Emergencies in Focus
Field Protection Clusters are activated in non-refugee humanitarian emergencies. This is the system launched by the UN in 2005 to meet the need for better coordination and address gaps in humanitarian response around eleven key areas of humanitarian activity, including protection. Below you will find information about some of the latest humanitarian emergencies where field protection clusters have been activated. For more information on all activated and de-activated field protection clusters click here.
SOUTH SUDAN
In 2013 intense fighting broke out in Juba, spreading throughout South Sudan. As a result, 1,428,800 people have been internally displaced, thousands are at risk of sexual and gender based violence and there have been more than 6000 confirmed cases of cholera to date. The rainy season has cut off much of the country’s road networks, resulting in increased logistical and security challenges for already hard to reach areas–often those most affected by the conflict. In order to increase the humanitarian and the international community’s individual and collective efforts in responding to the crisis in South Sudan, the Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator, has requested a Global Cluster Coordinators mission to Juba. Nevertheless, despite the efforts of the national clusters and partners, as well as the IASC System-Wide Level 3 declaration, humanitarian operations in South Sudan are not keeping pace with the scale, intensity and increasingly critical nature of the crisis. With a gap of USD 1 billion against the USD 1.8 billion humanitarian appeal, there remain insufficient humanitarian resources to respond to the needs.
For further information on the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan, please click here.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
In the Central African Republic, few of their 4.6 million population have come away unscathed by the current crisis. The sectarian fighting between militia groups has resulted in gross human rights violations and the displacement of at least 387,000 people. Unfortunately, this figure represents only the official numbers. With organisations unable to account for unregistered IDPs, sadly the exact number of those affected cannot be accurately represented. The declaration of an IASC system-wide level 3 emergency response to the crisis resulted in significant capacity and leadership strengthening, yet the response remains insufficient in scale and speed given the magnitude of the needs. Limited funding, lack of access and poor infrastructure have impeded the humanitarian effort and more is required from the international community in order to prevent further suffering.
For further information on the humanitarian crisis in the Central African Republic, please click here.
IRAQ
The humanitarian context in Iraq has significantly deteriorated as armed clashes continue to drive displacement. With at least 2,850,000 internally displaced, in addition to the current IDP crisis, the Government of Kurdistan is also hosting 230,000 Syrian refugees. While the situation remains fluid and numbers cannot be independently verified, thousands of families, many of them women, children and the elderly, are experiencing their second, third or fourth displacement. The Protection Sub-Working Group (PsWG) has been established as part of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) under the umbrella of the Governance and Human Rights Priority Working Group, focussing on enhancing the protection environment within Iraq and coordinating enhanced protection response from international and national humanitarian actors. But with winter fast approaching, amped-up response is needed to alleviate the existing struggles of the displaced.
For further information on the humanitarian crisis in Iraq, please click here.