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United Nations Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
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The presence of the UN Humanitarian Coordinator (OCHA) in Somalia dates to
1999 with the establishment of a UN Coordination Unit. A full-fledged OCHA
office came into being in 2003. Since 1999, OCHA’s coordination role has
grown in relevance as well as in size as the humanitarian situation has
developed in Somalia. Since 2004, as the country has experienced drought,
the tsunami, floods, inter/intra clan violence, chronic food insecurity,
environmental degradation and displacement, OCHA Somalia has persevered in
its efforts to mobilise and coordinate an effective and principled
inter-agency humanitarian response. It has also expanded its in-country
presence, which now includes seven sub-offices in the three zones of
Somaliland, Puntland and South/Central (see map). The field offices are
supported by a central office in Nairobi.
In 2006, in collaboration with local authorities, UN agencies and aid
partners, OCHA has continued to conduct and lead inter-agency assessment
missions, identify priority needs, and facilitate the planning of common
responses to meet the needs of affected populations. To achieve these
objectives, OCHA has sought to improve coordination at the field level
through an even more strengthened field presence (both international and
national staff), especially in the more difficult operating environments of
southern and central Somalia to better support aid partners in the delivery
of assistance. OCHA has carried on negotiating humanitarian access,
promoting humanitarian principles and supporting grass-root local
reconciliation initiatives - where they promote humanitarian access - in
collaboration with the appropriate local authority structures. It has
assumed an important coordinating role to support UN agencies and aid
partners in their efforts to strengthen the protective environment in
Somalia, for example in setting up a protection monitoring network for the
country. OCHA has pursued its resource mobilisation efforts to improve the
timeliness and capacity of intervention responses of the humanitarian
community. Part of this entails advocating at different levels, locally and
internationally, on the dire humanitarian situation of a population
neglected for so many years.
In complex emergencies, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator plays a critical
role in mobilising and coordinating an effective and timely humanitarian
response. OCHA’s mandate is to support this role. Humanitarian coordination
is based on the belief that a coherent approach to emergency response will
maximise its benefits and minimise potential pitfalls, such as duplication
of aid response. A coordinated response will facilitate the development of
common strategies and joint responses, thus maximisation of resources. OCHA
promotes the respect for, and compliance with humanitarian principles of
impartiality, neutrality, independence and “Do no Harm”, in particular for
the protection of vulnerable civilian populations. Advocacy is a key
element to bringing international attention and support to crises but also
engagement and commitment by national and local authorities. In this
regard, OCHA is particularly vested in securing unimpeded and sustained
humanitarian access to vulnerable populations in need of assistance.
Click here for more information
Contact:
Amanda Di Lorenzo
OCHA Somalia
P.O. Box 28832, 00200 Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254 20 3754150-5
Fax: +254 20 3754156
Email: dilorenzoa@un.org
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