Cluster II - Global Public Policy institute

79• The WASH Cluster 129 is led by UNICEF and co-facilitated by ASF/PSI atthe national level, OXFAM-GB in North Kivu, ACTED in South Kivu andSolidarités in Ituri.• In 2005, WASH was identified as a gap in the humanitarian response in DRC.The establishment of the cluster has contributed to improved coverage, includingin cross-cutting issues (e.g. minimum commitments to gender, gender trainingsfor cluster members in Goma and Bukavu).• WASH cluster minutes are in most cases shared at all levels.• The WASH cluster uses a set of criteria to commonly identify and prioritizeneeds, which helps to overcome the challenges of scale, accessibility, andsecurity posed in the DRC.• The WASH cluster coordinates with local authorities, e.g. with the nationalcommittee for cholera prevention or health authorities in the area of intervention.It collaborates regularly with Health cluster (cholera) and the national WASHcluster approached the Protection cluster for help with mainstreaming protectioninto WASH activities. Inter-sectoral issues are also addressed through RRMP.• The WASH cluster has adapted international standards to the context of DRCand members are complying. It promotes participatory approaches throughthe implementation of the governmental participatory strategy (Stratégie des8 pas) for the UNIEF program “Village etécoleassainissement” and a lighterparticipatory approach (the five first steps) for emergency intervention of theWASH cluster.• There are some examples of implementation of PoLR concept in Kalemie, BasCongo and Goma through advocacy or sending emergency supplies and in theeastern provinces through the RRMP.129 Activities of the Rapid Response to Population Movements (RRMP) and its predecessor, the Rapid ResponseMechanism (RRM), are considered here as part of the cluster’s activities. Agencies and organizationsparticipating in the RRMP are members of and coordinate with the cluster; however the RRMP is not anagency/ not a cluster member as such.