Humanitarian Action for Children 2011 - Unicef

Global Support for UNICEFEmergency Response OperationsMajor disasters in Haiti and Pakistan struck within six months of eachother in 2010, eliciting an extraordinary global response that mobilized thefull community of humanitarian organizations and partners. The scope ofdestruction and humanitarian need in these two countries alone, occurring indifficult geographical locations and affecting large populations (more than22 million vulnerable people altogether), highlighted, once again, the need tostrengthen humanitarian systems for a more effective response to major crises.On average, UNICEF responds to more than200 emergencies every year, informing andshaping these interventions as a global leaderfor children. Ultimately, stronger and betteradapted systems will result in a more efficientresponse and lead to greater fulfilment of children’sand women’s rights.For UNICEF, humanitarian action encompassesmore than rapid response. It also involves reliablepreparedness and calls for investment inearly recovery from the very onset of a response.UNICEF increasingly recognizes the need for allits programmes (both development- and emergency-related)to build resilience and reduce risk.These aims are achieved in various ways that arefully reflected in the revised Core Commitmentsfor Children in Humanitarian Action (CCCs) andinclude supply and logistics, programming,human resources, policy and practice, communicationand information technology.UNICEF brings the full range of support from allcorners of the organization to meet the humanitarianneeds of children and women. Headquartersin New York, Geneva, Copenhagen, Brusselsand Tokyo are centres of global support for countryoffices that require additional assistance instaffing, supplies and logistics, and in identifyingsources and mechanisms to better access financialresources to respond to emergencies. Theseoffices mobilize external support and identifysurge capacity from UNICEF offices worldwide.Supply hubs with strategic stocks in Copenhagen,Dubai, Panama and Shanghai enable quickdelivery of life-saving supplies within the firstfew hours of a rapid-onset emergency as wellas coordinated supply chain management fordisaster- or conflict-affected areas. In addition,UNICEF’s seven regional offices provide leadership,advocacy, oversight, quality assurance andtechnical and operational support to countryoffices working to meet humanitarian needs.Humanitarian funding at work:Global highlights from 2010In April 2010 UNICEF adopted the third revisionof the CCCs, its humanitarian policy for upholdingthe rights of children affected by crisis. The CCCspromote predictable, effective and timely collectivehumanitarian action, around which UNICEFengages with partners including host governments,Member States, operational and clusterpartners, and staff. Key changes to the CCCsinclude the recognition that humanitarian actionencompasses sound preparedness as well as animmediate emergency response, and an emphasison the importance of applying an early recoveryapproach in the response. The policy now reflectsUNICEF’s cluster accountabilities as a vital strategyto realize humanitarian results. It recognizesthe importance of national capacity development,advocacy, partnerships and other key strategiesthroughout preparedness and response.Strong collaboration with non-governmentalor gan izations (NGOs) is crucial to achievingresults for children through humanitarian action.In 2010 UNICEF continued to expand the useof revised cooperation and small-scale fundingagreements with NGOs. This expansion has createdmore flexible funding options, enhancedjoint results, fostered capacity development oflocal institutions and better aligned UNICEF’swork with that of partners.Like other agencies with cluster leadershiprespon sibilities, UNICEF mobilized significantcapac ity and support for timely and appropriatecoordination in the face of unparalleled disastersin Haiti, Pakistan and 27 other countries wherethe cluster approach has been activated. UNICEFalso strengthened gender and human rights programmingin the context of humanitarian actionthrough training, deployment of gender expertsto advise clusters on mainstreaming, and disseminationof best practices. UNICEF headquartersprovided guidance and on-demand adviceto country and regional offices regarding theapplication of international humanitarian lawand humanitarian principles in challengingoperational environments and in complex emergenciessuch as Kyrgyzstan, the Occupied PalestinianTerritory and Somalia.During the first six months of 2010, more than400 surge capacity assignments were requestedfor the Haiti office. In comparison, during all of14 2011 UNICEF Humanitarian Action FOR CHILDREN | www.unicef.org/hac2011