ROLE OF UNITED NATIONS IN

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

SUBMITTED BY:
12614- NIHARIKA, 12616- GIONI, 12617- PRATYUSH , 12618MINAL

FAO

The Food and Agriculture Organization

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE ORGANIZATION

FAO leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed
and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations
meet as equals to negotiate agreements and debate policy. FAO is also a
source of knowledge and information, and helps developing countries and
countries in transition modernize and improve agriculture, forestry and
fisheries practices and ensure good nutrition for all.
Core areas of FAOs mandate are to improve agricultural productivity, to raise
levels of nutrition, better the lives of rural populations and contribute to the
growth of the world economy.

 Disaster

reduction goal

FAO helps countries to prevent, mitigate, prepare for and respond to food
and agricultural threats and emergencies by focusing on:
Strengthening disaster preparedness and the ability to mitigate the
impact of emergencies that affect food security and the productive
capacities of rural populations;
Forecasting and providing early warning of adverse conditions in
the food and agricultural sectors, and of impeding food emergencies
including monitoring of plant and animal pests and diseases;
Assessing needs and formulating programmes for agricultural relief and
rehabilitation, facilitating the transition and linkages between emergency
relief, recovery and development interventions in food and agriculture;
Reducing vulnerability and enhancing resilience by strengthening local
capacities and coping mechanisms for DRR by guiding the choice of
agricultural practices, technologies and support services.

UNDP

United Nations Development Programme

Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery

General description of the organization

UNDP is the UNs global development network, an organization advocating

for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and
resources to help people build a better life. UNDP works on the ground in
166 countries, working with countries on their own solutions to global and
national development challenges.

Disaster reduction goal

UNDP supports disaster-prone countries in the development of legislative

frameworks, operational systems and coordination mechanisms to ensure
the integration of risk reduction into human development, through its Bureau
for Crisis Prevention and Recovery.
Policies

UNICEF

United Nations Childrens Fund

General description of the organization

UNICEF is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate

for the protection of childrens rights, to help meet their basic needs and to
expand their opportunities to reach their full potential.
UNICEF is guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against
Women and strives to establish girls and boys rights as enduring ethical
principles and international standards of behavior towards children.

Disaster reduction goal

To meet the objectives of the HFA, UNICEF believes it is critical that development
work is hazard proofed, that education facilities are safe and provide an
opportunity for children and adults to learn about disasters and that
humanitarian action and recovery contribute to a reduction of disaster risk.
UNICEF also supports early warning and emergency preparedness facilitating a
timely, effective and national authority led humanitarian response.

WFP

General description of the organization

As the food assistance arm of the UN, WFP uses its food to: meet emergency
needs and support economic & social development and promote world
food security. WFP also provides the logistics support necessary to get food
to the right people at the right time and in the right place. WFP heads the
Logistics Cluster in order to provide common service to the humanitarian
community in emergency interventions. WFP works to put hunger at the
centre of the international agenda, promoting policies, strategies and
operations that directly benefit the poor and hungry.

Disaster reduction goal

Within its own capacity and resources, WFP strengthens the capacity of affected
countries and local communities to prevent, prepare for and respond to
humanitarian crises. With its new Strategic Plan, WFP aims at preventing acute
hunger by investing in disaster preparedness and mitigation measures

WHO

General description of the organization

WHO, as a specialized agency of the United

Nations, is the directing and coordinating
authority for health within the United Nations
system.
WHOs Constitution came into force on 7 April
1948.

WHO

is responsible for providing leadership on

global health matters,
shaping

the health research agenda, setting

norms and standards,
articulating

evidence-based policy options,

providing technical support tocountries and
monitoring and assessing health trends.

Disaster reduction goal

To support countries in building national capacity in risk reduction and

emergency preparedness, and to assist the health sector in Member States in
reducing the adverse public health consequences for communities in terms of
mortality, morbidity, disability and damage to health care delivery services
resulting from emergencies, disasters and other crises.

Preparedness as a set of managerial measures

Contingency arrangements: to ensure that the human and

material resources are readily available:
Scenarios setting and contingency planning process
Training emergency support staff and standby personnel
Creating ready access to relief supplies in the form of
stockpiles or stand-by arrangements with suppliers
Standby arrangements for transport

Research and development (tailored kits, appropriate water

technologies, etc.)
Fundraising plans and cultivating relationships with key actors
(UN, donors, NGOs)
Pre-positioning of materials in areas of risk
Pre-establishing protocols and organizational support for needs
assessment and response teams

Situations monitoring & needs assessment: to identify crisis

situations before they become critical and to define an
appropriate response:

Surveying of areas of risk

Identifying sites for assessment work
Deploying need assessment teams
Establishing adequate early communications about conditions
as they develop

Maintaining situation monitoring personnel and equipment in

the field
Developing appropriate response

Initial response consists of the mobilization and deployment of

personnel, equipment, and materials to the crisis site:
Activating funding arrangements, stand-by personnel and
supply arrangements
Mobilizing and deploying permanent and stand-by personnel
Hiring local personnel as required
Establishing an operations site with logistics and
communication systems
Delivering emergency goods
Coordinating response with other humanitarian agencies

THE WORLD BANK

General description of the organization
Since inception in 1944, the World Bank has expanded from a single institution to a
closely associated group of five development institutions. The mission has evolved from
the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development as facilitator of post-war
reconstruction and development to the present day mandate of worldwide poverty
alleviation.

Disaster reduction goal

The overarching objective is to mainstream disaster risk reduction and

climatechange adaptation in country development strategies, such as Poverty
Reduction Strategies (PRSP), Country Assistance Strategies (CASes), United
Nations Development Assistance Frameworks (UNDAFs), and National
Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs), to reduce vulnerabilities to natural
hazards. This is done through providing analytical, technical and operational
support to countries for disaster risk reduction.

Making disaster risk reduction a policy priority, institutional

strengthening
The World Bank supports the development of effective institutional,
governance, legislative and financing frameworks for disaster risk
reduction. It also supports the mainstreaming of disaster risk reduction in
national development strategies such as the Country Assistance
Strategies, the Poverty Reduction Strategies and the sectoral strategies.
Risk assessment and early warning systems
The World Bank provides technical and financial assistance for developing
appropriate instruments for risk assessments and early warning systems.
The World Bank has developed a number of tools and methodologies,
which include: Mitigation and Risk Identification System (MIRISK), Common
Country Risk Assessment (CCRA), Probabilistic Risk Assessments; Climate
Change Primer for City Managers; Drought Adaptation Plan; Vulnerability
Tracking Initiative.

Education, information and public awareness

The World Bank supports the documentation and dissemination of good
practices on disaster risk mainstreaming, facilitates exchange of lessons and
experiences; promotes need-based research and transfer of low-cost risk
reduction solutions.
It trains Bank teams in the methodologies to assess risks, damages,
economic losses and financial needs for recovery and reconstruction; and
disaster risk mitigation and financing

Reducing underlying risk factors

It provides technical and financial assistance for developing appropriate
instruments for risk financing.
Preparedness for effective response
The World Bank provides Emergency Recovery Loans to countries in the aftermath
of a major disaster and helps countries coordinate the post disaster damage,
losses and needs assessment for an efficient and risk reducing recovery.
It bridges the gap between humanitarian assistance and longer term recovery in
the event of a disaster

UNHCR AND RED CROSS

General description of the organization

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent

Societies (IFRC) is the world's largest humanitarian network,
helping people in around 150 countries. Founded in 1919, the
Geneva-based Federation brings together 186 Red Cross and
Red Crescent societies and some 100 million volunteers.

Disaster reduction goal

The IFRC's mission is to improve the situation of the most vulnerable and it
coordinates emergency international assistance to people affected by natural
and man-made disasters, including the forcibly displaced, and in health crises.
The Federation also helps vulnerable communities to overcome crises and
become more resilient through disaster preparedness activities.
Its mandate includes strengthening the capacities of its member Red Cross
and Red Crescent Societies to conduct effective emergency relief, disaster
preparedness, and health and community care programmes. It also represents
these societies at an international level.
The partners have signed several accords, including a 2002 Memorandum of
Understanding covering the development of guidelines on training and
equipment for UNHCR field personnel. It also covers the first aid training
which Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies provide to UNHCR staff.

National Disaster Response Teamsare made up of National Society staff and

volunteers, often from different branches or chapters, trained and working
alongsideRed Cross Red Crescent volunteersat community level to bring
assistance to people affected by disaster. They are made up of generalists and
specialists in health, logistics, relief or water and sanitation. They can be
mobilized at short notice and are trained to work as a team and support the local
Red Cross or Red Crescent branch or chapter in its response to the disaster.

The building blocks of a national disaster

response system
The idea is to develop a complete national
disaster response system from the ground up,
encompassing teams at the community level
(Community-Based Disaster Response Teams),
at branch level (Branch Disaster Response
Teams) and, at the top of the pyramid, National
Disaster Response Teams (NDRTs). At each level,
teams are made up of specially trained National
Society staff and volunteers, who can be
mobilized at short notice to work alongside Red
Cross or Red Crescent volunteers at local level
to assist people affected by a disaster. When
local capacities are unable to cope with the
scale of a disaster or the magnitude of the
needs, teams from higher up the system, be it
branch or national level or even, if warranted,
regional or international level are called upon
to bolster the local disaster effort.