Pan American Health Organization Inter-American Mechanism for Disaster Response Where do we go? Dr....

Pan AmericanHealthOrganization

Inter-American Mechanismfor Disaster Response

Where do we go?

Dr. Jean Luc Poncelet

Area Manager Emergency preparedness and Disaster Relief PAHO/WHO

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IACNDR

• A solid concept of the OAS:– Established in 1999 : AG/Res.1682– Confirmed in 2005, 06,07 and 2009

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Inter-American Natural Disaster Response

Event

Any agency detects natural disaster event and can trigger the EOC

Posts disaster information on IACNDR

response webpage

Inter-American response Meeting

Situation reports

Convenes Preparedness & Response working

group

Each agency initiates response and informs working group of each agency’s response.

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Day 0 - Day 3

•OAS: Activation of Inter-American Emergency Aid Fund (FONDEM) with pending request of affected state.

•IDB: Mobilization of USD 200k per country conditioned to declaration of emergency and request.

•PADF: Verify needs and mobilize National/ Regional/International/ Private Sector capacity. Establish direct contact with National Authorities.

•IADB: Follow-up with Defense Ministers of affected country. Give technical advice in consultation with OAS & Member States in humanitarian aid & assistance, search & rescue in disaster events.

•IICA: Review of Damage Assessment & Needs Analysis (DANA) prepared by national emergency office.

• PAHO: Mobilize regional response team and activate UN Health Cluster.

Inter-American Natural Disaster Response Mechanism

Trigger: EOC alerts IACNDR of event

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Day 4 - Day ?

•OAS-EOC: Maintains point of contact services, enhanced communication, generates reports, monitors deployment of technical advisors to field.

•OAS: Facilitate technical briefing of Ambassadors & IACNDR, coordinate/request information to Embassies. The Response Committee sends a briefing note to the Permanent Mission

•IDB: Identify mission to facilitate immediate response facility loan & loan reformation.

•PADF: Coordinate closely with OAS, continue to mobilize capacity, report on role of private sector.

•IADB: Bilateral support-facilitate contacts (military) with affected countries. Continue technical advice.

•IICA: Conduct detailed Damage Assessment of the Agricultural sector, with UNECLAC, using a Macroeconomic framework.

•PAHO: Implement flash appeal, boost the MOH capacity and beef up the health cluster

Inter-American Natural Disaster Response Mechanism

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The final goal

• To enhance national and international assistance to populations affected by natural disasters by:– strengthening and complementing the local

response capacity

– improving the quality and appropriateness of external assistance

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Complementary

• A sophisticated humanitarian coordination system already exists at the national, sub-regional and global level:

– Civil defense and emergency committees– CDERA, CEPREDENAC, CAPRADE, …– UN System: ERC, OCHA, Clusters, CERF, … – NGOs and Red Cross Coordination mechanisms– OAS: IACNDR, Preparedness and Response Group,

…

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Where can the OAS make a difference in disaster response

• Good information / Intelligence

• Good governance & accountability

• Professional expertise on-site

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Good information/ intelligence

Reliable and practical information can be more valuable than stockpiles of supplies.

Many donors are on stand-by to provide supplies yet few have information on what

is really needed.

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Good governance and accountability in handling humanitarian supplies

• An Inter-American standardized tool to manage large amounts of humanitarian supplies as well as an indicator of transparency.

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“private page”

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Proposals for improvement of the preparedness response mechanism

• Better information management:– A unified source of information: an Inter- American website

linked with the UN’s ReliefWeb – Creation of a full time disaster response coordination position

at the assistant Secretary General office

• A stronger instituational link: – Regular Progress report to the permanent council– Nomination on a rotation basis of three member state to

integrate the Preparedness and Response committee?

• An improved OAS capacity:– Training of Foreign services in Wash in countries with OAS

Representatives– Facilitators to be provided by UN and OAS response agencies

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Proposals for improvement of the preparedness response mechanism

• Stronger Inter-American System:– Propose to OAS assembly the endorsement

of technical guidelines on improving the quality of humanitarian donations

– A regional guideline for Foreign Affairs– Others proposed by the permanent councils

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Conclusions