Horn of Africa Drought
Situation and Response
Marko Lesukat, Plan International
Regional Drought Overview
South Sudan
Overview of Presentation
• Overall situation – Late responses
• Drought Calendar and implications + Secondary factors
to the drought
• Plans and other INGOs/UN Responses
• Impact of drought on children and Drought responses
• Challenges
• Way Forward: Children Charter in Disasters
• Overall Situation
• About 13 million people affected (??% are children).
• Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Djibouti
• Of the $2.4 billion for humanitarian requirement only
74% is funded (OCHA report 18 Nov 2011)
Late Responses by All Actors
Drought calendar predictions 2010 and response 2011
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s
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f
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a
Drought response starts
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d
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f
m
EHRP appeal starts
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Long rains failed
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d
short rains below normal
2010
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2011
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Drought
declared
disaster
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m
Long rains below normal
Early warning systems and alerts
Impact of drought on Children
Children dropped out of
school:
•Food
•Water
•Shelter
•Migration
•Abuse
Impact of drought on Children….continues
‘‘most of my friends have
migrated away and have
dropped out of school’’
Child from Samburu –
Northern Kenya
Children need to remain in school: it’s their basic right
Impact of drought on children…….continue
Children get abused
especially girls
kitega uchumi’ .....bread
winners
Impact of drought on Children….continues
‘‘when our livestock migrate we only
eat one meal per day. I share my
school ration with my siblings back
home’’ Child from Laikipia - Kenya
Children need food and water to remain in school
Plans (and other INGOs) Responses
- Supplementary feeding in schools and hospitals.
- Therapeutic feeding in government hospitals.
- Water tracking and hygiene education.
- Child Protection (after child protection assessments)
Though urgent and important this are relief
needs, Children need more………..
Challenges
• Limited working groups on child protection in emergencies
(Global and national levels)
• Timing - delayed and slow initial response (we should have
proactively considered children: children participation)
• Root causes not addressed - difficulty getting the right
responses to address chronic vulnerability issues (how will
next drought response be different??).
• Governments tried/provided support - coordination
challenge (it’s not clear who engages with governments on
behalf of children during emergencies)
• Child protection assessments started late (focus was relief:
(child protection needs were the latest to be identified by
most actors)
Way Forward:
Role of CSOs in disaster responses
• Children identification and protection
• Participation in assessments, design
and funding decisions (children)
• Lobby for the enactment of Disaster
Policy/Legal frameworks for
implementation
• Support the Children Charter on DRR
The Children Charter on DRR
• An action plan for disaster risk reduction for children by
children
• Consultations with 600 children from Africa, Asia and Latin
America
• Q&A based on impacts of disasters on children’s lives and
their priorities going forward
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Schools must be safe and education must not be interrupted
Child protection must be a priority before, during and after a
disasters
Children have the right to participate and to access the
information they need
Community infrastructure must be safe, and relief and
reconstruction must help reduce future risks
Disaster Risk Reduction must reach the most vulnerable
children (people)
Thank You