Coordination - Disaster Management Center - University of ...

Chapter 2EP07Coordination issues As an organisation mandated for childrens’ welfare and concerns, UNICEF’scoordination interests are not easily divided along technical/sectoral lines. However, UNICEF doestypically take the lead in coordination of school and education programs, and is often closelyinvolved in the coordination of vaccination and immunizations programmes along with WHO. Itoften works closely with WFP and UNHCR in carrying out nutritional assessments among affectedcommunities.Illustration of role —Southern Sudan, 2001 – Operation Lifeline Sudan (OLS) OperationLifeline Sudan (OLS) was established in April 1989. It is a consortium of UNICEF and the WorldFood Programme and also involves more than 35 NGOs. In conditions of devastating famineresulting from drought and civil war, OLS negotiated with the Government of Sudan and the SudanPeople’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) to deliver humanitarian assistance to all civilians inneed, regardless of their location in the country.Almost 3,500 children who as recently as 2000, were acting as soldiers in Sudan’s civil war, wereto be returned to their communities and families in southern Sudan. A massive move home wascompleted in a few days and marked the end of a five-month transition period in which thesechildren were cared for by UNICEF and a coalition of aid groups. The majority of the children wereflown over a six-day period to airstrips in Bahr el Ghazal aboard transport aircraft operated by theWorld Food Programme.UNICEF and partner organisations are working to improve conditions in the home areas so thatthe return brings benefits for all children. Additional resources have been allocated for education,health and water in these districts. Partner agencies operating in the communities are following up toensure that each child is being cared for in a home. A program to immunize 77,000 children againstpolio was launched in the Nuba Mountains region of Sudan as part of a campaign to vaccinate allchildren under five throughout the country, supported by UNICEF and WHO.For more informationhttp://www.unicef.org/World Food Programme (WFP)History and experience WFP was created in 1963.Location and coverage WFP had a total of 82 offices in 2000. Through these offices theydistributed 3.7 million tons of food to 83 million people. Organisational headquarters are in Rome.Emergency unit or branch WFP maintains Rapid Response Teams for fast deployment toemerging crises and a Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping Unit (VAM) that provides food security(and insecurity) alerts to partner agencies and donors.Basic mandate or mission WFP is the food aid arm of the UN and uses food provided by donorgovernments to meet emergency needs and to support economic and social development. WFPalso provides the logistics support necessary to deliver the food. WFP plays an advocacy role onissues relating to hunger through awareness campaigns and promotion of policies, strategies andoperations that directly benefit the poor and hungry.How they work More than 90% of all WFP food aid is moved by ship. In 2002, WFP maintainedcontinuous operations involving more than 40 ships at sea daily. In response to emergencies, foodcan be diverted from other ongoing operations to meet emergency needs. When an official requestis made for WFP food aid in response to a humanitarian emergency, the WFP draws up anEmergency Operation (EMOP). WFP responds to 4 types of food emergencies: (1) Sudden disasters:33