Press Release - The Department for International Development:
Responding to Humanitarian Emergencies
5 November 2003
The Department for International Development responds quickly
and, in general, effectively when intervening in humanitarian
emergencies, especially sudden-onset disasters, and has helped to
save lives. However, according to a report to Parliament by the
National Audit Office, DFID should do more to measure and evaluate
the success of its humanitarian work in order to learn lessons for
the future. The Department should also further integrate its relief
work with its longer-term development assistance.
Humanitarian disasters are becoming more common with the annual
total rising from 300 to 400 in the early 1990s to between 700 and
800 since 1999. In 2001-2002, DFID provided £279 million in aid,
making the UK the second largest donor of humanitarian aid after
the United States. Today’s report by head of the National Audit
Office Sir John Bourn points out that the Department has been
generally effective when intervening in humanitarian emergencies,
meeting in most cases the short-term objectives of providing food,
water and shelter; and its partners, such as NGOs and multilateral
organisations, consider that the Department’s speed of response to
sudden-onset disasters like earthquakes is impressive compared with
that of other donors.
Nevertheless, because there is no comprehensive and systematic
way of assessing and measuring humanitarian need around the world,
DFID cannot determine whether its level of response to particular
emergencies is appropriate and whether it is targeting its
assistance at those most in need. The Department’s own analysis
reveals that, since 1997, the per capita level of humanitarian
assistance it has provided in European emergencies, such as Kosovo,
has been five times higher than for emergencies in Africa. At
times, this may reflect a bias of resource distribution to
emergencies where media, public and parliamentary interest is
highest - an issue faced by other donor agencies.
According to today’s report, DFID’s evaluation of its
performance in dealing with emergencies is limited. Its strategy
papers for some emergencies give little insight into why proposed
interventions would be effective or cost-effective, thereby
reducing the basis for good subsequent monitoring and
evaluation.
The Department recognises the importance of linking humanitarian
emergency assistance to longer-term assistance aimed at promoting
the economic development and welfare of a developing country. Some
DFID teams have moved towards providing ‘longer term humanitarian
assistance’: for example, in Zimbabwe where traditional
humanitarian responses such as feeding programmes are supplemented
by developmental assistance in the form of provision of seeds and
fertilizers. But the Department requires effective strategies,
which are understood by its NGO partners, for integrating relief
and development. Where appropriate, the Department should consider
extending the use of funding spread over a number of years to allow
its partners to plan transition work more effectively.
DFID also works to reduce the vulnerability of populations to
disasters, an example being the £50 million to fund work to halve
extreme poverty in the Chars region of Bangladesh. DFID does not
yet have a formal strategy for this kind of work and it has not
been vigorously promoted at a policy level. However, DFID is now in
the process of developing a strategy which will set out how the
Department plans to give greater emphasis to disaster reduction.
The National Audit Office recommends that the Department should
ensure that strategies, particularly for disaster prone countries
and regions, have explicitly considered the risks posed by
humanitarian emergencies and how prevention and reduction work
might minimise those risks.
Promoting the security of aid agencies and of victims can be a
vital part of successfully providing relief and reconstruction
assistance, particularly where humanitarian emergencies result from
conflict. For example, in Sierra Leone DFID has been providing
support in numerous ways to reduce the risk of a return to
conflict. Increasingly DFID is being required to provide
humanitarian assistance associated with military interventions
involving United Kingdom forces, as seen in Iraq. Today’s report
highlights the scope for improved communication and coordination in
joint operations involving the Ministry of Defence and DFID.
Sir John Bourn said today:
"Disasters, both natural and man-made, are occurring
much more frequently around the world. The Department for
International Development is a leading player in the response to
such emergencies and its provision of help in the aftermath of
suddenly occurring disasters is widely recognised by other donors
and organisations. The Department should, however, take steps to
improve the targeting, monitoring and evaluation of the assistance
it provides."
Notes for Editors
- Press notices and reports are available from the date of
publication on the NAO website at http://www.nao.org.uk/ Hard copies can
be obtained from The Stationery Office on 0845 702 3474.
- The Comptroller and Auditor General, Sir John Bourn, is the
head of the National Audit Office which employs some 800 staff. He
and the NAO are totally independent of Government. He certifies the
accounts of all Government departments and a wide range of other
public sector bodies; and he has statutory authority to report to
Parliament on the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which
departments and other bodies have used their resources.
Press Notice 64/03
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