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About Us |
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OCHA in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka 's 25 year long conflict saw dramatic developments during 2008. In January, the Government withdrew from the 2002 Ceasefire Agreement. Military activities increased in the northern Vanni region with displacement increasing sharply during the second half of the year. Rising insecurity forced United Nations and NGO staff to relocate in September 2008. Since then, assistance to address the most urgent humanitarian needs for the estimated 230,000 internally displaced persons has been provided through relief convoys.
In contrast to the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the North, the East witnessed significant progress, including the return of 126,000 people who had been displaced in 2006 and 2007. Local elections in March, followed by provincial elections in May 2008 brought former fighters from a breakaway faction of the LTTE into government structures. Consequently, the focus of assistance moved from relief to recovery -- rebuilding homes, restoring livelihoods and stabilizing communities. Humanitarian assistance also continued for the remaining 22,000 IDPs in camps and host families.
Progress in the East has been tempered by significant, lingering protection and rule of law concerns. Populations outside of the conflict areas, including Sri Lanka 's capital, Colombo , have been subjected to regular acts of violence including indiscriminate bombings and explosions. The country is also prone to natural disasters, especially flooding, which usually accompanies the bi-annual monsoon rains, causing large-scale, albeit temporary displacements.
In 2009, OCHA will continue to support humanitarian response efforts through its main office in Colombo and field offices in Vavuniya, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Jaffna . The Vavuniya office will be reinforced to support ongoing relief and protection needs in the North. The offices in Jaffna and the East will monitor residual humanitarian and protection needs as well as support the transition from humanitarian coordination to recovery and development structures.
Under the leadership of the UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator (RC/HC), OCHA Sri Lanka will continue its support to the UN and humanitarian country teams, including to the UN Focal Points/Area Security Coordinators in the main conflict-affected areas. Integral to this support are the information products and services provided by the Information Management Unit.
OCHA will continue to lead the humanitarian planning process through the Common Humanitarian Action Plan (CHAP) as well as facilitate regular contingency planning exercises. OCHA will also support the UN RC/HC and the wider humanitarian community in developing advocacy strategies and communication messages ensuring humanitarian and protection needs are effectively addressed. OCHA will provide liaison support to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Human Rights to facilitate its role as Chair of the Consultative Committee on Humanitarian Affairs. Capacity building for information management and disaster planning and response will also be provided to the Ministry's Disaster Management Centre. For more information about OCHA, visit OCHA On-line .
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A Brief History of OCHA
In December 1991, the General Assembly adopted Resolution 46/182, designed to strengthen the United Nation's response to both complex emergencies and natural disasters. In addition it aimed at improving the overall effectiveness of the UN's humanitarian operations in the field.
The resolution also created the high level position of Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC). This new function would combine into a single UN focal point the functions carried out by representatives of the Secretary-General for major and complex emergencies, as well as the UN's natural disaster functions carried out by the UN Disaster Relief Coordinator, UNDRO.
Soon after, the Secretary-General established the Department of Humanitarian Affairs (DHA) and assigned the ERC the status of Under-Secretary-General (USG) for Humanitarian Affairs with offices in New York and Geneva to provide institutional support.
Resolution 46/182 also created the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), the Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP) and the Central Emergency Revolving Fund (CERF) as key coordination mechanisms and tools of the ERC.
As part of the Secretary-General's programme of reform in 1998, DHA was reorganized into the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA. Its mandate was expanded to include the coordination of humanitarian response, policy development and humanitarian advocacy.
OCHA carries out its coordination function primarily through the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, which is chaired by the ERC. Participants include all humanitarian partners, from UN agencies, funds and programmes to the Red Cross Movement and NGOs. The IASC ensures inter-agency decision-making in response to complex emergencies. These responses include needs assessments, consolidated appeals, field coordination arrangements and the development of humanitarian policies.
Budget and staffing
The core functions of OCHA are supported by 1,064 staff members in New York, Geneva and in the field. OCHA's budget for 2007 is $159,079,639, of which about $12,720,476, comes from the regular UN budget and the remainder (more than $146 million, including projects and field activities) from extra-budgetary resources donated by Member States and donor organizations.
Emergency Relief Coordinator
The functions of the ERC are focused in three core areas:
(a) policy development and coordination functions in support of the Secretary-General, ensuring that all humanitarian issues, including those which fall between gaps in existing mandates of agencies such as protection and assistance for internally displaced persons, are addressed;
(b) advocacy of humanitarian issues with political organs, notably the Security Council; and
(c) coordination of humanitarian emergency response, by ensuring that an appropriate response mechanism is established, through Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) consultations, on the ground.
Sir John Holmes of the United Kingdom was appointed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to replace Jan Egeland of Norway as Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator on 4 January 2007.
Click here to see the OCHA Annual Report - 2007
Please contact us to send any feedback, comments or questions you have about OCHA Sri Lanka. |
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