NGOs in Complex Emergencies
Objectives
• To understand the complexity of the ‘NGO
community’
• To understand the principles and
characteristics of NGOs
• Identify coordination mechanisms of NGOs
Components of a Response
• International Organizations (IOs)
• United Nations (UN) humanitarian agencies and programs
• Regional Organizations
• International Organization for Migration (IOM)
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Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)
The Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement
Donor Governments/Agencies (USAID/DfID, etc)
Affected Population
Host Nation Organizations/Agencies
International/Regional Financial Institutions
Business Community
General Public (public opinion/direct donations)
• And when requested/needed…
• UN/Coalition Military Forces
The “NGO Community”
• Broad Definition:
• Every organization in society which is not part of
government, and which operates in civil society1
• Diversity:
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Size
Operating Styles
Geographic Focus
Religious background
Programmatic Orientation2
• UN Agencies and the Red Cross are not NGOs!
1
Source: The Commonwealth Foundation, February,1996
2
Source: Paula Hoy, Players and Issues in International Aid, 1998
NGO Types
no strict categories – often based on programmatic/regional focus
• Advocacy
• Press international community for action on particular issues
• Development
• knowledge of pre-existing disaster levels of basic service
• Disaster Relief
• Attempt for programs/actions to be “Apolitical”
• food/relief are “above the battle”
• Human Rights Organizations
• - Speak out policy: Monitor actions of politicians, military, police, other
organizations, etc.
• Indigenous
• Many are implementing partners for int’l NGOs
• community level knowledge of actors and customs
The “NGO Community”
• Who they are…
• Skilled professionals
• Paid workers and volunteers
• Local and expatriate
• Why they respond…
• Humanitarian Principles and Geneva Conventions
• Host nation agreement and/or CNN Effect
• Some claim the “right” of intervention
• Varying Sizes/programmatic focus
• Local/Int’l, global, regional or community interests
• Implementing partners of UN/Donor agencies
• Competition for funding sources
Principal UN Organs
- Security Council
- Int’l Court of Justice
- General Assembly
- Secretariat
- ECOSOC
- Trusteeship Council
UN Agencies
UN Departments
- UNHCR (est. 1951)
- DPKO
- UNICEF (est. 1946)
- DPA
- WFP (est. 1961)
- DESA
- UNDP (est. 1965)
- DPI
- WHO (est. 1948)
- OCHA
- UNHCHR (est. 1994)
- EOSG
- IAEA (est. 1957)
- OLA
Guiding Humanitarian Principles
• Voluntary
• IMPARTIALITY: Aid is given regardless of race,
creed, or nationality.
• NEUTRALITY: Aid will not be used to further a
particular political or religious standpoint.
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Independence
Humanity
Unity
Universality
NGO Strengths
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Critical recipient level work
Less bureaucratic/more cost-effective
Access to local knowledge
Neutrality essential to security
Work protected by international conventions
NGOs Weaknesses
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Not homogenous system
Lack of collaboration
Failure to see the ‘big picture’
Government $$ erodes independence
Can be perceived as threat to host nation
Source: Paula Hoy, Players and Issues in International Aid, 1998
NGO funding sources
• Government Donors: Give with humanitarian objectives
in mind but may be constrained by other political/policy
issues
• USAID, AusAID, ECHO, Bi-lateral, etc
• View NGOs as critical partners in aid delivery
• Identify gaps in humanitarian response and target aid to fill gaps
• Will have some form of accountability mechanism
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Implementing partners of UN Agencies
Foundations
Individuals/general public
Effect of donor fatigue and/or lack of strategic interest
on NGO operations?
Major Government Donors to NGOs
• ECHO
• European Community Humanitarian Office
• JICA
• Japanese International Cooperation Agency
• AusAID
• Australian Council for International Aid
• DfID
• UK Department for International Development
• USAID
• United States Agency for International Development
• CIDA
• Canadian International Development Agency
Major Donors: Examples of funding
(Source: ReliefWeb, 12 April 02. USDoS: PRM)
Agency
Amount Total
Purpose
UNHCR TOTAL
$54.0 million
Emergency Response to Afghan Refugees and
IDPs; Support for Voluntary Repatriation and
Reintegration for Returning Refugees
ICRC TOTAL
$13.5 million
Emergency Response for Conflict Victims in
Afghanistan and neighboring countries
OCHA TOTAL
$3.6 million
Inter-Agency Coordination in Pakistan and AFG
IOM TOTAL
$3.0 million
Emergency Assistance, Logistics, Assistance to
IDPs and Returning Refugees in Afghanistan
WFP TOTAL
$5.5 million
Logistics, Food Mgmt & Supply in Afghanistan
and Pakistan
UNICEF TOTAL
$6.0 million
Emergency Health, Education, Wat/San Assistance
to Afghan Refugees and IDPs; Support for
UNICEF's Back-to-School Program for Returning
Afghan Refugees
WHO TOTAL
$1.0 million
Support for the Provision of Basic Health Services
for Returning Refugees
Mercy Corps (MCI) $0.16 million
Support to Maintain Operational Capacity Inside
Afghanistan (October-December 2001)
Efforts to improve accountability
• Sphere Project: Minimum Standards in Disaster
Response:
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water supply and sanitation
nutrition
food aid
shelter and site planning
health services
• ICRC/NGO Code of Conduct
• 130 organizations have signed
• Donor demands for increased accountability
• What is “acceptable loss”
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NGO Training
• RedR
• Security Management Workshops
• Transport Access in Emergencies
• Site Selection and Planning
• People in Aid
• World Vision Security Training
• Individual organization training/recruitment
policies
• i.e. OXFAM GB: Knowledge/experience with
Sphere Standards
Major NGOs in Emergencies
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CARE
World Vision
Catholic Relief Services
Save the Children
International Medical Corps
Médecins sans Frontières
Doctors of the World
World (IRISH) Concern
Adventist Dev. & Relief Int.
Food for the Hungry
International Rescue Committee
Joint Relief International
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Mercy Corps
Africare
Concern
World Relief
OXFAM
Lutheran World Relief
Refugees International
American Friends
Service Committee
• International Aid
• American Refugee
Committee
NGO Coordination
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VOLUNTARY
AS NEEDED
CONSENSUS
PERSONALITY DRIVEN
• Strategic level coordination
• IASC, InterAction, ACFOA, VOICE, etc.
• Tactical level, typically will coordinate around
sectoral or functional areas, i.e.
• Health, Wat/San, Food/Nutrition, logistics, etc.
• Some by policy will not collaborate with
uniformed/armed military
• NGOs may have own coordination mechanism
separate from the UN.
THE FOG OF RELIEF:
International Relationships During Disasters
Affected Country
Requirements
NGO
NGO
Red Cross/
Crescent
NGO
Donor
NGO
NG
O
UN Coordination:
NGO
HOC, OSOCC, etc.
ICRC
UNHCR
DONOR
WFP
Private
Donors
UNICEF
DONOR
Selected NGO/Red Cross/Donor web sites
International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA)
www.icva.ch
InterAction
www.interaction.org
Voluntary Organizations in Cooperation in Emergencies (VOICE)
www.oneworld.org/voice
Australian Council for Overseas Aid (ACFOA)
www.acfoa.au
The Sphere Project
www.sphereproject.org
International Committee of the Red Cross
www.icrc.org
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US Agency for International Development (USAID)
www.usaid.gov
European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO)
www.europa.eu.int/comm/echo/en
Australian Government’s Overseas Aid Program (AUSAID)
www.ausaid.au
Selected UN System web sites
Humanitarian Information Center - Afghanistan
www.hic.org.pk
United Nations Joint Logistics Center
www.unjlc.org
Relief Web and UN Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Online
www.reliefweb.int
www.reliefweb.int/ocha_ol/
United Nations System Locator
www.unsystem.org
United Nations
www.un.org
United Nations Children’s Fund
www.unicef.org
UN Development Program
www.undp.org
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
www.unhchr.ch
UN High Commissioner for Refugees
www.unhcr.ch
World Food Program
www.wfp.org