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Regional Office for the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia
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What we do
Since its establishment in 2005, OCHA’s Regional Office for the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia (ROMENACA) has sought to minimize the vulnerability of populations in the region to humanitarian crises. ROMENACA provides support and assistance to governments, UN agencies, NGOs and other humanitarian actors in response to a number of crises, including through the deployment staff with a range of technical expertise. The Regional Office also works to build response capacity in the region before disasters strike, by strengthening Emergency Preparedness.
Office Main Services and Functions
Donor States increasingly respond to international requests for humanitarian support with Military and Civil Defence Assets (MCDA) in both natural disasters and complex emergencies. Recent examples for this include the Tsunami, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq and Haiti.
In the initial phases of conflict situations, military forces might be reluctant to include civilians in the planning process. At the same time, the opportunity for planning is very limited in sudden onset natural and technological emergencies. To accommodate these realities, OCHA's approach to civil-military coordination emphasises information sharing, a careful division of tasks, and, where feasible, collaborative planning.
Activities
ROMENACA supports regional efforts of the Civil-Military Coordination Section (CMCS), which is responsible for ensuring that Military and Civil Defence Assets are employed in a responsible manner and in accordance with international humanitarian principles.
The RO disseminates information on the Guidelines on the Use of MCDA in Disaster Relief (Oslo Guidelines) and Guidelines on the Use of MCDA to Support UN Humanitarian Activities in Complex Emergencies (MCDA Guidelines). The intent of the Oslo and MCDA Guidelines is to provide non-binding principles, concepts and recommended procedures, for the effective interaction of military and civilian actors involved in humanitarian response, especially in the emergency phase of crises. Critical areas for coordination include security, logistics, medical, transport and communications.
The RO's activities on Civil-Military coordination also include the provision of support to CMCS in running of the UN Civil-Military Coordination courses in the region (the first two courses in the region were conducted in UAE and Qatar in 2007 and 2008 respectively). The UN-CMCoord training differs from most national training programmes in terms of both content and method. The participants are the primary sources of knowledge, and share their expertise and present the capabilities of their organisations within a framework provided by the course management team. The diversity of participants must reflect the diversity in the field: they come from the different UN agencies, the Red Cross Movement, NGOs, affected and assisting states, as well as military and civil defence organisations, to make up an effective network and ensure the success of the training.
Information Management
Information Management (IM) is increasingly recognized as the foundation of effective humanitarian coordination. OCHA plays a leading role in both advocating for and providing the products and services necessary to support improved information management and decision-making in emergency response.
ROMENACA supports IM preparedness and response activities for humanitarian crises in the region, and is developing new systems and tools for the context and needs of the 27 countries and territories in its coverage area.
Objective
The primary objective of the IMU is to establish a hub of humanitarian information in order to strengthen and support a coordinated humanitarian response. The Unit works with governments and partner organisations in the region to make best use of available resources and expertise, and promote a culture of information sharing. The possibility of a timely response to a disaster is significantly enhanced if baseline data is readily accessible in advance of a crisis.
Core products/Activities
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Regional humanitarian website: The ROMENACA website is designed to be a portal for information about humanitarian activities in the region.
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Data preparedness: Accurate and timely information is critical in emergency response operations. For priority countries, ROMENACA collects and compiles baseline data that may be required to support effective information management in an emergency.
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Map production: The IMU offers a comprehensive, accurate and timely visualization of humanitarian situations and contexts. ROMENACA produces: Regional maps, thematic maps, situation maps, base maps and humanitarian profile maps.
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Who does What, Where database (3W): Knowledge of which organisations (Who) are carrying out what activities (What) in which locations (Where) is key to coordinating humanitarian response and ensuring that needs are met in any emergency/disaster. ROMENACA produces the 3W database for priority countries that request it.
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Surge Capacity: IMU staff members are deployed to support field offices in the case of an emergency.
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Support to OCHA Offices: ROMENACA provides a range of services intended to boost the capacity of OCHA field offices, and empower the network of OCHA IM staff in the region.
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Support to countries where OCHA does not maintain a presence: ROMENACA provides Information Management support to the Resident Coordinators of countries where OCHA does not have an office.
Partnership and External Relations
One of the key aims of OCHA’s Regional Office is to improve overall disaster preparedness and response through strengthening our partnerships with humanitarian actors in the region - including NGOs, international organisations, governments, donors, and the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement.
The Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia region is subject to natural hazards as well as complex emergencies. All of the above risks add to the overwhelming importance of improving the international community’s coordination and response. Given that no agency can fulfill all of the arising humanitarian needs alone, we believe that all humanitarian actors have a responsibility to coordinate their work. Otherwise, efforts to serve needy and vulnerable populations will be less efficient.
Moreover, shared beliefs in common humanitarian values clearly outweigh the various political and cultural differences, and humanitarian action is one of the few areas where there are genuine options in terms of bridging divisions.
The ultimate objective of our partnerships and external relations activities is to create a safer environment for the citizens of the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia region. By creating a more coordinated, efficient and better equipped humanitarian community, we aim to strengthen overall disaster response and preparedness. This also includes increasing the participation and recognition of our partners in the international humanitarian arena.
Public Information and Advocacy
One of the key components within OCHA’s mission statement is to 'advocate for the rights of people in need’. This includes raising the profile of humanitarian issues and principles within the UN, governments of member states, and the general public, as well as advocating for increased support and commitment of resources for humanitarian initiatives and interventions.
Increasing the volume of quality information available in the public domain is central to this effort. OCHA’s public information and advocacy products are based on the information provided to us by our partners operating in the field. As such, OCHA is in a unique position to provide reliable information about broader humanitarian trends and responses.
Objective
The overall objective of the Regional Office’s advocacy and public information efforts is to raise awareness of the plight of people whose lives have been affected by conflict and calamity. By raising the profile and understanding of humanitarian issues and principles, promoting adherence to international humanitarian law, and seeking adequate levels of funding for humanitarian efforts, we aim to ensure the best possible levels of protection and support for citizens in the region.
Core Products/ Activities
Coordination
OCHA facilitates the work of operational agencies that deliver humanitarian assistance to populations and communities in need. OCHA’s coordination mandate comes from the UN General Assembly Resolution 46/182 (1991), which created OCHA as one of the Departments of the United Nations Secretariat. Among all UN Secretariat Departments, OCHA second to the Department of the Peace-Keeping Operations in terms of field presence
The overall purpose of OCHA’s coordination role is to increase the collaboration among all humanitarian actors, particularly UN humanitarian agencies, in order to reduce gaps in humanitarian assistance.
At the global level, the Head of OCHA (the Emergency Relief Coordinator) chairs the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, which brings together all main humanitarian partners globally: UN, Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement, IOM and the three non-governmental organization (NGO) consortia. By developing common policies, guidelines and standards, the IASC supports a coherent inter-agency response to complex emergencies and natural and environmental disasters. OCHA also chairs the Executive Committee for Humanitarian Affairs (ECHA), which develops common UN positions on humanitarian issues.
On the country level, it is the UN Resident Coordinator (RC) or the UN Humanitarian Coordinator (HC) that has overall responsibility for ensuring coherence of relief efforts in the field. OCHA supports the RC/HC in needs assessments, contingency planning and the formulation of humanitarian programs. In particular, OCHA is supporting the work of the RC/HC and the humanitarian agencies by:
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Negotiating humanitarian access to the areas affected by an emergency, so that other Agencies could provide assistance to the people in need;
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Defining minimum standards for operations and assistance;
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Leading or facilitating assessments and then sharing the outcome with all humanitarian actors;
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Developing plans of action and monitoring the outcome. This includes country-level strategies to address humanitarian needs – the Common Humanitarian Action Plan (CHAP)
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Collecting, analysing and disseminating humanitarian information. OCHA’s information role benefits all humanitarian partners - UN Agencies, NGOs, Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies and the relevant Government institutions - in order to build a common understanding of the humanitarian needs in the country or region and the best ways to address them;
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Facilitating the funding of humanitarian operations by facilitating the preparation of the annual Consolidated Appeals for the disaster-stricken countries. In case of new emergencies, OCHA can assist the UN RC/HC in preparing a Flash Appeal for urgent financing of live-saving humanitarian needs (such as in Lebanon in 2006). OCHA’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) is an increasingly important and flexible financing tool for countries affected by sudden-onset emergencies.
OCHA is also supporting the implementation of the ‘Cluster Approach’, one of the key elements of the Humanitarian Reform, which addresses gaps and strengthening the effectiveness of humanitarian response through building partnerships. The aim of this approach is to ensure predictability and accountability in international responses to humanitarian emergencies, by clarifying the division of labour among organisations, and better defining their roles and responsibilities within the different sectors of the response.OCHA supports the Cluster Approach by providing specialized training and support, as well as by supporting the UN RC/HC’s leadership role in relation to the humanitarian actors working in a given country or emergency.
Emergency Preparedness
In order to strengthen the capacity of UN agencies, governments, and other humanitarian partners to respond more effectively to emergencies, OCHA ROMENACA facilitates contingency planning exercises, training workshops and data preparedness. The Regional Office plays a lead role in pandemic planning, especially in non-health sectors. Table-top exercise and simulations are used to test plans and improve preparedness.
OCHA works with governments, regional entities and others to implement the ‘Hyogo Framework for Action’, which is the global strategy for disaster risk reduction. This and a number of other initiatives are being incorporated into national preparedness and development strategies. ROMENACA also advocates for governments to engage more closely with global emergency mechanisms such as UNDAC (UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination) and INSARAG (International Search and Rescue Advisory Group), as well as facilitating training for OCHA, UN agencies and other standby partners in field coordination and emergency response. It is widely acknowledged that well-functioning disaster preparedness systems are essential to minimizing the loss of human lives, livelihoods when disasters strike. Given the critical relationship between timely and effective response and national preparedness systems, ROMENACA takes action to promote and/or strengthen preparedness activities within both UN Country Teams and national disaster management authorities. The five-pronged approach of the Unit to disaster preparedness in the region includes.
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Supporting disaster-prone countries through the Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator system;
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Supporting the creation and strengthening of response capabilities and mechanisms at the national, regional and international levels;
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Collaborating with partners to address transition issues as part of the UN Country Team structure; and
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Advocating to address global and underlying risk factors and promotion/support for early action on slow-onset disasters
Typical preparedness assistance to UN Country Teams and Inter-Agency Standing Committee Country Teams includes:
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Advice to country teams for revisions to UN Disaster Management Team (UNDMT) roles and responsibilities
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Inter-agency contingency planning support
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Self-assessment of preparedness for natural disasters
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Table-top/simulation exercises for reviewing/testing contingency plans
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Placement of National Disaster Response Advisers in support of UN Resident Coordinators and/or national disaster management authorities
Links:
Emergency Response
Resources and Capabilities
Since 2005 the OCHA Regional Office for the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia (ROMENACA) has provided support and assistance to governments through the UN system, and in conjunction with humanitarian partners. ROMENACA offers a wide range of technical expertise including disaster response coordination, funding mobilization, civil-military coordination, complex emergency monitoring, information management, and public information and advocacy coordination. ROMENACA can deploy staff (including a Regional Disaster Response Adviser, Humanitarian Affairs Officers, Public Information Officer and Information Management staff) and equipment as emergency surge support or as part of UNDAC (UN Disaster and Assessment Coordination) teams within hours of a major disaster, from its bases in Dubai, Cairo, Iran and Almaty.
OCHA ROMENACA 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 ROMENACA also regularly provides support to UN partners and other organisations in response to the humanitarian needs caused by smaller-scale emergencies, including monitoring and producing situation reports, advising on applications for emergency funding and assisting with broader advocacy outreach strategy, both in-country and from Dubai.
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.
Pandemic Preparedness
Pandemics have the potential to destabilize countries or regions. They cause large surges in the numbers of people requiring medical treatment, temporarily overwhelming health services. High rates of worker absenteeism can interrupt essential services, such as law enforcement, transport and communications, disrupting systems on which people depend for their security, livelihoods and welfare and giving rise to humanitarian crises.
Pandemics have happened before. In the 20th century, three pandemics occurred: “Spanish influenza” in 1918, “Asian influenza” in 1957, and “Hong Kong influenza” in 1968. The 1918 pandemic killed an estimated 45 million people worldwide – more than all the victims of World War I – and was one of the deadliest disease events in human history. The risk of a pandemic is particularly high now because of avian influenza. Since 2003, the H5N1 “bird flu” virus has caused devastation amongst poultry flocks in many countries around the world. In a number of cases, humans have also become infected through close contact with birds. If the virus were to develop the capacity to be transmitted from human to human, we would face a dangerous human flu pandemic.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) established Pandemic Influenza Contingency (PIC) to support efforts of the UN, national governments and the humanitarian community to be prepared to face an influenza pandemic. While the World Health Organisation (WHO) leads health preparedness efforts, OCHA/PIC promotes and supports preparedness in non-health sectors.
ROMENACA includes a PIC Regional Planning Officer and a Planning Analyst whose mission is to: 1) improve the readiness of UN Country Teams to cope with a sudden-onset pandemic; 2) assist national authorities (through UN Country Teams) to improve the preparedness of their country beyond the health sector; and 3) help national actors and their international partners to prepare for delivery of humanitarian assistance in a pandemic.
Activities
- Assess UN and national pandemic readiness;
- Maintain an on-line ‘tracker’ tool to map preparedness indicators and support in-country contingency planning efforts;
- Develop contacts with regional political institutions and other appropriate partners in order to raise awareness and advocate for multi-sectoral pandemic preparedness;
- Undertake missions to support contingency planning and simulations of national and UN plans;
- Assist UN Country Teams and national authorities in building pandemic preparedness plans and strategies into existing disaster preparedness and response mechanisms and disaster management structures;
- Identify ‘best practices’ and share experiences between countries;
- Coordinate relevant regional inter-agency initiatives.
Links
- Pandemic Influenza Contingency (PIC) Guidance and Assessment Tool
- UN Portal on Avian Influenza and the Pandemic Threat
- WHO Avian and Pandemic Influenza
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| This website was developed with the assistance of Thematic Funding from the Humanitarian Aid Department of the European Commission in 2004 and 2005
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