By Eli Smette, OCHA Iraq

Erbil, October 12 2008 – The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) conducted a three-day workshop on disaster management in Erbil, between 7 and 9 October. Representatives of national humanitarian organizations and Government Emergency Cells (GEC) from across Iraq participated.
 
The workshop is the first of its kind to be conducted by OCHA and UNICEF inside Iraq. It offered an opportunity to enhance coordination and cooperation between the United Nations, national humanitarian organizations and government agencies specialized in the field of emergency response. 

“For a long time, national NGOs have been operating alone and isolated in remote areas of Iraq. The workshop has for the first time brought them together”, said one participant.
One of the workshop sessions was dedicated to discussion of NGOs and GECs’ recommendations on how to strengthen the coordination mechanisms in emergency situations between all national humanitarian actors.

20 participants including 12 representatives from humanitarian organizations together with representatives of GECs in the governorates of Kerbala, Wassit, Missan, Thi Qar, Erbil, Suleiymanya and Dahouk participated in the workshop. Participants are working in the sectors of food, non-food items, water, environmental sanitation, education and health.

The workshop comes at a time when many UN agencies aim at increasing their presence inside Iraq.

“Stronger UN presence will help in bringing about reconciliation in the country as a result of the development support that UN provides. It will also bring about political reconciliation and respect for human rights”, said Dr. Dindar Zebari, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Coordinator for UN Affairs, during his opening address.

Participants were given an introduction to the UN humanitarian system, the Humanitarian Reform and the UN cluster approach in the field. They were also introduced to International Humanitarian Law and humanitarian principles.

In preparation of a simulation exercise, participants were familiarized with basic planning and contingency principles and were presented with a fictional emergency scenario, to which they made a response plan.

The workshop also introduced themes such as rapid assessment of humanitarian emergencies, monitoring and evaluation of emergency interventions, the Code of Conduct for humanitarian workers and the issue of prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse in the context of humanitarian emergencies