Dear attendee, we appreciate your Please ensure your ...

Dear attendee, we appreciate your participation.

Please ensure your microphone is on mute;

Don´t forget to complete the registration form available on the chat .

Webinar on Assessments under Pandemic Contexts

13 July 2021OCHA ROLAC

AGENDA

I. Data collection challenges during pandemic

II. Lessons learned and experiences from

ETA/IOTA, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines

and Equatorial Guinea.

III. Q&A

IV. Closing remarks

DATA COLLECTION DURING A PANDEMIC

Webinar UNETTs in the Caribbean

Lessons learned and experiences from ETA/IOTA, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines and Equatorial Guinea

Lessons Learned from ETA/IOTA

JOINT, COORDINATED NEEDS ASSESMENTS IN GUATEMALA (ETA/IOTA).

Tropical Storm Eta hit Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala in early November 2020 (5 & 6). From 9 to 18 a field mission was carried out among OCHA, UNICEF, and UN Women to visit every most-affected state and interview with key informants. Along the way, several HCT members were already collecting info and first responding in their territories (projects): Oxfam, the Red Cross, WFP, IOM, PAHO/WHO, CARE, CRS, Mercy Corps, Plan International, local NGOs, World Vision, among others. Strategic mission objective was not necessarily collecting the info but compiling it!!!

Municipal and State EOCs data,Local authorities (mayors, governors),Most-affected communities (leaders and women),HCT members,Along the way,Networking,Assessing logistics and severity for UNDAC mission,Extra data (e.g., household damage),Access, accountability, meetings, Trusting, confidence, partnership.



UNDAC mission plus MapAction,Flash Appeal or what?HRP or what?CERF projects …. which ones?Access, logistics, hot spots,Cross information with Honduras and El Salvador, and OCHA Regional Office,Coordinating up to 25 organizations, many of them local and not-HCT,Pushing the 345W,Deploying key officers for near future.

Thanks!!!

Lessons learned from Saint Vincent & the Grenadines

Saint Vincent & the Grenadines

• Protocol = Daily symptoms and movements log;

• One team member dedicated exclusively to movements, security

and COVID protocols with AST support;

• Biggest movement restrictions = volcano security protocols (self-

imposed). Need for police escort, coastguard, radio protocol;

• Vehicles = limited vehicle sharing with people from outside the

team;

• Difficulties participating in coordination = Very crowded

coordination spaces (NEMO);Picture taken from NEMO SVG (2021). Url: https://www.facebook.com/nemosvg/photos/a.639525212758105/4006055126105080

Saint Vincent & the Grenadines

• Online consultations-even with people in the same town;

• Regular PCR tests and humanitarian working quarantine;

protocol;

• Vaccinations;

• Limited access to sites (e.g. shelters): Too many visits by too

many agencies, exposure risk -> access restrictions

• Barbados = Six day quarantine before assessment!

• Very limited travel options and complicated connections:

Schedule changes, overnight stops, PCR tests en route…Picture taken from NEMO SVG (2021). Url: https://www.facebook.com/nemosvg/photos/a.639525212758105/4003666596343933

Lessons Learned from Equatorial Guinea

United NationsDisaster Assessment and CoordinationFCSS

UNDAC United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team

Case Study:Bata Explosions, Equatorial Guinea

Margherita Fanchiotti, PhDUNDAC Team Leader &

Focal Point for Response, UNEP/OCHA Joint Environment Unit,OCHA Emergency Response Section



Timeline of emergency responseduring COVID-19

Beirut Explosions (Aug 2020)

Hurricanes Eta & Iota (Nov-Dec 2020)

Bata Explosions (Mar–Apr 2021)

La Soufriere Volcano Eruptions (Apr-May 2021)

Sri Lanka MV X-Press Pearl wrecking (June 2021)

Guyana floods (June 2021)





Two UN missionsdeployed:

1. Humanitarian, underthe leadership ofUNDAC

2. Security, under theleadership of the UN Regional Centre forPeace and Disarmament in Africa(UNREC)

Humanitarian response



• To assess the overall situation, with a focus on urgent humanitarian needs;

• To conduct rapid environmental assessments to identify direct and possible secondary environmental impacts and advise on mitigation measures, with a focus on acute, life-threatening risks;

• To provide coordination support to the government;• To identify key elements that should be addressed in the

immediate humanitarian response phase to ensure smooth transition into recovery;

• To coordinate needs assessments and ensure continued communication with RC/RCO, national authorities and other actors to minimize duplication of efforts;

• To support on information management and reporting;• To ensure continuous information sharing and communication of

outputs of the response, under the leadership of the RC/RCO;• To provide the government and the RC/UNCT with short-term,

medium-term and long-term recommendations in the above-identified areas.

Mission objectives



Assessments & the HPCNeeds Assessment & Analysis• Rapid establishment of A&A Cell, within

36 hours from explosions (virtual component)

• Integration of A&A Cell in international coordination structure (with on-site component)

• Multi-Sector Initial Rapid Assessment (MIRA) approach adopted

Kickstarting the HPC & informing Strategic Planning / Resource Mobilization• Central Emergency Response Fund

(CERF) – 1M USD• Rapid release of funding for two

priority sectors (logs & protection)• Emergency and Recovery Plan – 10M

USD• Against assessed strategic

humanitarian priorities



Secondary data & Community-level analysis

• Four inter-agency assessment teams, for a total of 21 assessors:

1. Shelters2. Hospitals3. Schools4. Communities

• Key informants & direct observations



Humanitarian profile310 K

Total Population(INEGE 2020)

130 KPeople living in affected areas

(INEGE 2020)

6.1 %Affected population,

out of total

19 KAffected population

8 KPopulation in need

4.5 KIDPs

107Fatalities

(Official data)

3.6 KNon-

Displaced

2.6 %Target population, out of total

4.5 KStaying with families

and friends3.5 KIn need,

Non-Host

700Injured

(Official data)



Humanitarian needs & prioritiesHumanitarian Priorities

1 SHELTER

2 FOOD SECURITY, WASH & LIVELIHOODS

3 LOGISTICS AND PROTECTION

4 HEALTH

5 EDUCATION

• Many people displaced by the explosions and currently inland. Several families still livingin heavily damaged buildings in poor housing conditions. Many families separated furtherto the explosions. Shelter, WASH and food security as major needs.

• Logistics remains a major concern for movement of incoming aid and responders.UNHAS activation requested under CERF activation.

• Progress made in securing the explosion site, with the military patrolling the area.Identification, mapping, removal and destruction of unexploded ordnances also advancing,but waste-picking a concern. Educational campaign launched to inform the population onresidual risks and hotline established. Increased risk of gender-based violence.

• Health situation improving, with 50 patients currently in the hospitals. Priorities are nowrehabilitation, physiotherapy and psychological support (particularly for children).Concerns over injured people that may not have received medical attention. HeightenedCOVID-19 risks. Reported 23% reduction in access to therapy for people living with HIV.

• Schools closed since one month prior to explosion due to COVID-19, now extended fortwo additional weeks. 26 schools damaged. Concerns over educational continuity: 6,000students affected.



Informing humanitarian financing+ 1M USD CERF allocation (logistics & protection)



• COVID-19 risks Vital to have robust protocols in place (duty of care)

• Delays in mobilization Remote initiation of assessments even more critical

• Limited international response & development context Key to work with local actors UNDAC contribution to method & coordinated

assessments Stronger capacity-building element

Challenges & lessons learned for assessments in a pandemic context

Thank you!

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Q&A

Closing remarks

Dear attendee, we appreciate your Please ensure your ...

Documents