WHO Humanitarian Response

2013 WHO Humanitarian Response Compendium of health priorities and Department for Emergency Risk Management and WHO projects in consolidated appeals Humanitarian Response (ERM) and response plans © World Health Organization, 2013 All rights reserved. Publications of the World Health Organization are available on the WHO web site (www.who.int) or can be purchased from WHO Press, World Health Organization, 20 Avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland (tel.: +41 22 791 3264; fax: +41 22 791 4857; e-mail: [email protected]). Requests for permission to reproduce or translate WHO publications – whether for sale or for noncommercial distribution – should be addressed to WHO Press through the WHO web site (http://www.who.int/about/licensing/copyright_form/en/index.html). 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Cover photograph: WHO/Marko Kokic WHO/ERM/BRO/2013.2 0 Content Foreword 1 Afghanistan 2 Burkina Faso 4 Central African Republic 6 Chad 8 The Democratic Republic 20 humanitarian response in 2013 of the Congo 10 13 Djibouti 13 Haiti 15 Kenya 18 Mali 20 Mauritania 23 The Niger 25 World Health Organization The occupied Palestinian territory 27 The Philippines (Mindanao) 30 The Republic of South Sudan 32 Somalia 34 The Sudan 36 The Syrian Arab Republic 38 Yemen 41 Zimbabwe 43 List of Acronyms 45 References 46 iii World Health Organization humanitarian response in 2013 2012 Donors The World Health Organization would like to thank all of the donors that provided funding for WHO’s work in emergencies and humanitarian response in 2012. We look forward to strengthening our collaboration in order to meet the needs of vulnerable populations affected by humanitarian emergencies. The African Development Bank, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the League of Arab States, Norway, Programme d’Investissement et de Développement rural des Régions du Nord Mali (PIDRN), Programme intégré de Développement rural de la Région de Kidal (PIDRK), the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Spain, SIMFER S.A., Switzerland, the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, the Central Emergency Response Fund, the Common Humanitarian Fund, the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the OCHA Emergency Response Fund, United Nations Development Programme, the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and the UN Trust Fund for Human Security. iv 1 Foreword This compendium provides an overview of health priorities and WHO projects in the 19 consolidated appeals and response plans that have been developed to meet humanitarian needs in protracted emergencies in Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Haiti, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, the Niger, the occupied Palestinian territory, the Philippines, the Republic of South Sudan, Somalia, the Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic, Yemen and Zimbabwe in 2013. It is expected that, in addition to protracted emergencies with a consolidated or similar appeal in place, WHO will have to respond to numerous natural disasters and sudden onset emergencies throughout 2013. In 2012, WHO and partners carried out humanitarian response operations in 43 countries. One of the main concerns for WHO and its health partners is the downward trend of humanitarian funding for health. Despite the fact that the demand for health assistance during humanitarian crises throughout the world is increasing, funding for the health sector in 2012 significantly decreased com- pared to the previous year, both in percentage as well in nominal terms. While in 2011, the OCHA Financial Tracking Service (FTS) reported that 64% of the humanitarian health needs were met globally, 2012 only saw just above 50% of health needs covered. Health components of over one third of the consolidated appeals were funded below 30%. Humanitarian funding is crucial to support key health priorities in countries in crisis. There are some success stories: in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, funds raised through the consolidated appeals process contributed to the reduction of morbidity and mortality caused by easily treated diseases such as measles and cholera. Donor funding made possible a measles vaccination campaign that reached about 6.4 million children; 135 cholera kits providing medicines and supplies to treat diarrhoeal diseases for approximately 40 000 people were purchased and prepositioned in vulnerable areas. Another example is in the occupied Palestinian territory, where health partners were able to provide essential health and nutrition services to 95% of the target group (1.7 million people in the West Bank and Gaza). However, there are still many emergencies for which sufficient funding could not be secured. For example, in the Sahel region, despite the close linkage between malnutrition and health, health requirements were covered at only 27%, while nutrition was funded at 71% and food security at 77%. In the Syrian Arab Republic, hospitals and health facilities are reporting shortages of vaccines and life-saving medicines and supplies. Funding received in 2012 was far from sufficient to cover the gap. In Pakistan, with overall health funding requirements covered at only 13% in 2012, many health partners did not receive any funding at all. Shortages in funding affect the most vulnerable. The consequence of low health funding levels is that dozens of life-saving projects could not be implemented in 2012 and thousands of people in need of care could not be reached, particularly those who are most vulnerable, like pregnant and lactating women and children. The long list of countries with underfunded projects that were planned to ben- efit women and children includes Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, the Niger, Somalia and Lesotho. Staff qualified to respond to health emergencies are crucial for a meaningful humanitarian intervention. In some countries there is no funding available to cover the costs of core functions such as cluster co- ordination and management of emergency health information. 2013 is a key year for the humanitarian community. The roll-out of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Transformative Agenda is expected to be completed in 2013 and an extra effort is needed to ensure that the policies, guidelines and management structures that have been designed throughout 2012 are in place to ensure a swift, effective and coordinated response to emergencies. The donor community needs to assume its responsibilities too. Without donor support humanitarian agencies are helpless. Health strategies, programmes and projects are futile without reasonable funding to support them. The importance of health actors receiving timely and predictable funds cannot be emphasized enough. The earlier in the programme cycle funding is received, the more strategic planning can be, the sooner health programmes can start, the more lives can be saved, and the better people whose lives have been devastated by disasters can be helped. And this is our mission: save lives and al- leviate suffering. We can only achieve this with sufficient donor support. 1 World Health Organization humanitarian response in 2013 2 Afghanistan Protracted conflict, high levels of insecurity, inhospitable terrain, severe climate and weak infrastructure have characterized the humanitarian environment in Afghanistan over the past 30 years and continues to threaten people‘s survival, livelihoods and dignity in many ways. Internal displacement due to conflict and insecurity has increased. During the first nine months of 2012, 152 695 people were newly displaced, which con- stitutes 34% of the overall conflict-induced internally displaced population. In addition, more than 25 000 people were displaced by natural disasters in 2012. Baseline indicators Estimate Health Sector Situation Human development index1 2011 172/187 Indicators of the main health problems facing Afghanistan and its health system Population in urban areas% 2010 23 include: (i) high levels of infant and under-five mortality rates; (ii) one of the 2008 Population using improved 48 water source% world’s highest maternal

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