Advancement for Recovery Initiative for Safer Ethiopia (Arise) Programme
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ADVANCEMENT FOR RECOVERY INITIATIVE FOR SAFER ETHIOPIA (ARISE) PROGRAMME AFTER ACTION REVIEW (AAR) OF THE GEDEO AND GUJI INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS (IDP) RESPONSE WORKSHOP PROCEEDINGS Group picture of meeting participants 7 - 9 August 2019 Adama Ethiopia PREFACE The inter-communal conflicts in Gedeo and To address the crisis, the Federal Government of West Guji caused a massive displacement of more Ethiopia and NDRMC, in collaboration with Oromia than 800,000 people. The conflict led to substantial and SNNP Regional States and Guji and Gedeo Zones negative impacts on the displaced population. activated the Emergency Operation Center to save Households lost their long-established assets and lives and ensure effective coordination mechanisms. means of livelihoods. The displacements placed For the first time in Ethiopia response plan, EOC was enormous pressure on the host communities, the activated an Incident Command Post (ICP) in Gedeo environment and natural resources. According to and Guji Zones. the response plan of June 2018, a total of USD 117.7 million was required to meet the immediate needs of Organizational learning requires continuous the affected population. The Government of Ethiopia assessment of organizational performance, looking and partners have so far mobilized USD 6.99 million at successes and failures, ensuring that learning which is only 5.9 percent out of the total financial takes place to support continuous improvement. Key requirement to respond to the crisis. actors engaged in the IDP response need to learn and make corrective actions from how the response Following the crisis, Emergency Operation Centers was planned, operationalized and coordinated with (EOCs) were activated in July 2018 in both Gedeo and key stakeholders from the government, UN Agencies West Guji Zones to address the humanitarian needs and INGOs for effective IDP crisis in the future. and coordinate response activities. Therefore, the key stakeholders from the federal government to the community level reviewed the The response actions were implemented with performance of the EOC/ECC within the response the deployment of substantial financial and material timeline at an After Action Review (AAR) workshop to resources and senior national and international discuss issues in an open and transparent platform multi-sectoral experts from UN Agencies and INGOs and identify lessons to improve future humanitarian to support the various activities and functions. operations. The Emergency Operation Center brought both government and humanitarian communities The workshop conceptualization, design and together to better coordinate the utilization of overall facilitation was led by ADPC as part of a available resources and share information for better partnership to build the capacity of NDRMC and response. its partners in Ethiopia for improved humanitarian preparedness, response and recovery. The Government of Ethiopia commenced and led IDP return process in September 2018. However, These proceedings are the summary of key this effort was challenged by another round of experiences and perspectives from the government prolonged displacements in the following year. For and partners’ representatives from UN Agencies instance, the highest influx of IDPs was recorded in and INGOs, as well as presentations and key March 2019 since the one happened in April 2018. discussions of the AAR workshop including gathering The National Disaster Risk Management Commission feedback from the representatives of the affected (NDRMC) reported a total of 675,000 displaced communities. The outcomes will contribute to populations in Gedeo Zone in March 2019. In April future informed decisions and actions at federal, 2019, the Government of Ethiopia launched a plan to regional, zonal and woredas levels on effective IDPs return all IDPs to their place of origin and has been emergency response in the future. responding to the needs of the displaced, returnee and host communities. WORKSHOP PROCEEDINGS ii COMMISSIONER’S MESSAGE Mr. Mitiku Kassa, Commissioner of the National Disaster Risk Management Commission (NDRMC), welcomed representative from ADPC, regional government, Sectoral Lead Ministries and Agencies, UN and NGO partners, and Directors of NDRMC and opened the workshop by making key remarks. The workshop has brought together various actors actively involved in Gedeo and Guji IDP Response Operation to reflect on what has been accomplished and identify key learning for the future. During the last two years, inter-communal violence has resulted in a massive displacement of about 2.8 million people. The displaced populations in Gedeo and West Guji were 800,000 which made it the largest and demanded high and complex response operation managed by the Ethiopian Government and its partners. iii ADVANCEMENT FOR RECOVERY INITIATIVE FOR SAFER ETHIOPIA (ARISE) PROGRAMME The operation involved establishment of two NDRMC has established a partnership with ADPC EOC operations at Dilla and BuleHora towns to facilitate South-South Knowledge and Experience and deployment of huge financial, material and Exchange between Asia and Ethiopia and then to human resources including senior national and Africa. In light with this, ADPC and NDRMC are jointly international multi-sectoral experts to support the implementing two projects funded by the Bill & various functions of the response. Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) since June 2018. Accompanying the activation of the EOC in the The After Action Review of Gedeo and Guji IDP two locations and simultaneous enhancement response, is a part of the ADPC project entitled of the response operation, the various national (Advancement of Recovery Initiatives for Safer coordination platforms moved their regular Ethiopia (ARISE)” that specifically focuses on meetings to the actual operation area for effective improving NDRMC and its partner organization timely decision making and provide closer leadership capacity to IDP response. support to the technical team deployed on the ground. The workshop is aimed at providing a platform for NDRMC and humanitarian organizations involved The Government (through NDRMC) and partners in the Gedeo and Guji IDP response to look back went through multiple challenges during the and review how the emergency response operation emergency operation to meet the mutual obligation was executed and identify key learning to improve of saving people’s lives. similar operations in the future. The established coordination systems, Experts from diverse background and experience commitments by the Federal and Regional from the federal, regional, zonal levels of the Government and collaboration with the humanitarian government offices, UN Agencies, NGOs and donors partners made the response operation successful participated the After Action Review workshop. Most in addressing most of the needs of the displaced importantly, community representatives, not just as population and saving lives. beneficiaries but as key stakeholders participated in the workshop to contribute their inputs on IDP The lessons learned from the coordinated response coordination process at the community operations executed during Gedeo and Guji IDP level. crisis has helped NDRMC and the humanitarian partners to better plan and improve emergency The participants in this workshop have been responses to the IDP situations that came up during involved in the response operation in different roles. the latter part 2018 and 2019. Thy will have the opportunity to openly share their views freely and actively contribute to joint review However, it is crucial to properly identify, analyse, and learning process. synthesize and document the lessons learned from the implementation of IDP response operations to The After Action Review workshop will discuss improve organizational capacity development and key issues and challenges that faced during better prepare for effective response operations to implementation and come up with new learning similar eventualities of such kind in the future. and recommendations for capacity improvement. With this context, NDRMC in collaboration with NDRMC is committed to taking forward to Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) has the consolidated learning that comes out of this organized the After Action Review to bring together workshop to higher level government coordination and facilitate learning for the key stakeholder and partners’ coordination and find mechanism organizations and individuals directly involved in for integrating the suggested priority areas of Gedeo and Guji IDP response operation. improvement into the future engagements in humanitarian response operations. WORKSHOP PROCEEDINGS iv CONTENTS Preface ii Commissioner’s Message iii Executive Summary vii 1. INTRODUCTION 01 1.1 Purpose and Objectives 01 1.2 Methodology 02 1.3 Report Organization 02 2. INCIDENT OVERVIEW 03 2.1 Overview of Gedeo and West Guji Displacement and Emergency Operation Coordination 03 2.2 IDP Response Timeline 06 3. INCIDENT RESPONSE ANALYSIS 08 3.1 Overview of National Incident Management System 08 3.2 Issues and Challenges 09 3.3 Operationalization of Existing Plans and Capacities 11 3.4 Performance Assessment of ECC Capabilities 15 4. KEY FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 16 5. CONCLUSION 19 ANNEX I. WORKSHOP AGENDA i ANNEX II. ECC CAPABILITY RATING iii ANNEX III. IMPROVEMENT PLAN MATRIX ix v ADVANCEMENT FOR RECOVERY INITIATIVE FOR SAFER ETHIOPIA (ARISE) PROGRAMME ACRONYMS AAR After Action Review ADPC Asian Disaster Preparedness Center DTM Displacement