Adapting Humanitarian
Response to a Changing World
World Vision India hosted the 27th Annual
Meeting of the Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance (ALNAP) in Chennai,
India.
The meeting brought together 130 delegates from Academic institutions, Donor
agencies, National Disaster Management Agencies, NGOs, the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement and
the United Nations to share their expertise and learning. ALNAP is the independent international
forum for humanitarian aid workers to share good practice and sector learning. The delegates gained
fresh perspectives on one of the most significant challenges to effective humanitarian action in the
21st Century —the growth and increasing vulnerability of urban populations.
The team discussed the humanitarian response to rapid urbanisation and ways in which the
humanitarian system could learn from recent events in places such as in Port au Prince, Manila, and
eastern Japan.
Part of the delegation were Dr. Muzzafar Ahmad, member India’s
NDMA, Robert Piper, UN Resident Coordinator, Nepal and Dan Lweis, Chief of UN Habitat’s Disaster and
Post Conflict . Key areas emerging included the importance of more sophisticated relationships
between civil society and national governments, and approaches to evaluation and accountability in
urban response.
In conclusion , the delegates underscored the importance of
adapting existing humanitarian thinking to address the challenges of working in urban areas,
and
• Called on all parts of the humanitarian system to devote resources to ‘urban
disaster’ issues, and on donors, particularly, to be prepared to support innovative
approaches;
• Advocated for increased research and lesson-learning around
successful approaches to urban disaster response, and for these lessons to be incorporated into
planning, standards, tools and capacity building activities;
• Stressed the
need for clarity on organisational roles and responsibilities for urban humanitarian issues within
governments and the international humanitarian system;
• Committed to
building more inclusive coordination mechanisms, with greater engagement of municipal authorities
and civil society organisations
• Recognised the importance of rethinking the
boundaries between humanitarian’ and ‘development’ action as an essential precondition for
effective humanitarian work in urban environments.
(
Source: ALNAP website)
