Major sudden-onset humanitarian crises caused by natural disasters or conflict sometimes require a system-wide humanitarian response. In exceptional circumstances the gravity of the situation justifies mobilization beyond levels normally expected, in order to ensure a more effective response to the humanitarian needs of affected populations. A Humanitarian System-Wide Emergency Activation – or Level 3 (L3) activation – triggers tools and mechanisms to ensure that the system delivers effectively and can monitor its performance; adequate capacity and tools for enhanced leadership and coordination of the humanitarian system are set up; and Inter Agency Standing Committee (IASC) member organizations are engaged to make sure that they can put in place the right systems and mobilize resources to contribute to the response according to their mandate areas.

L3 emergencies are designated by the Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC), in consultation with the IASC Principals, on the basis of analysis of the following 5 criteria: scale, complexity, urgency, capacity and reputational risk.

In the following weeks, the Global CCCM Cluster will be focusing on the work of the CCCM Cluster in response to the L3 emergencies declared in Central African Republic (CAR), South Sudan and the Philippines.

Philippines

On 8 November 2013, Typhoon Haiyan (known locally as Yolanda) made landfall six times in the Eastern and Western Visayas regions of the Philippines. It was one of the strongest typhoons ever recorded to make landfall. According to the Philippine government’s Disaster Response Operations Monitoring Information Center (DROMIC), the typhoon displaced over 4 million people and killed an estimated 6,000 people. The Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) officially declared the Philippines a Level 3 (L3) emergency on 12 November, the first time a natural disaster had been declared an L3 emergency. Three months later the L3 status was deactivated. Relief work, however, still continues. This deactivation provides an opportunity to reflect on the work of the CCCM Cluster during and after an L3 status emergency.

The CCCM Cluster, led at the country level by the Philippine government’s Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), was activated immediately after the typhoon hit. It was one of the first clusters to be active in the affected areas alongside the Logistics cluster.  The CCCM Cluster identified shelter and non-food items, food, water sanitation and hygiene (WASH), camp management, and health as the top five priority needs across displacement sites in Tacloban, Guiuan, Roxas, and Ormoc.

L3 Response

One of the key ways the CCCM Cluster coordinated relief efforts in displacement sites was through implementation of the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM). The DTM was first rolled out in mid-November. By December the DTM had identified over 34 500 people in 225 displacement sites , which included evacuation centres, tent cities, spontaneous settlements, and temporary planned settlements such as collective row houses (bunkhouses). Needs relating to WASH, food, health, nutrition, education, shelter, NFIs, protection and site management were monitored. The DTM became an important source of information for the government and cluster partners to guide programme development. For instance, DTM data on the locations of unaccompanied minors was shared with the Child Protection Cluster. It was also used to help the Health Cluster prioritise locations in need of medical services in the city of Tacloban. The information provided by the CCCM Cluster also complemented the inter-agency Multi-sector Initial Rapid Assessment (MIRA).  

The CCCM Cluster established innovative partnerships to improve the DTM and its Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts.  The Harvard Humanitarian Initiative donated tablets and KoBo Toolbox software that enabled field workers to collect DTM data digitally rather than on paper. This made data collection, processing, analysis, and dissemination to partners faster. SAS, a private sector analytics software company, also donated its visual analytics software and expertise through a pro-bono pilot project. The SAS Visual Analytics Software helped IOM to prioritise areas of response by providing insights on displacement needs and trends. 

The CCCM Cluster also contributed to relief efforts beyond the DTM. For instance, the Cluster provided site planners to help identify new relocation sites when living conditions in evacuation centres deteriorated. In coordination with the Protection, Shelter and WASH Clusters, the CCCM Cluster provided support and training to promote adherence to international standards in the construction of bunkhouses. The CCCM Cluster furthermore made physical improvements to displacement sites, such as reinforcing roofs, covering rainwater catchment systems, installing additional latrines or bathing cubicles, building cooking counters, digging drainage canals and desludging latrines or septic tanks. These activities were accompanied by education sessions on leadership, management and other life skills to help develop IDPs’ capacity to manage camp facilities and community life. The Cluster also assisted the government with beneficiary registration and selection through DSWD’s Disaster Assistance Family Access Card (DAFAC) system.

L3 Deactivation

While the L3 status was officially deactivated on 14 February, significant needs remain. According to DTM data collected in April, over 26,000 IDPs were still displaced in bunkhouses, tent cities, evacuation centres, and spontaneous sites; the majority reside in bunkhouses, however, some families still remain in evacuation centres and tent cities.

The CCCM Cluster’s post-L3 activities include building the capacity of local officials, coordinating efforts to improve conditions in all displacements sites (especially in bunkhouses) and advocating for durable solutions. By 6 June, the CCCM Cluster had trained 3,962 people in Haiyan-hit areas in camp management in order to improve service delivery effectiveness and coordination. As the Cluster lead agency, DSWD is working with local government units (LGUs) to search for land that can be used for transitional and permanent sites. The Cluster is furthermore supporting the government and other actors to rehabilitate damaged evacuation infrastructure in Haiyan-affected areas. The CCCM Cluster also supported the DSWD’s Civil Registration Caravan project, wherein Haiyan victims were assisted in obtaining legal documents that were lost in the typhoon, such as death certificates, marriage licenses, etc. The Cluster additionally facilitated the transfer of 3,938 families to transitional sites (bunkhouses) while they search for durable solutions. The Cluster’s work included drafting Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), conducting consultations, coordinating with LGUs, and providing transport to the bunkhouses.

Another major area of CCCM activity is coordinating physical improvement for all existing displacement sites. At the government’s request, the CCCM Cluster led an assessment of all completed bunkhouses to ensure they meet basic humanitarian standards (also known as Sphere standards). As of mid-May, over 44,000 people have benefited from camp management support and site improvements, such as the installation of storage shelves and kitchen counters, post reinforcement, drainage improvements, and the construction of communal activity centres, places of worship, women- and child-friendly spaces, and health consultation rooms.

Finally, information collection and analysis remain strong elements of the CCCM Cluster’s programmes. In collaboration with DSWD, SAS, and the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), the Cluster recently published a report called “The Evolving Picture of Displacement in the Wake of Typhoon Haiyan: An Evidence-Based Overview”. The report analyses patterns and trends of displacement and assistance needs over the six months since Haiyan.  The DTM is also still being conducted.

The CCCM Cluster response to Typhoon Haiyan provides a good reminder of the important work that must occur not only during L3 emergencies, but also after their deactivation. Now, more than ever, the search for durable solutions must not be forgotten.