New Emergencies Policy

“To be accountable to our beneficiaries, we must close the gap between what we practice and what we preach. We must improve both what we do, and how we do it.” Jan Egeland, UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency

What does this mean to you?

The New Emergencies Policy represents a commitment by HAP-I’s members to make a special collective effort to apply the HAP-I Principles of Accountability from the outset in all new humanitarian emergency situations.

The overall goal of the New Emergencies Policy:

To establish a commitment by HAP-I’s members to make a special collective effort to apply the HAP-I Principles of Accountability from the outset in all new humanitarian emergency situations.

What is a “New Emergency”?

A “humanitarian emergency” is an urgent response designed to save lives subject to an imminent threat. A “new” emergency is the response that is mounted as a consequence of a recent event, such as an earthquake or tidal wave, or as a consequence of recently increased vulnerability due, for example, to deteriorating security, the outbreak of a disease epidemic or the exhaustion of local coping strategies.

The rationale:

1. It is easier to do it right from the start.

1. The more difficult the case, the stronger the rationale for accountability.

2. Be seen to do it right.

The New Emergencies Protocol:

The “New Emergencies Protocol” proposes a set of steps and action to take in order to facilitate the implementation of the new emergencies policies. Some examples include: joint assessments, joint capacity building, joint preparedness, etc.

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