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Tropical Cyclone Harold & Covid 19

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Tropical Cyclone Harold & Covid 19 WASH Cluster Lessons Learn 2020 TROPICAL CYCLONE HAROLD & COVID 19 LESSONS LEARNT July 2020. 1 WASH Cluster Lessons Learn 2020 Table of Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 3 Objectives................................................................................................................................... 3 Methodology .............................................................................................................................. 3 Results ........................................................................................................................................ 4 Annex 1. List of participants .................................................................................................... 15 Annex 2: Questions for WASH SOP development ................................................................... 16 2 WASH Cluster Lessons Learn 2020 Introduction Vanuatu declared a COVID 19 pandemic and declared a state of emergency for its response in March 2020. WASH responded with hygiene and sanitation promotion measures across all provinces. When COVID 19 promotional measures were progressing well, a category 5 Tropical Cyclone Harold swept through the north central part of Vanuatu causing widespread damage to infrastructures and livelihood on 6-7 April 2020. The most affected islands were Santo (West, South, South East Santo, Malo, Aore, and the offshore islands, Central Pentecost 1, Central Pentecost 2 and South of Pentecost in Penama and North of Malakula and north Ambrym. A state of emergency was declared for the TC Harold response, and WASH cluster was activated. Because of the lock down of international boarders due to COVID 19, responses to TC Harold was a local response without outside human resources support. Provincial Emergency Operation centers were Figure: 1 TC Harold path & most affected opened, one in Melsisi on Pentecost, one in areas, sources DoWR Luganville in Santo and the other in Lakatoro, Malampa. Objectives The objectives of the lessons learnt meetings were: 1. To document positive lessons learnt by WASH Cluster during TC Harold & COVID 19 emergency response 2. To document thinks that did not work as well during the TC Harold COVID 19 emergency response 3. Propose recommendations for better response in future events of emergencies. Methodology The WASH Cluster took an approach where a lessons learnt facilitation team comprised of the Paolo Malatu, National Wash Cluster/Sector Coordinator, Hedley Tau, DoWR IMO, Emily Rand, UNICEF WASH Specialist and Hilson Toaliu, WASH Consultant travelled to the three PEOC to conduct lessons leant workshops with officers and partners who were responsible for WASH response in their 3 WASH Cluster Lessons Learn 2020 province. The team was in Melsisi and Pangi EOCs from 27 June t0 1 July, Luganville Santo from 1- 5 July and in Lakatoro from 5-9 July. In each site the team conducted meetings with WASH Cluster and partners having discussions around the following topics: 1. Coordination (National, Provincial and WASH Cluster coordination 2. Assessments of damages 3. Emergency response 4. Information management 5. Finances 6. NFI distributions The provincial WASH manager of each province was the cluster lead to lead the WASH response in the Provinces. The list of participants from the 3 provinces is presented in the annex 1. Figure 2: Sanma Lessons Learnt Session Figure 3: Malampa LL participants Figure 4. Melsisi WASH Cluster base The WASH team comprised of Paolo Malatu (National WASH Cluster/Sector Coordinator), Hedley Tau (DoWR Information Management Officer), Emily Rand (UNICEF WASH Specialist) and Hilson Toaliu (WASH Consultant). Results The table below presents the lessons learnt and the recommendations discussed to improve futures emergencies. 4 WASH Cluster Lessons Learn 2020 National WASH Coordination Positive lessons Learnt Things that did not work so well Recommendations 1. It would be helpful for clusters to also access 1. Strength in Human resources to 1. Difficult to access government the Government Emergency fund. support emergency responses, emergency funds. NDMO funding takes 2. Government ministries allocated funds ready including full time IMO, a long time, a more rapid procedure for emergency response. procurement Unit, finance officer would be helpful. There was sometimes 3. Review current WASH SOP to clarify and a national WASH Cluster confusion on what funding was uncertainties and roles and functions at all Coordinator. available. levels during emergencies. 2. Financial support for emergency 2. Delays in procuring of materials for 4. DESPAC and Finance Department develop ways was timely provided by MFAT and quick fixes. to improve and shorten time for ministries to UNICEF, but it took too long for 3. BoQ provided by Melsisi team were access donor funds already with Government DoWR to access and spend the altered in Vila resulting in incorrect pipe 5. Convene a high level discussion between funds. size fittings purchased and shipped to Directors Public Health and Water Resources to 3. DoWR did a great job insisting Pentecost that were of use. jointly invest in appointment of sanitarians in donors give them items they want 4. There was confusion and uncertainty on area councils. MoH or DoWR to include these – not what the donor wants to several aspects of the operation at all positions in their structures with funding. Train give. levels, including activation of WASH them in basic plumbing and adjust their JD to 4. Water supply systems built to EOCs and roles played by different include WASH in peace and in emergency. standards seemed to survive individuals. While, there are 72 Area Councils across longer 5. There was limited man power at area Vanuatu, first preferences should be given to 5. Education: Because school was council level to support WASH islands other than islands on which the not in session due to COVID, there assessment and responses at that level. Provincial water offices are located. was less urgent need for action in 6. More rooms for better NDMO coordination of this emergency. WASH and emergencies Education clusters rarely met or talked. 6. Developed WASH emergency plan helped donor to action immediate funding support to DoWR. 7. WASH linkage with Gender Cluster was excellent. 5 WASH Cluster Lessons Learn 2020 8. Director of Water appointment as Controller for Santo helpful for WASH. 9. Excellent private partnership for WASH response Provincial Emergency Coordination Center Positive Lessons Learnt What did not work as well Recommendations 1. Provincial Government 1. There were some confusions over 1. Help clusters and sectors understand the roles structures and Provincial the roles of government appointed and job descriptions of the Secretary General of Secretary Generals took lead in controllers and Provincial the Province and the Government Emergency coordination of emergency Secretary Generals in the Controller during emergency. response operation of EOC. 2. Clarify the line of Cluster activation from NDMO 2. Malampa Provincial government down to the Provincial WASH Cluster. 2. Government appointed senior was slow to activate PEOC. This 3. Encourage provincial clusters operation rather government officers to be resulted in some emergency than sector working group, to support PEOC controllers of emergencies in actions taken without the approval facilitation of requests to NDMO. each affected provinces. of the Provincial Government. In 3. Local Council of Chiefs, Malampa, moving of vulnerable churches and CDCCs are a big groups to evacuation centers asset to the response team. happened before PEOC activation. 3. There was confusion over reporting lines between Melsisi and Pangi EOCs. Provincial WASH Emergency Operation Centers Positive lessons learnt What did not work so well Recommendations 1. Convene a discussion between the Director of 1. Officers quickly switched focus 1. People were busy with COVID 19 and Public Health and the Director Water Resources from COVID 19 to TC Harold didn’t take the cyclone warning seriously. to foster the understating and minimize Staff were busy promoting COVID 19 confusions that during emergency responses, the 6 WASH Cluster Lessons Learn 2020 Response after the passage of TC prevention and didn’t even have time to Environmental Unit of the Ministry of Health Harold. prepare their own homes for the swifts its sanitation and hygiene responsibilities 2. Provincial WASH Meetings help in approaching TC Harold. to the National WASH Cluster. (When agreed to peacetimes helped ensure people 2. Activation of Provincial WASH Clusters. by the two Departments, it will be included in the already knew each other and were There was confusion and uncertainty by WASH SOP.) Coordination between WASH and used to working together. WASH cluster members at provincial Health clusters will still be maintained so that 3. Some organization coordinated levels over the trigger to commence information on water borne diseases discovered more than others. In some responses. NGO partners felt secure to by the health EMT team and or the surveillance locations, organization just commit and mobilize their resources for team can be shared with the WASH Cluster to “informed” DoWR and in others response if National WASH Cluster advices address the situation through provision of water, they are real partners. provincial cluster activation, rather than if sanitation and hygiene promotions.
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