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HUMANITARIAN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN (HIP) LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
The full implementation of this version of the HIP is conditional upon the necessary appropriation being made available from the 2020 general budget of the European Union
AMOUNT: 104 900 000 EUR
The present Humanitarian Implementation Plan (HIP) was prepared on the basis of financing decision ECHO/WWD/BUD/2020/01000 (Worldwide Decision) and the related General Guidelines for Operational Priorities on Humanitarian Aid (Operational Priorities). The purpose of the HIP and its annexes1 is to serve as a communication tool for DG ECHO's2 partners and to assist in the preparation of their proposals. The provisions of the Worldwide Decision and the General Conditions of the Agreement with the European Commission shall take precedence over the provisions in this document.
MAJOR CHANGES SINCE PREVIOUS VERSION OF THE HIP
Fifth modification – 11 December 2020
The passage of Hurricanes Eta and Iota in November 2020 has caused a devastating impact across the Central American region, up to Southern Mexico and Belize, further aggravated by the ongoing rains associated to the cold season.
While some of the affected areas remain inaccessible and impact assessments still continue, on 4 December OCHA released a report indicating that at least 7.3 million persons had been affected by the two hurricanes in Central America.
Hurricanes Eta and Iota have exacerbated the existing food crisis in the region. Prior to their impact, WFP estimated 50% of the population in the Central America Dry Corridor - equivalent to 5.5 million people – to be food insecure (IPC 3), and an additional 3 million to be severely food insecure (IPC 4). The caseload of people in IPC 3 is now projected to increase due to the effects of the hurricanes on agricultural labour demand, on livestock and fishing activities, and on transportation systems. The severity of the humanitarian crisis is expected to intensify into the first six months of 2021 and persist throughout the year.
In order to respond to this crisis, an amount of EUR 5 000 000 is added to the present HIP. The additional funding will allow providing multisectoral lifesaving assistance (including food, health, and WASH services), early recovery for at least 200 000 most vulnerable people in the affected countries of the region and will facilitate access to education. Urgent action is needed to avoid further erosion of the coping capacities of the most vulnerable, especially those living on subsistence agriculture.
These new funds will complement the package of emergency assistance already allocated in response to Hurricanes Eta and Iota and will reinforce the ongoing response to the food crisis prevailing in Central America.
1 Technical annex and thematic policies annex 2 Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO)
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Fourth modification – 19 November 2020
Prolonged drought, compounded by multiple aggravating factors including the COVID-19 pandemic and extreme weather conditions, have led to a severe food crisis in Central America. The impact of Hurricane ETA, which hit the region early November, in particular Honduras, Nicaragua and Guatemala, compounded by the devastating passage of Hurricane IOTA which hit the same affected areas afterwards, are likely to aggravate the severity of the pre-existing food crisis, in particular as a consequence of the floods and loss of livelihoods and crops.
The 2020 Global Report on Food Crises estimates 4.4 million people to be food insecure in the Central American Dry Corridor (a dry region on the Pacific Coast running from southern Mexico through Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua). WFP updated these figures in September 2020: 50 % of the population of the Dry Corridor, equivalent to 5.5 million people, is now food insecure and additional 3 million is severely food insecure (IPC 4). The situation is particularly worrying in Guatemala where ECHO Partners and health authorities report a 30% increase in acute malnutrition compared to the past two years.
These figures pre-date the severe consequences of Hurricanes ETA and IOTA which have dramatically affected Central America during the first weeks of November 2020.
In order to respond to this emergency, EUR 2.3 million are added to this HIP. With this amount, it will be possible to provide immediate short-term, lifesaving food assistance and nutritional support to at least 97 000 highly vulnerable people in most affected areas (IPC 4) of Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua. Immediate action will enable the most vulnerable to focus on recovery. Those living on subsistence agriculture who do not manage to re-sow will have zero yields for the next cycle, which will hamper any recovery prospects. Immediate action will also avoid further erosion of coping capacities.
The additional financial support is particularly relevant now in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic in the region. Synergies with longer term interventions funded by DG DEVCO will be sought in order to address the crisis in the short and the longer-term. Advocacy towards international donors will be reinforced in order to step up and coordinate international assistance efforts, namely in the post-hurricanes context.
Third modification – 24 July 2020
The Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for Haiti, recently revised to reflect the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on access to food and livelihoods by the affected populations, highlights a sharp and rapid deterioration of the food security situation. Over one third of the total country population is presently in need of emergency food assistance – 4.6 million people according to the latest estimates. This represents an increase in food insecure people by over 85% (2.6 million were estimated to be food insecure at the end of 2018). At the same time, 10.9 million people are considered in need because of COVID-19.
The revised HRP also incorporates the results of the latest SMART survey (January 2020), showing that the number of malnourished children aged 6 to 59 months has risen from 66 000 to 134 000. Acute malnutrition is increasing in drought-affected areas, while nationally the rate of
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chronic malnutrition rate is 21.9%, and only one child in 10 consumes the minimum acceptable diet.
In a country already facing a severe socio-economic and political crisis, the containment measures imposed to limit the spread of COVID-19 have led to a sharp economic slowdown with loss of employment for many Haitians and a vertical drop in their income. Restrictions of movement preventing access to subsistence means have come on top of extreme economic instability, soaring food prices, insecurity and a poor crop season. The annual inflation rate is 19.5%, the Haitian gourde continues to depreciate and foreign investments are dramatically lacking. The latest food basket analysis (April 2020) reported a 25% increase in prices over the last 12 months (including rice +34%). Harvests in June/July will not improve food availability and access, due to an anticipated below average crop production (poor access to agricultural inputs, inter alia, and unfavourable weather conditions compared to previous years). The global impact of COVID-19 in terms of job losses has also led to a fall in cash transfers from Haitian diaspora, which represented around 10-15% of the Haitian income (ENUSAN, August 2019). Against this background, the financial needs of the HRP 2020 have increased, from USD 253 million initially requested to USD 472 million on 31 May 2020. The Plan is less than 10% covered.
In order to respond to this emergency, EUR 6 million are added to this HIP. With this amount, which comes on top of EUR 10 000 000 EDF funds recently transferred to DG ECHO for immediate humanitarian response to COVID-19 in Haiti, it will be possible to cover the essential food and non-food needs of at least 80 000 highly vulnerable people in most affected departments (IPC 4). Lifesaving nutritional support will be provided to severely malnourished children under five years of age. In parallel, DG DEVCO will be investing resources in long- term resilience-building. Synergies among the two instruments will be maximised in order to address the crisis in the short- and in the longer-term. Advocacy towards international donors will be reinforced in order to step up and coordinate international assistance efforts.
Second modification – 26 May 2020
In the current pandemic, the LAC region stands out as one which has been unable to cope with Covid-19, due to limited testing capacities and general inability to act quickly. While official numbers are still relatively low, projections indicate that the peak is far from reached. According to WHO (World Health Organization), Latin America has become the new epicentre of the epidemic worldwide, with more than 500,000 confirmed cases across the region and with Brazil heading to be the most affected country in the world. According to ECLAC (Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean), the region will recede several decades in its fight against poverty, with an increased likelihood of social unrest and an already visible exacerbation of humanitarian needs.
In Venezuela, which ranks 180 out of 195 countries on the Global Health Security Index 2019, and in the countries affected by the Venezuelan refugee and migration crisis, the epidemiological situation is of specific concern. The contagion curve in Venezuela has started to rise in the second half of May, despite limited and defective testing capacities nationwide. The trend seems to confirm the National Science Academy’s forecast of 1,000 to 4,000 new cases daily between June and September 2020. Across, the region, over five million displaced Venezuelans have no access to health services, more than 50% of them living with an irregular status in the countries of residence. Lockdown measures in the receiving countries have had an immediate impact on the food security of 3
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migrant and host populations, causing survival and organised violence, xenophobia and social stigma of those considered to be spreaders. A survey just published by the Mixed Migration Centre (MMC) in Peru and Colombia shows that 86% of migrants cannot afford basic products now; 50% reported not having been able to send remittances and 50 % are at risk of eviction. Mental health is negatively affected by the current situation for 68% of respondents. 13% of those surveyed declared the intention to return to Venezuela because of the coronavirus outbreak. According to Migración Colombia, the number of returned who have remained stranded in border towns due to entry restrictions in Venezuela has considerably increased over the last two weeks. These people are particularly unprotected against health risks due to extremely weak and strained health systems on both sides of the border. The protection threats to which the most vulnerable groups and individuals are exposed, in particular migrant women, children and adolescents, have also multiplied after the outbreak of Covid-19. The pandemic has been in some cases the reason for political repression and/or for discrimination of minorities.
In the Amazonian borders of Venezuela, Colombia and Brazil, where the transit of migrants is significant, local populations are particularly affected. These areas, marked by pre-existing vulnerabilities, absence of health services, poor water and sanitary conditions, and fragile livelihoods, are hardly hit by the pandemic. Health facilities and funerary services have become quickly overwhelmed. Despite restrictions, continued cross-border movements of migrants and refugees have been increasing the risks of contagion by unaware vectors and exacerbating the vulnerability of local populations, including indigenous communities. UNHCR has warned that indigenous communities across the border between Venezuela and neighbouring Brazil and Colombia are at high risk from the spread of the novel coronavirus. The number of suspected and confirmed Covid-19 cases is increasing and deaths have started being reported in these communities. UNHCR also reports some 5,000 Venezuelans from different ethnic groups displaced on the Brazilian side of the border due the crisis in Venezuela. On the Colombian side, the Amazonas is the department with the highest numbers of confirmed Covid-19 cases per population (1,385 confirmed cases with an incidence rate of 1,660.3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants compared to an average 35.1 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the whole country). This region is host to a large number of resident or transient Venezuelan migrants, many of which belong to indigenous groups.
To respond to the immediate needs of the affected populations, an amount of EUR 3 million is added to the present HIP. The funds will finance primary health care in support to the Covid-19 response, infection prevention and control (IPC) through water, sanitation, hygiene, as well as measures facilitating access to health by the beneficiaries. Particular attention will be given to the most vulnerable groups, among both local and migrant populations, including children and adolescents, pregnant and lactating women, elderly people, people with disabilities and/or with previous health conditions making them particularly exposed to Covid-19.
First modification – 24 March 2020
Venezuela’s political crisis has entered an acute phase since January 2020. The socio-economic crisis has reached a new peak, affecting severely the population’s ability to satisfy the most basic needs. The entire country is in a state of disarray and human displacement has never been so high. At least 10 million people need humanitarian assistance inside the country. According to the World Food Programme (WFP)’s food security assessment, released in February 2020, 2.3 million Venezuelans are in phase 4 of the IPC (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification), meaning that 8% of the population requires emergency food assistance. 7 million people are in a food crisis phase (IPC 3). Particularly high rates of vulnerability are reported in the southern part of the country (Amazonas, Bolivar), in border areas with Colombia, and in the remote Delta del 4
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Amacuro. With 82% of the population lacking reliable access to water and an almost complete collapse of waste disposal systems, as reported by United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the epidemiological situation has become particularly critical. Public health risks have soared since access to hygiene items has become unaffordable for most of the population (Observatorio Venezolano de Servicios Públicos). At the beginning of February 2020, the EU has been called to support epidemics response in five states of Venezuela through WHO/Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO) following an outbreak of yellow fever. By 23 March 2020, 77 Covid-19 cases had been confirmed. The fallout of the crisis within the region has multiplied. In February 2020, the number of people having left Venezuela has reached 5 million, with a projected total of 6.5 million by end 2020 in Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil and other Latin American and Caribbean countries, according to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). The UN-led Regional Coordination Platform set up in Panama to address the displacement crisis has issued a Regional Response Plan for 2020 calling for USD 1 350 million to attend 4 million people in need. All countries of the region are at this point unable to cope with massive new arrivals of very destitute people. To respond to this crisis, an amount of EUR 50 000 000 is added to the present HIP. The funds will be used to provide assistance in key sectors where the most acute needs have been identified, notably health, protection, nutrition, education in emergencies, water and sanitation, psychosocial support. The level of vulnerability of the people in the country (increasingly unaccompanied children and elderly people), as well as of the population fleeing Venezuela is extremely acute. The funds will support immediate relief activities inside Venezuela and in the region, taking into account the needs of local host communities in receipt of refugees, and linking up with longer-term interventions by development actors whenever relevant and feasible.
0. CONTEXT
This HIP covers response to man-made disasters and to natural hazards, as well as disaster preparedness (DP) in Latin America and the Caribbean. Its focus is on the impact of the socio- economic crisis in Venezuela and within the region, on the humanitarian consequences of internal conflict in Colombia, as well as on the needs arising from man-made disasters and natural hazards in Central America, South America and in Haiti, including their regional spill over. This HIP furthermore allows for a possible response to new crises in the region, in countries with limited capacity to cope, and/or where national or local capacity may be overwhelmed. This could, in particular, concern Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, México, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Dominica and other Small Island Developing States of the Caribbean3. In terms of disaster preparedness, the focus of this HIP is on regional and national multi-hazard preparedness for response and early action, while exploring synergies with EU Civil Protection and Nexus opportunities with other EU instruments.
Venezuela While official data on the socio-economic situation of Venezuelan households in 2019 remain limited, reports and studies by local organisations show a dramatic deterioration in the overall living conditions of the population, due to multiple factors including hyperinflation and the steady decline in the government’s response capacities. The situation has reached critical levels as a result of country-wide power outage, water scarcity affecting 82% of the population4,
3 According to the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED), in the last 20 years 9 of the top 10 most affected countries in the world in terms of losses were small Caribbean countries and territories. 4 ENCOVI 2018
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shortage of fuel, lack of access to food and medicines, disrupted basic services and increasingly negative coping strategies at individual and community level. A growing number of people die due to the unavailability of treatments for chronic illnesses or lack of emergency medical care. Hyperinflation and severe scarcity of food and essential goods have severely compromised the lives and livelihoods of a large part of the population. Over 94% of households live with insufficient income3. As of July 2019, the equivalent of 81 monthly minimum salary (about 2 USD) was needed to cover a five-people family basket. In the same month, reports from 56 nutrition sentinel sites indicate an average Global Acute Malnutrition rate (GAM) of 13% for children under five, with 21% at risk of malnutrition and 27% on alert level. Homicide rates continue being among the highest worldwide (89 deaths per 100 000 inhabitants in 20175), and violence is increasingly hunger-related. Since February 2019 the border with Colombia has become the main place for illegal trafficking (food, medicines, human beings) involving armed groups. According to UNHCR at least 4.3 million Venezuelans have left the country since 2014, and recent conservative estimates point to more than 7 million by end 2019. Over 600 000 Venezuelans have applied for asylum worldwide. As of August 2019, Colombia is the main recipient of migrants and refugees (1 408 055 people) and Peru has become the first country of asylum for Venezuelans, with over 287 000 applications. Ecuador, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile and the Caribbean are also in receipt of significant numbers of refugees/migrants. UNHCR estimates that more than 50% of Venezuelans migrants are in an irregular situation, and this percentage is bound to rise with the progressive introduction of restrictive measures by host countries. Due to the negative outlook for Venezuela, the pace of the migratory outflow is not expected to slow down. DG ECHO's Integrated Analysis Framework (IAF) 2019 identifies high humanitarian needs in Venezuela with a strongly deteriorating trend in relation to the socio-economic crisis, whose prominence keeps overshadowing the humanitarian dimension. The vulnerability of the affected population is assessed to be high.
Colombia 2019 has seen a drawback in the implementation of the Peace Agreement with the FARC, stemming from a change in the government's policy towards security and peace. A car bomb attack in Bogota in January 2019 - the deadliest since 2003 - led to the cessation of peace talks with the other main guerrilla group, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and triggered counter- insurgency operations. In August 2019, the announcement by a group including prominent FARC leaders to resume combat has further demonstrated the fragility of the process. In this context, violence by old and new armed groups, as well as by FARC dissidence battling for territorial control, has progressively multiplied, affecting a growing number of areas across the country, particularly on the Pacific coast, North Western, South Western and in the North- Eastern regions. Violence escalation was higher in the first semester of 2019 than in any other year since 2012, with 1 248 attacks against the civilian population recorded. From January to July 2019 mass displacement has affected 17 250 people. There are no official figures for individual displacement, but OCHA estimates the total number of new IDPs in the first semester of 2019 to be above 200 000. As of July 2019, confinement or other restrictions on mobility and access to basic services already concern 362 055 people. In comparison with July 2018, the number of killings of civilians has increased by 42%. According to UN Human Rights, at least 214 social leaders were murdered between January 2018 and June 2019. The influx of Colombian refugees to Ecuador, due to extreme violence in the south of Nariño and Putumayo departments, is a serious concern; humanitarian needs related to this displacement
5 Venezuelan Violence Observatory (https://observatoriodeviolencia.org.ve/)
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have drastically increased. International Humanitarian Law compliance is becoming more challenging in some areas. Furthermore, large concentrations of people fleeing Venezuela in areas affected by the conflict produce situations of extreme vulnerability. DG ECHO's IAF 2019 identifies high humanitarian needs in Colombia, with a deteriorating (or strongly deteriorating, as concerns the migration crisis) trend. The vulnerability of the population affected by the multifaceted crisis, combined with high exposure to hazards, is assessed to be high. Colombia’s internal conflict is included in DG ECHO's Forgotten Crisis Assessment Index.
Central America Pervasive violence exerted by organised armed groups in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, which form the Northern Triangle of Central America (NTCA) as well as in several states of Mexico, is causing death rates and humanitarian needs of an identical nature and on a similar scale to those registered in conflict areas around the world6. This includes, but is not limited to, forced displacements, confinement, sexual violence against women and girls, widespread child recruitment, severe restrictions in basic services access (in particular to health care and education7) for entire communities, shrinking humanitarian space and large-scale unmet protection needs. By early 2019, 430 000 asylum seekers and refugees from the NTCA and Nicaragua were registered globally and more than 500 000 are estimated by the end of 2019, representing an increase of 52 % compared to the previous year. However, this figure underrepresents the reality, as the crisis has remained unacknowledged until very recently and refugee registration has been lagging behind. A recent hardening of migration policies in the region by the United States and Mexico has aggravated the humanitarian needs of the affected population. 200 000 Central American migrants were deported from the U.S. in 2018, 40% more than the previous year. In 2018, a new phenomenon called “migrants caravans” was observed. This massive influx of people put additional pressure on receiving countries in the NTCA and Mexico. In addition to pervasive violence and poverty, migration from the NTCA is increasingly triggered by food insecurity. Central American countries, particularly Guatemala and Honduras, have endured successive climate shocks over the last 6 years, exacerbated by El Niño. Drought and the coffee rust plague have heavily affected the most vulnerable populations. During the period 2016-19, the region has recorded one of the strongest droughts in its recent history. In 2018, crop losses rounded 70% in the Dry Corridor of Central America (Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua) in the first harvest of the year and the 50% of the final harvest. After years of failed food and cash crop productions, with the majority of small-scale farmers having lost between 75% and 100% of their yields, and without stocks for the lean season the food security situation of poor households who depend on subsistence farming or casual labour is critical. In 2019, up to 3.9 million people, mainly living in the Dry Corridor, are estimated to be acutely food insecure8. The combination of high exposure to hazards, high levels of poverty and extreme levels of violence is eroding the coping capacities of local populations and administrations, and leading to recurrent emergency situations. Climate change and rapid unplanned urbanisation further exacerbate vulnerability. According to the 2019 report of INFORM Risk Index for LAC, Guatemala and Honduras are the most at risk of being hit by humanitarian crisis and natural disasters after Haiti (8.3 and 8.0), with El Salvador, Mexico and Nicaragua in 6th, 7th and 8th place (6.9, 6.3 and 6.2). In Nicaragua, food insecurity compounds the effects of the ongoing socio-political and economic crisis which, inter alia, has forced 70 000
6 For instance, in 2018, El Salvador had recorded a homicide rate of 51/100 000 people while Honduras had 40/100 000 people (Source: Insight Crime). Violent deaths in El Salvador and Honduras were matched only by Syria, Venezuela and Afghanistan in 2017 (Source: Small Arms Survey Report 2017). 7 50% of children are out of school in Honduras and 40% in El Salvador because of violence (Source: NRC). 8 Food Crisis Report – DG ECHO June 2019.
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people to seek refuge in neighbouring countries (Costa Rica, Honduras); this number is projected to reach 100 000 by end 2019. Protection needs are significant. DG ECHO's 2019 IAF identifies high humanitarian needs in the Northern Triangle of Central America as well as in Nicaragua (two forgotten crises according to DG ECHO's Forgotten Crisis Assessment Index). The vulnerability of the affected population is assessed to be very high in all affected countries.
Haiti Haiti is a chronically fragile state and the poorest country of the Western hemisphere, highly vulnerable to natural and manmade disasters. The political and socio-economic situation has further deteriorated in 2019, a year marked by protracted social tensions and civil unrest. Unaffordable food prices resulting from the loss of purchasing power and the effects of protracted drought on local agriculture, along with the structural deficiency for the access to basic services (health, education) and the absence of a comprehensive plan to redress the economic situation, have led to violent demonstrations. The national human rights network reports that 40 people were shot dead and 82 wounded during anti-government protests which paralysed the country in February 2019. Overall, the Haitian currency (gourde) lost more than 40% of its value against the USD between June 2018 and June 2019 in a context of high levels of inflation. Weak rule of law combined with the erosion of social norms significantly expose vulnerable populations to physical and sexual violence, exploitation and abuse. With the departure of the UN mission (MINUJUSTH) from Haiti in October 2019, political violence and criminal activities are expected to increase significantly. Due to the economic crisis and to growing violence, the migratory outflow is on the rise, which exposes vulnerable people to further risks, including statelessness. Against this background, in 2019 the food and nutritional situation has dramatically worsened compared to 2018. More than 5 million people, i.e. one third of the country population, are food insecure, with 2.6 million people acutely food insecure. Figures related to food insecurity have doubled compared to 2018. All departments are affected by the crisis, with pockets of high acute malnutrition rates. DG ECHO's 2019 IAF identifies high humanitarian needs in Haiti. The vulnerability of the affected population is assessed to be very high. The food and nutrition crisis in Haiti is categorised as forgotten according to DG ECHO's 2019 Forgotten Crisis Assessment. Haiti’s InfoRM index (6.6) is almost twice as high as the regional average (3.5): the country ranks 12 out of 178 countries monitored worldwide. The vulnerability index has worsened in 2019 and the lack of coping capacities is one of the worst in the world. The country's deep structural fragility and poverty, combined with permanent exposure to natural hazards and epidemics, linked also to an acute water and sanitation problem, renders Haiti's population highly vulnerable to shocks and risks.
Disaster Preparedness (DP) All the Latin America and Caribbean countries retained in this HIP rank among the most natural hazard-prone in the world, exposed to volcanoes, earthquakes, droughts, floods, landslides, and yearly cycles of major tropical storms and hurricanes. The increase in volume, severity, and complexity of meteorological events is likely to affect more populations at significant socio- economic costs. Recurrent natural hazards have a high human and economic cost, affecting highly urbanised societies marked by very large inequalities. Peru, Colombia and Venezuela suffered extensive flooding in 2017 and 2018. Volcanic eruptions in Guatemala, earthquakes in El Salvador, Mexico and Haiti required a humanitarian response in 2017 and 2018. The Caribbean region, stricken by two unprecedented hurricanes in 2017, experienced severe droughts over the past five years. In 2019, Paraguay experienced significant floods, a strong tornado hit Cuba and 8
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Hurricane Dorian devastated the Bahamas. Furthermore, epidemics such as cholera, malaria and measles, are regular occurrences in the region. In 2019, a major dengue outbreak in Central America has made necessary a humanitarian response. In the Caribbean, Haiti remains among the top three countries most affected by extreme events in the last two decades9, and the Caribbean Disaster Management Agency (CDEMA) refers to the region as the second most hazard-prone in the world over the last decade, suffering annual losses estimated at USD 3 billion10. Man-made hazards contribute significantly to risk exposure. The LAC region hosts 43 out of the 50 most violent cities in the world11. Violence is the main threat to populations in Colombia, Venezuela, Central America and Mexico, and makes people significantly more vulnerable to all kinds of hazards. Forced displacement affects more than 12 million people across the region and it is not likely to recede.
1. HUMANITARIAN NEEDS
1) People in need of humanitarian assistance
Venezuela The socio-economic consequences of the ongoing crisis are affecting more and more people. Malnutrition and food insecurity rates highlight a critical and worsening situation, aggravated by largely disrupted access to health, education, water and sanitation, and by rampant insecurity. The Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) of March 2019 reports at least 7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, among which 1.9 million people with nutrition needs, while FAO’s latest world report on food insecurity and malnutrition informs that the prevalence of undernourishment almost quadrupled in Venezuela, going from 6.4% of the population in 2012- 14 to 21.2% in 2016-18. FAO’s latest figures point to at least 7 million food insecure people in the country. Disruption of regular school attendance has increased across all socio-economic strata: as of July 2018 between 50% and 60% of children aged 3-17 years are out of school due to lack of food, water, clothing, transport or teachers. The number of children in need of humanitarian assistance in the education sector has been estimated at 2.2 million in the HNO. The situation is particularly critical in urban slums with a high concentration of vulnerable people without coping capacities, in remote areas without access to basic services, often inhabited by indigenous people, as well as in border regions. These regions are increasingly affected by the presence of armed groups and by a massive concentration of IDPs, in transit or precariously settled, highly exposed to protection risks. Over 4.3 million Venezuelans have left the country since the beginning of the crisis. As the response capacities of hosting countries have been largely exceeded, UNHCR/IOM estimate at least 3.6 million to be in need of assistance.
Colombia According to OCHA, out of 49.3 million inhabitants (2017) 16.9 million live in violence- affected areas of Colombia, and over 7 million people are currently in need of humanitarian assistance. This figure includes 409 000 new IDPs reported by OCHA12 between 2016 and 2018, 1.08 million in host communities, 1.8 million affected by natural disasters and 1.4 million refugees/migrants. IDPs as well as vulnerable host populations are in urgent need of protection and humanitarian assistance to cope with their situation, especially in areas where the State and
9 Global Climate Risk Index 2018 10 CRIS: - The Caribbean Risk Information System 11 Igarape Institute (https://igarape.org.br/estudio-latinoamerica-es-la-region-mas-violenta-del-mundo/) 12 Source: HNO 2018 https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/sites/www.humanitarianresponse.info/files/documents/files/hno_2018_en_0.pdf
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local institutions do not have the capacity to respond. Confined communities are also among the most vulnerable and under-assisted. Afro-Colombian and indigenous populations are disproportionately affected by the consequences of the conflict. Children and youth are specifically vulnerable and prone to forced recruitment, also linked to forced school dropout and exploitation in confinement situations. The influx of people from Venezuela adds to the already complex situation. Many of them live in precarious conditions close to the border, often in conflict-affected areas, and are in need of protection, either because they are returning Colombian refugees, or because they arrive into areas controlled by illegal armed groups, or because they have been victims of violence in Venezuela. Geographical priorities might evolve with the developments related to the implementation of the Peace Agreement in Colombia and the evolution of the crisis in Venezuela, the current focus being on the Pacific region, the North of the country, as well as on border areas with Venezuela.
Central America By the end of 2018, at least 1 082 950 people13 were internally displaced (IDPs) as a consequence of pervasive organised violence in Central America and Mexico. According to UNHCR14, by June 2019, at least 593 507 refugees and asylum-seekers from Central America had arrived at the southern US border from Mexico. Children and women are the most vulnerable groups affected by the political, economic, social crises ongoing in the NTCA. A recent survey made in El Salvador and Honduras15 shows that almost half of all children surveyed living in neighbourhoods with presence of criminal gangs do not have access to education (50% children in El Salvador and 40% children in Honduras are out of school16). In Nicaragua, since 19 April 2018, when violence erupted, some 323 people have been killed (23 children), hundreds have been wounded and critical protection needs are unmet17. The consolidation of the last national IPC analysis in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras of March 201918 estimates that 3 915 000 people are facing an acute food crisis (IPC 3) or a food emergency (IPC 4) in Central America. Geographical priorities for Central America include: for food insecurity, areas with populations in IPC3 and above; for situations of violence, all NTCA countries, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Mexico.
Haiti The latest national IPC analysis estimates that 2 625 290 people are facing an acute food crisis (IPC 3: 2 054,191 people) or a food emergency (IPC 4: 571 129 people) in 2019. The situation has significantly worsened since 2018: the number of people affected by acute food crisis has doubled and the number of people facing a food emergency (IPC 4) has more than quadrupled. The deterioration is due to a combination of higher-than-average staple food prices on local markets and poor performance of the last four agriculture seasons. The prevailing food and nutrition situation in 2020 is expected to be similar to the 2019 situation, or possibly deteriorate further without appropriate response in 2019. In terms of displacement, 175 0000 returnees and deportees from the Dominican Republic (recorded between October 2017 and mid-2019) and 37 546 IDPs still living in 26 camps since
13 Source: IDMC - http://www.internal-displacement.org/database/displacement-data (UNHCR) 14 https://www.unhcr.org/news/press/2019/6/5d0132624/unhcr-appeals-regional-talks-central-america-displacement.html 15 Norwegian Refugee Council - “A Generation Out Of School”, May 2019 16 http://www.nrc.org.co/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Una-Generacio%CC%81n-Fuera-de-la-Escuela-HONDURAS-NRC-web.pdf 17 Source: https://www.oas.org/es/cidh/prensa/comunicados/2019/194.asp 18 Source: http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/where-what/latin-america-caribbean/en/
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the 2010 earthquake require assistance. Protection concerns relate to violence and displacement. Epidemics exposure affects the large majority of the population.
Disaster Preparedness (DP) The countries mentioned in section 1 of this HIP are all disaster-prone. Nearly three-quarters of 648 million inhabitants live in at-risk areas, and one-third in highly exposed areas. Relatively good levels of human and economic development mask large pockets of extreme poverty and exclusion19, vulnerability and low coping capacities. The most vulnerable households are often the most affected, particularly in remote regions and in situations where high frequency of natural disasters combined with the consequences of conflicts and violence. The concentration of the Caribbean population in coastal areas makes it particularly vulnerable due to the exposure to strong winds, ocean surges, and heavy rains. The urban poor are also particularly vulnerable to natural disasters and to violence. The vulnerability of populations affected by violence and/or victims of forced displacement, poorest and marginalised (notably ethnic minorities) tends to increase after each disaster, exacerbating the resort to negative coping strategies and increasing the need of humanitarian assistance. These populations are potential beneficiaries, as well as institutions with responsibilities in disaster management.
2) Description of the most acute humanitarian needs The strong intensification of population movements in the region triggered by insecurity, economic and political crises is affecting many countries whose institutions, civil society and emergency response mechanisms have been overwhelmed. In the same way, risks linked to protection are not systematically integrated in preparedness and response mechanisms to emergencies.
Venezuela Nutritional monitoring needs to be addressed in parallel with water supply, health and nutritional support to the most vulnerable groups, notably pregnant and lactating women, under-five children, people with disabilities and elderly people. Complementary multi-sectoral actions aiming to prevent a further deterioration of the living conditions and an exacerbation of the exposure to risks of the affected populations may also be required, including access to health services, water, sanitation and hygiene to reduce the main causes of morbidity and malnutrition. Prevention and response to violence, abuse and human trafficking are particularly relevant. In this respect, access to qualitative and inclusive education and protective spaces for children are needed, as well as psychosocial support and case management for survivors of gender-based violence and exploitation. The situation is of special concern in border States as well as in urban and peri-urban areas. Multisectoral emergency assistance to IDPs and all along the migratory route, including protection, legal aid and counselling, civil documentation and information on rights and procedures, needs to be focused on the most vulnerable and tailored to the specific cases identified.
Colombia
19 According to the World Economic Forum’s Inclusive Development Index (IDI) 2018, although income inequality has diminished in 14 out of the 16 Latin American countries, the region still accounts for 11 out of the 25 developing economies with the highest levels of income inequality. Cf. https://www.weforum.org/press/2018/03/high-levels-of- inequality-putting-latin-america-s-future-generations-at-risk/
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In a context of increasing violence, protection is of the essence and a cross cutting priority. Acute needs requiring an emergency humanitarian response are the consequence of mobility restrictions and impeded access to basic services and livelihoods caused by armed actors’ activities and by unexploded ordnances and mines. Shelter and Non Food Items (NFIs) are crucial for affected households and individuals to cover their essential needs and regain dignified living conditions. Access to WASH, education and health is critical in conflict-affected areas. Due to displacement or confinement, acute food needs deriving from a severe deficit in livelihood will need to be urgently addressed to avoid further deterioration of the nutritional status of affected groups. Recent IDPs are often traumatised and their basic needs remain mostly unaddressed by local authorities in the most critical phase of the displacement. Basic assistance and protection, in particular psychosocial support and legal assistance, along with violence prevention, is the priority in this case, taking into account specific vulnerabilities linked to gender, age and diversity. Women are more exposed to gender-based violence and exploitation, single-headed families suffer more severely from the consequences of displacement, and children and youth are prone to school drop-out from school which expose them to forced recruitment and labour. Afro- Colombians and indigenous people are by far the main ethnic groups affected by the conflict (52% and 45% respectively live in conflict-affected areas).
Central America Food assistance measures are needed by vulnerable communities affected by protracted drought, where response by local governments is insufficient and there is limited external support. Nutritional surveillance and support, generation and dissemination of information and preparedness capacities of national institutions and humanitarian actors also need to be strengthened to prevent further deterioration of livelihoods and to minimise the impact of external shocks in the Dry Corridor of Central America. Internally displaced people and confined communities require protection as first priority, along with basic, tailored assistance (health, WASH, shelter, NFIs) to meet their immediate needs, particularly in the first phase of displacement. Gender, age and diversity considerations should be taken into account to prevent and respond to the needs of the most vulnerable groups. These include, among others, LGBTIQ, people with disabilities, elderly, women as primary survivors of gender-based violence and exploitation, and children exposed to forced recruitment and labour.
Haiti The essential food needs of people in IPC 3 and 4 in most affected areas should be addressed, in particular during the 2020 lean season. Life-saving nutritional support is also needed for severely malnourished children under 5 years of age. Additional surveys are required to identify pockets where GAM rates exceed emergency intervention thresholds. Epidemics remain a serious threat for the most vulnerable Haitians. Despite a significant decrease in confirmed cases in 2019 (- 83% of the number of suspected cases in 2019 compared to same time last year), the risk of cholera and other epidemics is high, linked to limited funding resources for maintaining rapid response capacities and diminished access to safe water, sanitation and health care. Access to protection services, such as legal aid and psychosocial support, by displaced people and people with specific needs should be supported, in particular for returnees and deportees as well as for IDPs. Children, elderly, people with disabilities and other specific needs, women and single- headed households are particularly vulnerable to abuse, exploitation and violence, including gender-based violence, and require adequate protection measures.
Disaster Preparedness (DP)
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The most acute humanitarian needs are related to exposure to multiple – and often combined – hazards, high vulnerability and limited response capacity. Support is needed for communities vulnerable to adverse events as well as for local institutions, to enhance their preparedness to natural and manmade hazards, and to translate national and regional strategies into actions. The recurrent cumulative impact of small-scale disasters in the region is considerable and hampers community resilience.
The strong intensification of population movements, triggered by economic and political crises, remained unabated, overwhelming institutions and civil society. Displaced and on-the-move populations are exposed to severe protection risks. Furthermore, they are not systematically integrated in emergency preparedness and response mechanisms.
Cities are vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change, global warming and other natural hazards, including earthquakes, extreme weather events, flooding, storms, water scarcity, urban droughts and sea level rise, among others. The underlying risk factors, including poverty, inadequate livelihoods opportunities, poor land use planning, inequality, socio-economic disparity, unplanned and rapid urbanisation, inter alia, further contribute to increase disaster and climate risk. Finally, the dependency of urban settings on complex and interconnected systems of infrastructure, services, communications and social interactions, make them more vulnerable to the impacts of disasters and climate change.
2. HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE
1) National / local response and involvement
Venezuela In a highly politicised context, where humanitarian assistance remains an element of political confrontation, the capacities of the Venezuelan authorities to provide for the needs of the population have been gradually decreasing. Basic food items are sold at subsidised prices through local provision and production committees (Comités Locales de Abastecimiento y Producción - CLAP). The distribution of subsidised food supplies, managed by the military, is increasingly irregular and reduced in terms of quantity, quality and frequency. 70.1% of households report not receiving their CLAP boxes regularly20. This situation affects particularly the population living outside Caracas, and vulnerable groups with minimal purchasing power. The response capacities of the countries hosting more than 4.3 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants are completely overwhelmed, with health and education services on the verge of collapse. Humanitarian assistance being provided remains largely insufficient compared to the level of needs. Most host countries have joined a technical group (Quito Group) with the aim of coordinating their migration policies, elaborating joint initiatives and raising international support.
Colombia Since 2012, the main institution in charge is the National Unit for the Assistance to Victims (UARIV), mandated to respond when municipal capacities are overwhelmed. Municipalities bear the primary responsibility to assist the victims, but increasingly lack capacities and resources due to new government policies and changed attitudes towards the internal conflict. The amount of
20 ENCOVI 2018
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assistance provided by municipal and departmental authorities is unreported, which represents a major information gap in Colombia. Local and national institutions frequently lack access to areas controlled by non-state armed groups, where only humanitarian organisations are able to assist the communities. According to UARIV, the vast majority of the displaced do not receive any substantial support immediately after displacement. In addition, due to cuts in the State budget, public resources assigned to cater for humanitarian needs have been decreasing in areas exposed to new, acute violence, resulting in larger numbers of victims lacking public assistance.
Central America While the need to respond to natural disasters and food insecurity is well understood by local and national authorities and there is willingness to do so, response capacities remain limited. In 2018 and 2019 the Governments of Guatemala and El Salvador announced national response programmes to the major crop losses recorded, for which emergency decrees were issued. However national response programmes have so far failed to cover targets and respect timings. Honduras has also reported major crop losses, but its national response to food insecurity remains difficult to activate. In Nicaragua there is a lack of information available regarding crops losses and response. Understanding the need to respond to the humanitarian consequences of pervasive violence and making available adequate and effective means to respond are less evident processes, even if some national authorities have lately shown signs of openness. Forced displacement and lack of protection for the victims of violence are not recognised as an issue, except in Honduras and, partially, in El Salvador. State response to humanitarian and protection needs in Nicaragua is virtually non-existent. Dire access conditions to populations in need limit in all cases the provision of assistance and of basic services, also due to recent cuts in national budgets in critical sectors such as health, education and social services. Protection mechanisms for the most vulnerable groups and possible returnees are insufficient and there are limited resources and capacity for implementation. Further humanitarian interventions in Costa Rica are needed as the country host the large majority of asylum seekers from Nicaragua and its institutional capacities to respond are overwhelmed.
Haiti Despite some progress observed in disaster response during the passage of hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017, national capacities to cope with shocks still shows large gaps. After the earthquake of October 2018, the government showed willingness to lead the provision of assistance to the affected populations but the quality and scale of the response remained limited. National response to the 2019 food security crisis is virtually non-existent, while bi- and multilateral donor support covers less than 10% of the needs.
Disaster Preparedness (DP) The situation is highly diverse depending on the country. In general, there is increasing awareness of the importance of DRR in the region, with new policies, laws and regulations being developed in most countries. Nevertheless, significant state budget reductions since 2015 have had a great impact on the countries’ ability to prioritize DRR activities, including the implementation of recently approved policies and laws. National governments have increased their ability to respond to small and localised events, but quality and coverage of the emergency assistance is still far from satisfactory. Recent large events have demonstrated the difficulties faced by the authorities to prepare for and respond to disasters entailing large humanitarian needs. In South America, as no reliable multinational body for DRR exists, supporting multinational bodies to exchange and disseminate
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national and local good practices can be envisioned. Possible areas of cooperation with the EU Civil Protection Mechanism will be further explored with national institutions. In Central America, where high exposure to hazards compounded by high levels of poverty and violence lead to very high vulnerability, response capacities remain weak despite DRR systems established up to local level. A regional DRR framework has been established (CEPREDENAC and the Central American Policy for Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management - PCGIR), which however continue to be dependent on the willingness of member States. Presently, disasters of a regional dimension still have a national response. The food crisis in the Dry Corridor has revealed institutional weaknesses in responding but also in adopting relevant preparedness measures. Recent programmes and initiatives supported by international grants in the region have put the issue of drought risk management and drought resilience on the agenda of national institutions, municipalities and regional organisations. While national DRR systems of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua have the basis for establishing drought Early Warning Systems, these processes need to be further institutionalised and strengthened. In the Caribbean, the CARICOM-endorsed CDM strategy is supported by all stakeholders. There is scope for the CDEMA regional response mechanism and exchanges between countries to be further strengthened, e.g. between Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic and the rest of the region, including EU Member States. In Haiti (the most disaster-prone country in the region), the Civil Protection Directorate in charge of coordinating risk management remains largely dependent on external funding.
2) International Humanitarian Response
Venezuela In a very complex environment, marked by aid politisation and by significant operational, administrative and security constrains, the international humanitarian response is largely below the level of needs. The first Humanitarian Response Plan, released in August 2019 for USD 233 million, targets only 37% of the estimated affected population, and has been designed for a 6-month phase, pending more comprehensive sectoral assessments. International humanitarian funding inside Venezuela is rather limited and little information is available at this stage. DG ECHO is currently the leading donor in Venezuela. The Regional Migrants and Refugees Response Plan 2019 (RMRP) requested USD 738 million, of which only USD 444 million (60%) were covered by 1 October 2019. The main donor to the RMRP is the US, with more than USD 200 million allocated for multi-sectoral response. DG ECHO is the second largest donor to the Plan, followed by Canada (USD 7.6 million), Germany (USD 7 million), and Japan (USD 6.7 million). In September 2019 DFID announced funding for around GBP 30 million, out of which 30% in response to the migration crisis.
Colombia In Colombia, the crisis is largely underfunded. According to the "Who's doing What Where" (4W) information system, in June 2019 the international community had contributed with USD 51 million to the humanitarian response in Colombia reaching barely 27 % of the amount required in the HRP 2019 (USD 192.3 million).
Central America On 25 April 2019 FAO and WFP requested USD 72 million from the international community in order to provide food assistance for 700 000 people in the Dry Corridor (95.8% underfunded). UNHCR has published an appeal to address the protection needs of 200 000 displaced people in 15
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Central America for a total amount of USD 47 million (94.6% underfunded). Additionally, UNHCR has requested USD 5 million for an inter-agency rapid response plan addressing the needs of Nicaraguan asylum seekers and refugees in Costa Rica. Efforts are made to respond to the ongoing food insecurity crisis and to better address the impacts of pervasive violence and the humanitarian consequences of civil unrest in Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Among EU Member States, Spain is the most engaged in the region with EUR 3 million focusing on protection and Disaster Preparedness. US humanitarian funding to Central America is being reduced. In light of the increasing severity of the crises ongoing in the region, the overall response level is largely insufficient compared to the needs.
Haiti As of September 2019, the Humanitarian Response Plan 2019-2020 was funded at USD 31.8 million, equivalent to 25% of the total requirements (USD 126.2 million). Main contributors are the DG ECHO with USD 12 million, the CERF with USD 10.1 million, Canada with USD 1.7 million and Switzerland with USD 0.2 million. EU Member States present in Haiti are Spain, France and Germany.
Disaster Preparedness (DP) In South America, the level of financing for DRR by international donors has been decreasing in recent years. There are still some initiatives funded by COSUDE (Swiss cooperation), OFDA and the IADB in some countries, but donors are generally geared to fund reconstruction processes through loans and credits, whose acceptance by national governments depends on their previous level of indebtedness, their capacity to reimburse, and their own availability of funds for such initiatives. Non-traditional donors like China have been providing funds and goods for disaster response. In Central America, international assistance focuses on DRR rather than on DP. In April 2016, the World Bank, with the support of the European Commission, signed a EUR 14 million agreement to be implemented by a Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) to facilitate access to low- cost catastrophe risk insurance by the governments of Central American countries and the Dominican Republic (CCRIF). This contribution, lately increased by EUR 13.7 million21, supports the countries to become members of the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF SPC). Main donors for DRR actions in Central America are AECID (Spanish cooperation agency for development), JICA (Japanese international cooperation agency), Taiwan and COSUDE (Swiss cooperation agency). In the Caribbean, main donors are DFID, Canada, AECID, USAID/OFDA, the World Bank Group and the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB). The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), through its Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF) supports sustainable asset building and livelihood strategies for a 4–year term. The Community Disaster Risk Reduction Fund is complementing the activities supported by the 10th ACP-EU NDRM to build climate change and disaster resilience of vulnerable communities in the Caribbean. The intra-ACP Natural Disaster Risk Reduction (ACP-EU NDRR) Programme, amounting to EUR 80 million, supports disaster risk reduction (DRR) activities in ACP countries through technical assistance, capacity building and advisory/analytical support at regional and national level. It includes the Caribbean Disaster Risk Financing Technical Assistance Programme supporting the Governments of Belize, Grenada, Jamaica and Saint Lucia. DG ECHO is in regular contact with ECDPG (Eastern
21 Regional Resilience Facility Envelope B avec WB (11th EDF), component "Expanding financial protection against disasters in the Caribbean" (EUR 13.775 million)
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Caribbean Donor Partner Group) to strengthen donor coordination and delivery in Barbados and the nine OECS Member States, for improved development results.
3) Operational constraints
Venezuela In Venezuela, the highly politicised environment, the operational and administrative difficulties combined with access issues and limited availability of qualified humanitarian staff may have a negative impact on humanitarian aid delivery. Due to security reasons, border areas with Colombia in receipt of large numbers of migrants are among the most difficult to work in.
Colombia In Colombia, constraints are related to new armed groups and FARC dissidence occupying territories, which is restricting the humanitarian space in some areas (e.g. Pacific Region, Catatumbo, Guaviare, Meta and Caquetá). Security is an issue in conflict zones, where access may be problematic, as well as along borders and in rural areas and marginal urban zones, with potential for further deterioration. Logistical constraints and remoteness of conflict-affected areas can increase the cost of operations mainly where there is no road access, which is often the case.
Central America In Central America, violence and social unrest could disrupt or complicate access for humanitarian partners. Some areas remain off-limits, such as ultra-violent urban neighbourhoods, cities or provinces controlled by armed groups or maras. Humanitarian assistance to Nicaraguan refugees require specific protection measures. In Honduras escalating social demonstrations in 2018-2019 have been causing delays in the implementation of humanitarian actions.
Haiti In the Caribbean, any major disaster and possible social and/or political instability could disrupt projects and result in temporary suspensions of activities. Possible tensions between Haiti and the Dominican Republic could affect the implementation capacities of partners and hamper access to the affected populations, with increased security risks. In Haiti, constraints are mainly related to the volatility of the security context: during the riots of February, May and September- October 2019, the provision of humanitarian aid was severely hampered. Disrupted logistics capacities during and in the immediate aftermaths of disasters can make assessments and response difficult everywhere in the region.
Disaster Preparedness Political instability affecting several countries in the region coupled with the impact that the electoral processes have in some of them in terms of political engagement are to be regarded as constraints, especially when dealing with national authorities.
*** A number of measures are in place to face these constraints. In conflict areas, recognition and acceptance by all parties are major assets, enabling humanitarian organisations to reach beneficiaries in remote and sensitive locations out of the range of government aid. Furthermore, partners usually work with local implementing partners with a solid collaboration history, further facilitating access and acceptance. Presence through DP activities also facilitates access, contextual knowledge and work with institutions, which expedites response in new disasters. 17
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Strict security measures and protection protocols for beneficiaries and humanitarian staff are used for the implementation of humanitarian actions in violence-affected areas. The absorption capacity of partners, in terms of funding and operational capacity, is high, including where it has been more recently developed.
4) Envisaged DG ECHO response and expected results of humanitarian aid interventions
General considerations for all interventions
All humanitarian interventions funded by ECHO must demonstrate the integration of gender and age sensitivity in a coherent manner. Also, all humanitarian interventions funded by DG ECHO must take into consideration any risk of sexual- and gender-based violence (SGBV) and should develop and implement appropriate strategies to actively prevent such risks. DG ECHO equally urges the establishment of quality, comprehensive and safe SGBV response services. Specific attention will also be paid to the measures ensuring inclusion of people with disabilities in proposed actions. DG ECHO will give particular attention to climate-proofing humanitarian response. For more information see the Thematic Policies Annex.
Against the backdrop of growing humanitarian needs and limited funding, DG ECHO will support common, integrated and targeted approaches and inter-operable beneficiary platforms to address basic needs through the most relevant and cost-efficient approach (preferably cash transfers when feasible). Disaster preparedness shall be factored into all humanitarian assistance programmes. When relevant, this will also be included in the response to man-made disasters. Should new natural disasters occur in the region, entailing a high humanitarian impact and overwhelming the local capacity to respond, DG ECHO may adapt this HIP and/or use its Emergency Toolbox to provide humanitarian assistance to the victims. Attention will be also given to actions aiming at improving both institutional and community resilience shortly after disaster events, which offer an important window of opportunity to address critical gaps.
Venezuela The envisaged response strategy, in a context of limited presence of international donors, will include multi-sectoral actions addressing the most pressing needs of the affected population, with focus on most vulnerable groups (under-five children, pregnant and lactating mothers, people with disabilities and other specific needs, elderly, indigenous groups), and specific attention to health, WASH, education, protection, as well as nutritional and food needs. Special attention will be paid to border zones as well as to peri-urban vulnerable areas. The assistance to refugees and internally displaced people will focus on the most vulnerable cases and will be tailored to the different needs identified, including the provision of information and legal support, emergency medical services, protection (specifically against gender violence and human trafficking), education, shelter, NFIs and food assistance. Child protection and education in emergencies will be given special attention in the response to the regional refugee crisis.
Colombia DG ECHO response strategy will focus on responding to urgent/critical unmet humanitarian needs of vulnerable populations affected by armed violence, notably recently displaced people and confined communities, prioritising areas where national authorities are unable to address the needs and where no development actions are feasible at present. Assistance and protection to
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Colombian refugees in neighbouring countries will also be supported. Advocacy and coordination will be pursued in order to articulate efforts and raise awareness, also regarding the victims' right to State assistance. Complementarity and articulation among partners will be encouraged in order to provide integral and comprehensive responses. Coordination, information management and monitoring of the humanitarian situation will be essential in the current context (forgotten crisis with evolving and less visible humanitarian needs). The provision of humanitarian assistance and protection to victims of natural disasters and in response to the influx of people from Venezuela, when not covered by national or local authorities, will be considered based on assessed needs and gaps identified in national assistance.
Central America The envisaged response will include: a) Addressing the critical needs of the most vulnerable victims of organised violence and social unrest in the NTCA and Mexico, notably women and children, through protection and relief assistance, information gathering and humanitarian advocacy; b) Food assistance and short- to medium-term livelihood recovery and protection, replicating and/or adapting past successful initiatives in reducing vulnerability to food insecurity after a shock, while helping to build resilience; c) Multi-sectoral approaches incorporating disaster preparedness will also be supported in order to improve capacities for rapid response and early action based on lessons learned from recent disasters, advance urban preparedness through public private partnership (PPP) in DP, mainstreaming of post-crisis displacement and violence in DP programming in a country and regional perspective and support regional coordination to develop mechanisms to integrate multi-hazard risks into DP. Special attention will be given to actions presenting synergies with ongoing humanitarian and development initiatives for food security, nutrition, livelihoods support and integration of violence-related risks into DP programming. All actions will focus on responding to the most critical needs of the most vulnerable, improving information gathering and data analysis to maximise the impact of humanitarian assistance. The response to the humanitarian needs generated by civil unrest in Nicaragua may be adjusted to take account of new developments.
Haiti Addressing the most urgent food and nutrition needs of most vulnerable households and of under-five children, in particular during the 2020 lean season, will be at the centre of DG ECHO 2020 strategy in Haiti, through direct and unconditional nutrition-sensitive emergency food assistance at the most difficult times of the year. Reinforcing the livelihoods of the same affected households and enhancing their resilience to future shocks will remain the focus of the EU Delegation Food Security and Nutrition programming in the framework of the joint ECHO- DEVCO Nexus strategy. Local and national capacities for contingency planning, preparation, coordination and management of emergencies will be strengthened. Humanitarian coordination will be a priority in the country. Furthermore, prevention and response to violence, exploitation and abuse will be encouraged to address the protection needs of the most vulnerable groups, notably women, children and youth, elderly, displaced people, people with disabilities and other specific needs.
Disaster Preparedness (DP) DG ECHO’s objective is to contribute to the dissemination and implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 through this HIP. Wherever possible, DG ECHO-supported actions will focus on gaps identified from recent disasters, unaddressed risk, allowing to further progress on ECHO-DEVCO joint DRR/DP strategies in the region. Actions should link with EU funding when possible, as well as with global initiatives such as Resilient Cities, Safe Schools, Safe Hospitals, and in general with the Regional Action Plan for the 19
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Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 in the Americas. The overall aim of DP actions in the LAC region is to create better-prepared communities and institutions to face hazards and risks, thus reducing mortality and protecting, to the extent possible, the assets and livelihoods of the most vulnerable. The focus on preparedness for response and early action is pursued with the possibility to introduce “Crisis Modifiers” in DG ECHO funded interventions, allowing to shift to “emergency-type” interventions if needed. Priority is given to empowering the most exposed communities with the highest risk indicators and the lowest coping capacities, and to sustainably strengthening the capacities of local systems via civil society and institutions - preferably with the strong participation of the private sector. In line with regional strategies, DG ECHO support envisages assisting authorities in building preparedness and response capacities, and in the implementation of related laws, regulations, protocols, and mechanisms at local level. Consolidation of previous institutional capacity building actions may be considered in order to facilitate handover processes. DG ECHO’s strategic approach encourages the integration of private sector stakeholders in DP mechanisms, to join with local and municipal emergency committees to improve emergency response capabilities, including through public-private partnerships. DG ECHO encourages partners to independently study whether populations having benefitted from DP projects have, following a shock, adjusted and coped better than those not targeted.
*** In addition, all humanitarian interventions funded by DG ECHO must take into consideration protection concerns, which must be systematically integrated in preparedness and response mechanisms. Partners are expected to ensure full compliance with visibility requirements and to acknowledge the funding role of the EU/DG ECHO, as set out in the applicable contractual arrangements. Derogations can be awarded on security grounds. Detailed guidance on sectors, geographical zones and operational priorities is provided in the Technical Annex to this HIP.
3. HUMANITARIAN COORDINATION
1) Other DG ECHO interventions
DG ECHO 2019 HIP for Latin America and the Caribbean (initial amount EUR 29.5 million) focused on response to the violence (EUR 2.5 million) and to the food crisis (EUR 1 million) in Central America; on addressing the most urgent humanitarian needs of conflict-affected people in Colombia (EUR 5 million) and on disaster preparedness interventions in South America (EUR 5.5 million), Central America (EUR 3.5 million), Haiti (EUR 3 million) and the Caribbean (EUR 3 million), integrating specific actions to promote resilience in food security and DRR actions adapted to violent contexts. Education in emergencies was also supported. Additional amounts were released under the HIP to address the humanitarian consequences of the situation in Venezuela (EUR 50 million), of the internal conflict in Colombia (EUR 5 million) as well as of the food crisis in Haiti (EUR 14 million) and in Central America (EUR 5 million). EUR 0.3 million was allocated from the Small Scale Response (SSR) instrument for tornado response in Cuba. About EUR 1 million was allocated for actions in Paraguay, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Colombia, Bolivia, Dominican Republic and Haiti from DG ECHO contribution to the IFRC Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF). EUR 0.5 million was
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released from the ALERT instrument for Hurricane Dorian response in the Bahamas. Additional Disaster Preparedness funds were furthermore mobilised for epidemics preparedness in Central America (about EUR 0.3 million).
2) Other donors’ engagement
Venezuela In Venezuela, DG ECHO continues to be the main donor. Some actions are supported by COSUDE and DFID. Canada significantly reduced its already limited funding for Venezuela after the Canadian Embassy’s staff left the country in May 2019. The US are providing limited multisector assistance through different partners. Recently USAID has announced USD 119 million in additional humanitarian assistance, bringing the total contribution to USD 472 million. Most of the funds will be implemented outside Venezuela to provide multi-sectoral assistance to Venezuelans forced to flee their country.
Colombia Humanitarian support in Colombia suffers from donor fatigue and limited visibility of the humanitarian consequences of the conflict. In recent years, international assistance has been more inclined to support the implementation of the Peace Agreement. Three Trust Funds (UN, WB and IADB) have been established to this end, in addition to the EU Trust Fund (EUTF) for Colombia.
Central America A drastic reduction in funding from traditional donors is bound to bear consequences which still need to be fully assessed. Competing priorities in the Americas coupled with low visibility of the food crisis and limited understanding of the humanitarian consequences of organised violence make DG ECHO’s engagement in the region crucial for the provision of emergency assistance and protection to people in need.
Haiti Apart from DG ECHO, major donors that will continue to fund the humanitarian and development activities in the country in 2020 are USAID, Canada, Switzerland, UN/CERF, France, Spain and Germany. At this stage, the planned engagement of these actors for 2020 is unknown.
Disaster Preparedness (DP) In the Caribbean, DG ECHO is in regular contact with other EU services as well as with other donors to create opportunities for a Nexus approach. DFID and Canada contribute to the Caribbean Disaster Risk Reduction Fund managed by the Caribbean Development Bank. Canada is also funding a CAD 3 million project on safe hospitals. The World Bank has currently a USD 5 million project to strengthen weather and climate information and decision-support systems (HydroMet) 2015-2020. Three appeals were launched after the 2017 Hurricanes, which were covered by 17% at regional level, 25% in Cuba, and 67% in Dominica.
4. HUMANITARIAN – DEVELOPMENT – PEACE NEXUS
1) Other concomitant EU interventions
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DG ECHO is the EU leading branch in assistance to vulnerable Venezuelans, being active in the country since 2016. In this framework, different EU instruments are complementing DG ECHO's actions, mainly in the countries hosting Venezuelan refugees and migrants, such as Brazil and Colombia where the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace (IcSP) provides support to local institutions to deal with the influx of people and reduce xenophobia. Additional IcSP funds are being considered to support livelihoods and employment integration of migrants as well as a registration system. DG DEVCO’s initiative “Cities of solidarity” aims at strengthening the capacities of five cities to deal with the Venezuelan migrant population and is expected to be further reinforced in the coming months. In Venezuela, the PROACT initiative funded by DG DEVCO supports the resilience of communities in areas where DG ECHO partners provide relief assistance. As a whole, the EU assistance package (EU Compact for Venezuela) is conceived as a coordinated approach bringing together immediate relief assistance to the affected people with stabilisation and longer-term support to the host countries of the region. New DG DEVCO funding for “Education Cannot Wait” (ECW) is in process to be approved.
Colombia In Colombia, complementarity and synergies with other funding instruments are sought, with a view to properly articulate EU efforts and mainstreaming resilience in all post-conflict programmed actions. Linkages between humanitarian initiatives with development and resilience programmes in conflict-torn areas will continue to be pursued. The EUTF in support of Colombia's post-conflict peace building efforts (EUR125 million, with contributions from the EU, 20 Member States and Chile) is integrating actions linking humanitarian aid with rehabilitation, development aid and resilience building. On a bilateral level, the EU is also contributing EUR 127 million over the period 2014-2020 to support rural development with the Ministry of Agriculture, local sustainable development with the Ministry of Environment and regional competitiveness with the Ministry of Commerce. Some of these initiatives have specifically addressed the Nexus between humanitarian operations, peace building and development.
Central America Nexus options are under discussion as concerns food insecurity and pervasive organised violence in Central America, linking with existing EU programmes in the region. Four regional EU- funded initiatives (CCRIF, EUR 14 million; PROCAGICA, EUR 15 million; PROGRESAN- SICA, EUR 5 million, PRO ACT, EUR 10 million) provide targeted support related to natural disasters management, resilience building and food security. In Honduras, EUROSAN has allocated EUR 100 million under the programme 2014-2020 for three interventions related to food and nutrition security. In Nicaragua the EU has allocated EUR 2.5 million through the IcSP (Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace) to address the human rights situation and EUR 4.3 million has been allocated to support civil society, peace culture, economic reactivation and employment activities. In 2018, a project worth EUR 15 million was approved for boosting rural and urban economy in Nicaragua (BOOST) supporting small and medium farmers and climate change adaptation related to food security, and options are being explored to reinforce climate resilience in the Dry Corridor through an additional action. In Guatemala, besides the already existing synergies with DG DEVCO’s Thematic Funding lines, concrete Nexus options are being explored for food security and natural disaster response (PRO ACT II for EUR 15 million). Finally, work continues with the regional authorities of SICA to strengthen food security and nutrition information systems as well as regional capacities to respond to food security and nutrition needs.
Haiti
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Since the El Nino intervention in 2016, DG ECHO and DG DEVCO have worked in close collaboration and coordination to maximise the synergies of their respective actions in Haiti. In 2016/2017, following Hurricane Matthew, DG DEVCO allocated EUR 20 million in the Grand Anse department from the 11th EDF. Strong synergies exist with DG ECHO interventions. In 2019/2020 DG DEVCO plans to mobilise further EUR 50 million to respond with long-term programming to the current food insecurity that affects most Haitian departments. Discussions are ongoing to harmonise the planned long-term response with DG ECHO’s emergency response in the northern departments. IcSP actions to address the impact of migratory patterns on the peace, security and stability of communities living along the border between the Dominican Republic and Haiti (EUR 3.5 million) also complement DG ECHO interventions.
Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) In South America, synergies are possible in several South American countries with the actions funded through EUROCLIMA+. In Peru, the DCI is contributing to the reconstruction process after the floods caused by El Niño in 2017. Most of the projects, supported by DG DEVCO's Civil Society Organisations budget line (CSO) for a total of EUR 4 million, take over processes launched by DG ECHO-funded interventions during the humanitarian response to the floods. In Central America the EU is currently providing a EUR 21.1 million contribution for poverty reduction in rural areas (“Sustainability of Smallholder Agriculture"). The support given by DG ECHO to DRR institutionalisation processes at regional and national level, and the continuous dialogue with development stakeholders and donors create conditions for DG ECHO-supported DP initiatives to influence and be incorporated into development programmes. DRR is already integrated in the regional 2014–2020 DCI strategy and dialogues are being held in order to ensure DG ECHO’s and partners collaboration for the new country and regional strategies after 2020. Work is ongoing for the integration of drought risk reduction into food security development programmes. Humanitarian and development stakeholders are increasingly sensitised on the need to integrate the humanitarian effects of organised violence in their respective strategies; this favours the adaptation of DRR tools to address context-specific issues linked to insecurity. In the Caribbean, the 11th EDF has allocated a total of EUR 61.5 million in Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change, and EUR 20 million has been allocated under the ACP-EU initiative for Natural Disaster Risk Management in the Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM) (2014- 2020) to support the regional Caribbean Disaster Management strategy implemented jointly by CDEMA and Caribbean Development Bank. Strong synergies exist between DG ECHO’s DP actions and other EU-supported actions in the Caribbean, and joint strategies have been elaborated in the aftermath of recent disasters. Under the Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA+) flagship initiative, EUR 5 million have been mobilised to support climate adaptation projects and build long-term resilience capacity in Cuba. Linkages exist with DG ECHO- supported projects. On a broader perspective, EUROCLIMA+ provides a EU contribution of EUR 120 million to support environmentally sustainable and climate-resilient development in 18 Latin American countries22. This support contributes to implement relevant legal, institutional and financial mechanisms and to strengthen national capacities to make the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the Paris Agreement achievable. EUROCLIMA+ implements projects in sectors potentially affected by climate change or which can contribute to climate mitigation (DRRM, Forests, Biodiversity and Ecosystems, Urban Mobility, Renewable energy, Resilient food production, and Water management in urban areas). Some 50 projects have been selected in
22 Argentina, Bolivia, Brasil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panamá, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela
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these sectors to date. In addition it supports governments in the areas of climate policies, access to finance and capacity building. The EU has funded with EUR 20 million the Green Climate Fund (GFC)23, a global fund to promote climate-resilient development in nations vulnerable to climate change impacts. A large variety of projects is financed in LAC under this initiative.
Exit scenarios
Venezuela and Colombia The prevailing situation in Colombia and Venezuela does not allow envisaging an exit strategy at this stage, considering the critical deterioration being observed in both crises, with a negative outlook in the medium term.
Central America Nexus options are under discussion with the EU Delegations on food security in Guatemala and Nicaragua and on pervasive violence in El Salvador. The fragility of the region and the multiple crises unfolding at the moment call for a continued presence and action by humanitarian actors in the foreseeable future.
Haiti With regard to food insecurity in Haiti, joint EU humanitarian and development operations continue in most vulnerable areas but will require sustained support from DG ECHO for consolidation purposes and taking into account the recurrence of shocks and the deteriorating situation.
Disaster preparedness As concerns DG ECHO’s DP interventions, the strategy and vision for the next years is to uphold the interrelations between DP/DRR, emergency and resilience actions with civil society organisations, with the participation of local and national authorities, while including the private sector and the military. At institutional level, a Civil Protection approach to State response will be promoted, including through an increased technical support provided by the UCPM, since most countries lack specific institutions prepared to respond with sufficient resources. In South America, DG ECHO Disaster Preparedness programming has already phased out from Argentina, Brazil and Chile, and a progressive phase out from specific topics is planned for all countries. Vulnerability to disasters together with existing gaps in Disaster Risk Management capacities reveals the need to increase collaboration and advocacy towards development actors. The work and the impact in a number of countries focusing particularly on implementation of mechanisms and tools to enhance preparedness at community level, with the participation of local civil society organisations, will be evaluated in view of a progressive phase down. In Central America, a first step in the direction of an exit strategy from the DRR multi-hazard and regional approach is under implementation, namely through support to the institutionalisation of the DRR tools developed and to the harmonisation of the Sendai Framework (implemented in the regional legislation or in National Plans or Policies in Honduras, Nicaragua and Guatemala). This process should be completed by the incorporation of a protection approach and the adaptation of tools and methodologies to address context-specific issues linked to insecurity. Regarding other priorities, an exit strategy will be elaborated with the consolidation of successful models of locally owned rapid response mechanisms that integrate shock responsiveness and the protection approach along with formalised mechanisms of private
23 https://www.greenclimate.fund/home
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sector participation in DP and agreements to collaborate with UCPM in logistic management and post-crisis situations. In the Caribbean, the exit strategy will mainly consist of progressive handover and advocacy towards authorities and development programmes, based on risk analysis, on coping capacities and on the existence of DRR actions funded by Governments and development actors/EU. This process coincides with the implementation of the Comprehensive Disaster Management Strategic Framework in the Caribbean and the Sendai Action framework, allowing aligning these efforts with regional and global priorities.
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Electronically signed on 21/12/2020 12:27 (UTC+01) in accordance with article 11 of Commission Decision C(2020) 4482