Horn of Africa Drought Situation and Response Marko Lesukat, Plan International

Regional Drought Overview South Sudan

Overview of Presentation Overall situation – Late responses Drought Calendar and implications + Secondary factors to the drought Plans and other INGOs/UN Responses Impact of drought on children and Drought responses Challenges Way Forward: Children Charter in Disasters

About 13 million people affected (??% are children). Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Djibouti Of the $2.4 billion for humanitarian requirement only 74% is funded (OCHA report 18 Nov 2011) Overall Situation

Late Responses by All Actors Drought calendar predictions 2010 and response 2011 jjasondjfmamjja jjasondjfmamjja jjasondjfmamjja Long rains failedLong rains below normal short rains below normal EHRP appeal startsDrought declared disaster Drought response starts Early warning systems and alerts

Impact of drought on Children Children dropped out of school: Food Water Shelter Migration Abuse

Children need to remain in school: it’s their basic right Impact of drought on Children….continues ‘‘most of my friends have migrated away and have dropped out of school’’ Child from Samburu – Northern Kenya

Impact of drought on children…….continue Children get abused especially girls kitega uchumi’.....bread winners

Children need food and water to remain in school Impact of drought on Children….continues ‘‘when our livestock migrate we only eat one meal per day. I share my school ration with my siblings back home’’ Child from Laikipia - Kenya

Plans (and other INGOs) Responses - Supplementary feeding in schools and hospitals. - Therapeutic feeding in government hospitals. - Water tracking and hygiene education. - Child Protection (after child protection assessments) Though urgent and important this are relief needs, Children need more………..

Limited working groups on child protection in emergencies (Global and national levels) Timing - delayed and slow initial response (we should have proactively considered children: children participation) Root causes not addressed - difficulty getting the right responses to address chronic vulnerability issues (how will next drought response be different??). Governments tried/provided support - coordination challenge (it’s not clear who engages with governments on behalf of children during emergencies) Child protection assessments started late (focus was relief: (child protection needs were the latest to be identified by most actors) Challenges

Children identification and protection Participation in assessments, design and funding decisions (children) Lobby for the enactment of Disaster Policy/Legal frameworks for implementation Support the Children Charter on DRR Way Forward: Role of CSOs in disaster responses

An action plan for disaster risk reduction for children by children Consultations with 600 children from Africa, Asia and Latin America Q&A based on impacts of disasters on children’s lives and their priorities going forward 1.Schools must be safe and education must not be interrupted 2.Child protection must be a priority before, during and after a disasters 3.Children have the right to participate and to access the information they need 4.Community infrastructure must be safe, and relief and reconstruction must help reduce future risks 5.Disaster Risk Reduction must reach the most vulnerable children (people) The Children Charter on DRR

Thank You