WASH materials for successful, immediate response.

Protection – including Child Protection & GBV in Emergencies• Toolbox on Protection in Humanitarian Action developed: Protection briefing materials

and training sessions; country specific protection risks and profiles; technical guidance on evacuation centre management, registration and relocation; key advocacy messages. Active engagement Fiji Floods for NDMO and first responders.

• Updated Protection Cluster TOR

• Three-day regional Protection cluster coordination training prior to 2012 annual PHT

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2012 - Cluster Achievements and Challenges

Education in Emergencies (EiE)• Active Education Clusters in Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu chaired by MoE

• Pre-positioning of EiE stocks in country (Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Fiji) with the procurement of local stationary supplies suited to the Pacific.-positioning

• Integration of DRR in Education as a key aspect of EiE preparedness to encourage seamless transitioning for development in education.

• Facilitated Pacific Education Cluster Coordination Training in September 2012 which included child protection, DRR, gender and disabilities.

• Strong engagement on EiE with key donors in the region to ensure funding for response and support to EiE preparedness.

Shelter• Coordinating the interaction between implementing agency and the government and

donors to rebuild dwellings totally damaged during the Fiji floods

• Liaising with country level clusters elsewhere in the Pacific.

• Compilation of register of agencies and donors that have confirmed an interest in being involved in the Shelter Cluster following a natural disaster.

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2012 Cluster Achievements and Challenges

Early Recovery • Engaged Early Recovery Network specialist to support PHT coordination and Fiji

government coordination in the wake of the Fiji Floods.

• Formulation of the Early Recovery Guidance Note for Fiji and Cash for Work Manual.

• In Fiji, 1,200 individuals directly assisted through Cash for Work Programme producing tangible benefits for Rakiraki and Nadi municipalities, indirectly benefitting more than 50,000 residents.

Food Security & Agriculture• Developed draft Guidance Note on Assessment of Post-Disaster Food Security.

• Developed draft Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment in Agriculture Form.

• Established an up-to-date contact directory and 3W (Who What Where) of sector responders in Fiji.

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2012 Cluster Achievements and Challenges

2012 - Cluster Achievements and Challenges

Critical Reflections re Challenges• Government leadership – Complementarity of humanitarian action to national plans?

• Cluster Management – Dedicated Cluster Coordinator or double hat? Staff fluctuations?

• Pacific Inter-Cluster Preparedness Plan – Operational? Allocated Roles & Responsibilities?

• Cluster Preparedness Plans – Existing? By country? What about countries with minimal humanitarian presence – surge capacity plans?

• Capacity for Response – Effectiveness response? Response planning? Right partners in the cluster? Stock-prepositioned? Standardized relief items/packages?

• Needs Assessment and M & E Tools – Agreed? National/District/Community Level?

• Cluster Reporting – Strategic? Agency or cluster based? OCHA/NDMO/Red Cross?

• Balance – Self-focus on cluster tools/mgt or focus on beneficiary?

• Inter-Cluster Coordination & Linkages– ?

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Thank You!