ALNAP | Front page news

Floods in Pakistan 'More Destructive than Tsunami'

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 11:07:58 GMT

Posted on 10 August at 11:07.

The number of people affected by Pakistan's floods is now estimated to be 13.8 million, according to the Government of Pakistan.

While not all may be in need of immediate humanitarian assistance, and the severity of their needs has not yet been fully assessed, this is a higher figure than those who were affected by the 2005 South Asia tsunami (five million), the 2005 South Asia earthquake (three million), or the 2010 Haiti earthquake (three million).

The estimate of homes destroyed or seriously damaged — 290,000 — is almost the same as those destroyed in Haiti.

The ALNAP Lessons paper, Flood disasters: Learning from previous relief and recovery operations may prove useful for agencies planning and delivering humanitarian operations in the affected areas.

26th ALNAP Meeting

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 15:07:26 GMT

Posted on 20 July at 15:07.

The role of national governments in international humanitarian response to disasters

The 26th ALNAP Meeting will focus on the relationship between the international humanitarian system and national governments. Building on existing and new research by ALNAP and others, the meeting will bring together a range of key humanitarian and government actors with the specific aim of exploring better ways of collaborating in disaster response.

Hosted by the Red Cross/ Red Crescent Movement and supported by Mercy Malaysia, the meeting will take place between 16th-18th November 2010 in Kuala Lumpur

We look forward to welcoming ALNAP full members to join us for this agenda setting meeting in the humanitarian calendar. The meeting concept note is available to read here and more information can be found on the meeting here.

Surging food prices hit food security across the world

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 14:26:05 GMT

Posted on 9 June at 14:26.

Rising food prices are having an impact on humanitarian operations around the world. This report from Bloomberg highlights that the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization's food price index -- which includes grains, meat, dairy and other items in 90 countries -- was up 22 percent in March from a year earlier. In some Asian markets, rice and wheat prices are 20 to 70 percent above 2008 levels.

With food consuming up to 70 percent of family income in the poorest countries, rising prices are squeezing household budgets and threatening to worsen malnutrition.

The ALNAP Lessons paper, The Global Food Price Crisis: Lessons and Ideas for Relief Planners and Managers may prove useful for agencies planning humanitarian operations in the context of rising food prices.

ALNAP Innovations Case Studies

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 11:53:50 GMT

Posted on 22 June at 11:53.

ALNAP has published the firth in our new Innovations Case Study series, which aims to highlight and promote specific innovations across the humanitarian sector, as well as to help organisations better understand innovations processes and how they can be better implemented. These new ALNAP information products build on the Humanitarian Innovations Fair that took place at the 25th ALNAP Meeting in London.

Case Study No. 5 - Transitional shelter: understanding shelter from the emergency through reconstruction and beyond

Transitional Shelter is a pioneering approach to the provision of shelter in emergency response, recovery and reconstruction. The approach of transitional shelter acknowledges that reconstruction takes usually between two and five years, but that a tent only lasts around one year.

The approach is not another phase of response: rather, it involves building and upgrading incrementally, from materials that offer immediate shelter such as plastic sheeting or sustainable local materials. This Innovation Case Study highlights the development of the transitional-shelter approach, using recent examples from several implementing agencies.

The previous case studies in the ALNAP Innovations Case Study series are:

Case Study No. 1 - Cash Transfers through Mobile Phones: An Innovative Emergency Response in Kenya

Concern Worldwide has pioneered the use of M-PESA for emergency cash transfers in Kenya and this study highlights Concern’s experience, which shows that despite initial software and logistical challenges, mobile phone technology offers a unique and empowering approach to efficiently deliver. In addition, the partnership between Concern and Safaricom demonstrates that the private sector has significant and unique abilities to enhance the effectiveness of emergency response, and more importantly they can do so while maintaining their core business principles.

Click here to download Case Study No 1.

Case Study No. 2 - The Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards: Improving the Quality of Emergency Response through Livelihoods-based Standards

The Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards (LEGS) project aims to increase the quality of emergency response by promoting minimum standards for livestock-based interventions.The Standards follow the format of the Sphere handbook and covers a range of livestock-based interventions – destocking, feed, water, veterinary services and restocking – as well as support and guidance on livelihoods-based needs assessment and identification of appropriate, timely and feasible emergency responses.

Click here to download Case Study No 2.

Case Study No. 3 - Last Mile Mobile Solutions: Technology and Partnering for Social Innovation

World Vision and its Information Technology (IT) partners have developed innovative software for use on robust mobile computers to meet an unmet need in humanitarian applications. The Last Mile Mobile Solutions (LMMS) initiative focuses on field-based data collection, management and analysis processes in an effort to eliminate duplication, streamline business variations, and remove complexity. Positive outcomes have led to overwhelming support from within World Vision and partners for the expansion of these innovations.

Click here to download Case Study No 3.

Case Study No. 4: Supporting community-based emergency response at scale: innovations in the wake of Cyclone Nargis

The case study examines the innovative grants dispersal process and information sharing mechanisms put in place in the wake of Cyclone Nargis, which struck Myanmar in 2008. It describes how appropriate support for local civil-society interventions following a rapid-onset emergency can enable very fast and responsive relief at scale.

Click here to download Case Study No 4.

Justin Corbett, the author of the case-study, is currently exploring the potential for similar processes of innovative support to civil society organisations in Haiti. Anyone interested in this work should contact him on: +33 (0)4 79064755, skype: Kerrenlynn or email: jjcroving@gmail.com

Niger's slow-onset food crisis

Fri, 21 May 2010 14:19:11 GMT

Posted on 21 May at 14:19.

Aid agencies are warning that a severe food and malnutrition crisis is looming in Niger. Food and fodder prices in parts of the south are up around 30 percent whilst incomes have dropped to half of what they were last September due to more agriculture workers competing for dwindling jobs. More than 20,000 under-five children are being treated for malnutrition nationwide and at least another 200,000 are at risk of severe malnutrition, according to OCHA.

Update 21/05/10: Niger's government needs another 45 billion CFA francs ($85.24 million) in food aid after a new survey found 500,000 more people than previously thought will face severe food shortages this year

ALNAP can highlight a number of resources that may be useful for aid agencies working to tackle the food crisis in Niger:

The ALNAP- ProVention lessons paper on Slow-Onset Disasters. This paper provides a synthesis of lessons learnt from relief and recovery responses to past slow-onset disasters – including those involving food insecurity.

Action Contre La Faim briefing de presse- Niger, Un An Apres- Juin 2006

Meeting report 'Niger- Beyond the Blame Game' from a HPG- ALNAP meeting held in London, 2005 which looked at the humanitarian response to the 2005 food crisis in Niger.

HPG Briefing note on the humanitarian issues surrounding the 2005 food crisis in Niger.

Previous evaluations of humanitarian action in Niger

Beyond Any Drought, Root causes of chronic vulnerability in the Sahel
Action against Hunger; British Red Cross Society; CARE International; Christian Aid; Concern; Oxfam; Relief International; Save the Children Fund; Tearfund; World Vision Date
June 2007

Evaluation of CAFOD's organisational response to Niger's 2005 food crisis
Cafod
May 2007

Sahel (Niger & Burkina Faso) Food Crisis
Tearfund
April 2007

Drought and Vulnerability - A review of context, capacity and appropriate interventions in the Sahel Region of West Africa
ECHO
Feb 2007

The Cost of being Poor: Markets, mistrust and malnutrition in southern Niger 2005-2006
Save the Children Fund
June 2006

Joint Independent Evaluation of the Humanitarian Response to the 2005 Food Crisis in the Republic of Niger
CARE, CRS, Save the Children and World Vision
Nov 2005

Further evaluations relevant to the Niger slow-onset food crisis can be found in the Evaluative Reports database (ERD)

The State of the Humanitarian System report now available

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 14:33:41 GMT

Posted on 14 April at 14:33.

The ALNAP State of the Humanitarian System report is the most comprehensive effort to date to assess the performance and the progress of the International Humanitarian System.

For the first time the size, shape, resources and overall performance of the international humanitarian system has been assessed and synthesised into a single study. The pilot State of the Humanitarian System report provides those within and outside the sector the opportunity to examine how well the system has performed in the past few years, and highlights key areas for improvement going forward.

The report is available to download here and was launched in the UK at the British Academy, London; images courtesy of Peter Wiles can be seen here. For further information about the report, please contact j.harris@alnap.org

The report is now available in French and Spanish

Earthquake response: useful resources

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 14:36:05 GMT

Posted on 23 March at 14:36.

Given the experiences after the international response to the tsunami, we are all concerned to promote a coordinated approach to all learning and accountability activities and to minimize unnecessary duplication. To this end we have developed a Haiti Learning and Accountability portal which aims to provide a single site where you can share details of your ongoing and planned learning and accountability activities.

The ALNAP Lessons Paper 'Responding to earthquakes 2008: Learning from earthquake relief and recovery operations' may prove of use. This paper aims to provide a distillation of the learning from 29 different earthquake responses taking place over thirty years of humanitarian responses. The paper is also available in French and Spanish

As the worst affected area of Haiti appears to be the heavily populated capital city, Port-au-Prince, the ALNAP Lessons Paper 'Responding to urban disasters: Learning from previous relief and recovery operations' may also be of use.

The Independent Evaluation Group (IEG)/ World Bank has produced an evaluative note on lessons learned from the disaster relief. This note aims to share lessons learned and best practices from the previous relief efforts that could be relevant for work in Haiti.

The Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery has produced Safer Homes, Stronger Communities: A Handbook for Reconstructing After Natural Disasters. This link will take you to an online e-book, where the full report can be read.

ALNAP has also received an additional resource list from TorqAid relating to the October 2009 Padang earthquake, that may also be useful.

25th ALNAP Meeting: 'Innovations in International Humanitarian Action'

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:13:39 GMT

Posted on 4 December at 17:13.

Many thanks to all of those Full and Observer Members that attended and contributed to the 25th ALNAP Meeting. Day one built on recent ALNAP research on innovations in international humanitarian response, highlighting perspectives from outside and within the sector.

ALNAP was delighted to welcome Minouche Shafik, Permanent Secretary, DFID, as she announced £3 million investment in humanitarian innovation to find new ways of delivering assistance to those affected by conflict and natural disasters.

Keynote presentations were delivered by John Mitchell, Director of ALNAP and Lynda Gratton, Professor of Management Practice at London Business School.

An “Innovations Fair”, closed Day One of the ALNAP meeting, showcasing over 20 humanitarian innovations.

Day Two of the ALNAP Meeting, for ALNAP Full Member Organisations and invited guests included the first public presentation of the findings of the ALNAP State of the System review.

ALNAP Protection Guide now available in French

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:43:06 GMT

Posted on 24 November at 15:43.

Protection- an ALNAP guide for humanitarian agencies by Hugo Slim and Andrew Bonwick is now available in a French language version, courtesy of Groupe URD

8th Review of Humanitarian Action

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:40:19 GMT

Posted on 3 November at 14:40.

ALNAP has launched its 8th Review of Humanitarian Action. This edition contains three in-depth studies on humanitarian performance, improving humanitarian impact assessment and innovations in international humanitarian response. It provides an important contribution to our understanding of the complexities of assessing humanitarian performance and presents ways to think about and strengthen innovations across the sector.

Download chapters | Previous Reviews of Humanitarian Action