Humanitarian Response Review - Commissioned by the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator and USG for Humanitarian Affairs
The Humanitarian Response Review (HRR) was launched by the Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC) to assess the humanitarian response capacities of the UN, NGOs, Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement and other key humanitarian actors including the International Organization for Migration (IOM), identify the gaps and make recommendations to address them.
The consultants considered complex emergencies (man made) and major emergencies (natural disaster) and have organized the review around the notions of preparedness and response capacities, using already existing definitions largely accepted by the humanitarian community. In relation to "preparedness", they examined specifically the preparedness of humanitarian organizations. In view of the tight timeframe assigned and the resources available, the focus of the study has been on the "international" response and on aspects relevant to the first phase of a crisis (to a maximum of 18 months).
The report is organized into four Chapters. Chapter 1 covers benchmarks for accountability and performance of the international response, while the second chapter examines the preparedness and response capacity of the international humanitarian organizations. Chapter 3 focuses on coordination, and the final chapter deals with the financing of emergency operations. Each chapter includes relevant recommendations, with responsibility for action. The consultants consider it the task of the stakeholders to assign priority and appropriate timeframe to specific actions.
The Report should be seen as part of a broader exercise and as the first phase of a larger mapping. The team recommends pursuing this mapping in an appropriate framework in order to cover missing or only partially covered elements. The quantity and the quality of the information received are however sufficient and relevant enough to identify global trends in relation to the "international response" and to draw conclusions and recommendations (at the global and sectoral levels). Some of the trends observed at the global level seem to be also present at the local, national or regional levels in the countries or regions affected. Hence, some of the conclusions and recommendations presented at the global level could also be applied at those levels.
