Resources and Capabilities
Since 2005 the OCHA Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) has provided support and assistance to governments through the UN system, and in conjunction with humanitarian partners, in response to a number of major emergencies. These have included the South Asia Earthquake (October 2005), the Yogyakarta Earthquake (May 2006), Timor-Leste Emergency (May 2006), Philippines Typhoons (December 2006)., the Solomon Islands Tsunami (April 2007) and Cyclone Sidr (December 2007).
ROAP offers a wide range of technical expertise including disaster response coordination, humanitarian reporting, funding mobilization, civil-military coordination, complex emergency monitoring, information management, and public information and advocacy coordination. ROAP can deploy staff (including three Regional Disaster Response Advisers) and equipment as emergency surge support or as part of UNDAC (UN Disaster and Assessment Coordination) teams within hours of a major disaster, from bases in Thailand, Papua New Guinea and Fiji.
OCHA ROAP deployments complement capacity provided by OCHA headquarters and OCHA field presences, as well as supporting or working with humanitarian mechanisms and tools such as UNDAC (UN Disaster and Assessment Coordination) teams,, INSARAG (International Search and Rescue Advisory Group) and HICs (Humanitarian Information Centres).
OCHA ROAP also regularly provides support to UN partners and other organizations in response to the humanitarian needs caused by smaller-scale emergencies, including by monitoring and producing situation reports, advising on applications for emergency funding and assisting with broader advocacy outreach, both in-country and from Bangkok.
Prioritization and Delivery
The minimum package of support provided to nations faced with severe natural hazards and potential for conflict includes measures such as monitoring of early warning systems, facilitating contingency planning, data readiness assessments, mapping of civil-military assets/training and strengthening crisis communications capacity.
Aiming to provide better service to IASC Country Teams and governments in the vast and disaster-prone Asia-Pacific region, the Regional Office has undertaken a review of humanitarian vulnerability and emergency response capacity to identify areas for strengthened engagement and additional focus.
OCHA ROAP’s work in strengthening partnerships and promoting regional cooperation on enhanced preparedness and response continues with support to joint projects such as the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System (for the most vulnerable coastal communities in Thailand, the Maldives and Sri Lanka) and participation in regional inter-governmental initiatives, including the ASEAN Centre for Disaster Management.