The crisis in the Horn of Africa
March 16, 2012
127 min read
The special feature of this issue of Humanitarian Exchange, co-edited with HPG Research Fellow Simon Levine, focuses on the crisis in the Horn of Africa.
Although predicted more than a year in advance, the response to the crisis in many areas of the Horn has again come far too late.
- Debbie Hillier argues in the lead article that the aid system overall needs to be reviewed, focusing on longer-term programmes which build resilience, reducing the risk of crisis and the need for short-term life-saving interventions. We also need to rethink how assistance is delivered in the Horn.
- Breanna Ridsdel outlines in her article how humanitarian organisations are increasingly using cash and vouchers, raising particular issues of coordination.
Turning to specific country cases:
- Matt Hobson and Laura Campbell review how the Risk Financing Mechanism of the Ethiopian Productive Safety Net Programme has been used to expand the caseload in time of transitory crisis and enable households to receive assistance before the crisis hits.
- Adrian Cullis highlights positive developments in the management of drought in Ethiopia, with particular reference to the drylands.
- Based on experience from Northern Kenya, Andreas Jenet and Eunice Obala discuss how reciprocal grazing agreements can contribute to increasing the resilience of pastoralists.
- Wendy Erasmus, Leina Mpoke and Yacob Yishak argues that longer-term risk reduction approaches enhanced the resilience of pastoralists in Moyale district in Northern Kenya.
- Riccardo Polastro highlights the key findings from the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) evaluation of the humanitarian response in South Central Somalia.
- Sara PantulianoandVictoria Metcalfe analyse the operational impact of counter-terrorism legislation on humanitarian action in the country.
- Samir Elhawary explores the impact of UN integration arrangements.
- Finally, Damien Mc Sweeney highlights how drought, conflict and insecurity have led to a massive deterioration in security in the Dadaab camps.
Articles in the policy and practice section of this issue include:
- An analysis of how Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has adapted its approach to providing emergency medical care in the Middle East.
- An update on major changes in the 2011 edition of the Sphere Handbook.
- Reflections on the activities and potential impact of the Nepal Disaster Risk Reduction Consortium.
- Military and humanitarian cooperation in managing Haitis air operations following the 2010 earthquake
- AidLinks experience of using text messaging to help streamline humanitarian aid delivery.
Issue 53 articles
1. Managing the risk, not the crisis
Why is the response to drought almost always too little too late? Evaluations find the same failures and make the…
March 16, 2012
March 19, 2012
March 19, 2012
7. Humanitarian response in conflict: lessons from South Central Somalia
The scale and scope of the humanitarian crisis in South Central Somalia challenges the humanitarian systems capacity to deliver assistance.…
March 19, 2012
12. The Sphere Project: taking stock
Since it was established in 1997, the Sphere Project has played a central role within the humanitarian community. By defining…
March 21, 2012
13. The Nepal Risk Reduction Consortium
Nepal loses an average of two lives a day due to natural disasters. These disasters include floods, landslides, drought, hail,…
March 21, 2012
14. Military and humanitarian cooperation in air operations in Haiti
The earthquake that struck Haiti in January 2010 was the most destructive ever to hit the island. Over 215,000 people…
March 21, 2012
15. Mobile phones and crisis zones: how text messaging can help streamline humanitarian aid delivery
When the 2010 Haiti earthquake struck, text messages sent by trapped survivors became crucial catalysts for aid delivery. When the…
March 21, 2012