The International Humanitarian Partnership (IHP)
Background
The International Humanitarian Partnership (IHP) was created in 1995 as an informal cooperation the Department for International Development (DFID), the Danish Emergency Management Agency (DEMA), and the Swedish Rescue Service (SRSA).
The objective of the cooperation was to provide logistical support to UN agencies especially in sudden onset disasters. Since its creation, the IHP membership has been expanded to also include the Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection and Emergency Planning (DCPEP), the Finnish Rescue Force (FRF), the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (N-MFA) and the Estonian Rescue Board (ERB).
Operational Experience
IHP has been largely successful in providing support to international humanitarian operations, and over the years both the capacity of the network and the expectations from its expanding circle of clients have grown significantly. IHP support is provided in the form of standardized modules, ranging from a one-man module with IT and telecommunications support to a base camp which provides accommodation and workspace for 60 – 120 staff. So far IHP has provided this type of support to 36 international operations. The main recipients of the support have been OCHA, UNHCR and WFP. Over the years IHP’s capacity to deliver support has increased, and today the joint capacity of the IHP members is sufficient to cover the needs of its main clients.
The operational experience of IHP shows that by working together, the members have been able to provide support to clients, which would not have been possible otherwise. This synergy is derived by combining the different capabilities of the members, e.g. by one agency providing equipment and another providing transport, or by one agency providing equipment and another providing the staff. In addition, IHP has become a guarantee for quality in the eyes of the donors and members find that working together facilitates accessing funding.
IHP / United Nations base camp in Calang, Indonesia 2005
IHP missions 1996-2007
|
Year
|
Affected
Country
|
Emergency
|
Provider
|
Requesting
organization
|
Type of Support
|
|
1996
|
Great Lakes
Region
|
Civil Strife
|
DEMA, DFID,
SRSA
|
DHA
|
UNDAC support modules
|
|
1997
|
Zaire
|
Civil Strife
|
DFID, SRSA
|
UNHCR
|
Service package
|
|
1997
|
Guinea
|
Civil Strife
|
DEMA, SRSA
|
UNDAC
|
UNDAC Support
|
|
1999
|
Albania
|
Population Movement
|
DEMA, DFID
|
UNHCR
|
Airfield Handling
|
|
1999
|
Albania
|
Population Movement
|
DEMA, DFID
|
UNHCR
|
Convoys/Watsan
|
|
1999
|
Turkey
|
Earthquake
|
DFID
|
OCHA
|
UNDAC Support Module
|
|
1999
|
Turkey
|
Earthquake
|
DFID,SRSA
|
OCHA
|
UNDAC Support Module
|
|
1999
|
East Timor
|
Civil Strife
|
DFID, DEMA
|
OCHA
|
Base Camp
|
|
2000
|
Eritrea
|
Civil Strife
|
DCPEP
|
OCHA
|
UNDAC Support Module
|
|
2001
|
Guinea
|
|
DCPEP, SRSA
|
UNHCR
|
|
|
2001
|
India
|
Earthquake
|
SRSA
|
OCHA
|
UNDAC Support Module
|
|
2002
|
DRC
|
Volcano
|
SRSA
|
OCHA
|
UNDAC Support Module
|
|
2002
|
Afghanistan
|
Civil Strife
|
DFID, DEMA
|
UNOCHA
|
2 Basic Support Modules
|
|
2003
|
Iraq
|
Civil Strife
|
DEMA, DFID, Finn Rescue. SRSA
|
UNOHCI, HIC, JLC, WFP, UNMAS
|
3 Basic Support Modules
1 Base Camp Module
|
|
2003
|
Iran
|
Earthquake
|
DCPEP, DEMA, DFID, FRF, SRSA
|
OCHA
|
2 ITC modules
|
|
2003
|
Algeria
|
Earthquake
|
DCPEP, SRSA
|
OCHA
|
UNDAC Support Module
|
|
2004
|
Sudan
|
Civil Strife
|
DCPEP, DEMA, DFID, FRF, SRSA
|
OCHA
UNICEF
|
3 Basic support Modules
|
|
2004
|
Micronesia
|
Hurricane
|
FRF, SRSA
|
OCHA
|
UNDAC Support Module
|
|
2004
|
Dominican Republic
|
Floods
|
SRSA
|
OCHA
|
UNDAC Support Module
|
|
2004
|
Haiti
|
Floods
|
SRSA
|
OCHA
|
UNDAC Support Module
|
|
2004
|
Haiti
|
Tropical Storm
|
DCPEP
|
OCHA
|
UNDAC Support Module
|
|
2004
|
Dominican Republic
|
Tropical Storm
|
SRSA
|
OCHA
|
UNDAC Support Module
|
|
2004
|
Grenada and Cayman Islands
|
Hurricanes
|
DEMA, FRF
|
OCHA
|
UNDAC Support Module
|
|
2004
|
Jamaica
|
Hurricane
|
SRSA
|
OCHA
|
UNDAC Support Module
|
|
2005
|
Sri Lanka
|
Tsunami
|
FRF, SRSA
|
OCHA
|
UNDAC Support Module
|
|
2005
|
Sudan
|
Civil Strife
|
DCPEP, DEMA, DFID, FREF, NMFA, SRSA
|
|
|
|
2005
|
Thailand
|
Tsunami
|
DCPEP
|
OCHA
|
UNDAC Support Module
|
|
2005
|
Indonesia
|
Tsunami
|
DCPEP, DFID, DEMA, SRSA, ERB
|
OCHA, WFP
|
1 Support Module
12 Vehicles
1 Forklift
|
|
2005
|
Indonesia
|
Earthquake
|
DEMA, SRSA
|
OCHA
WFP
|
UNDAC Support Module
2 Base camps
|
|
2005
|
Pakistan
|
Earthquake
|
DCPEP, DEMA, ERB, FRF, SRSA
|
Inter-Agency ( WFP)
|
2 UNDAC Support Modules
5 Base camps
1 HIC Module
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2005
|
Guatemala
|
Mudslides
|
DCPEP
|
OCHA
|
UNDAC Support Module
|
|
2005
|
Nicaragua
|
Tropical Store
|
SRSA
|
OCHA
|
UNDAC Support Module
2 staff
|
|
2006
|
Indonesia
|
Earthquake
|
DCPEP, SRSA
|
OCHA
|
UNDAC Support Module
|
|
2006
|
Lebanon
|
Conflict
|
DCPEP, SRSA
|
WFP
|
Trucks
|
|
2006
|
Ethiopia
|
Floods
|
SRSA,
|
OCHA
|
UNDAC Support Module
|
|
2007
|
Pakistan
|
Floods
|
DCPEP, DEMA
|
|
UNDAC Support Module
|
Capabilities
The IHP support modules are pre-established based on agreed technical standards and interoperability. The modules are all deployed with experienced technical, who all have gone through a joint support staff training course. The modules can be combined and/or tailor-made for specific requests.
IHP standardized support modules table
|
Type
|
Staff
|
Name
|
Equipment
|
|
‘‘one-man’’
|
One support staff module
|
Support module
|
3 laptops, scanner, printer, camera, GPS, satellite phone. Optional equipment 5 VHF handsets, base station and repeater
| |