IASC Weekly Meeting, 02 July 2008

Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC)

Weekly Meeting

Summary Note and Participants List

02 July 2008

F-3 (Palais des Nations), Geneva

I Refugees International’s Assessment Mission in Eastern Chad

Ms. Mpako Foaleng, Advocate at Refugees International, briefed on the Refugees International's assessment mission in Eastern Chad on the humanitarian response to the refugees and IDPs and the performance of the EU Mission (EUFOR) and the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT) to protect the security of civilians. While the overall humanitarian response to IDPs and refugees has been improving since 2007, tensions between host communities and IDPs/refugees increased due to scarce resources and a degrading environment. In order to prevent a further increase of existing inter-communal tensions, social cohesion and reconciliation programmes will have to be implemented. It is unlikely that refugees and IDPs from border areas will return to their home villages within next few months considering security situations. Nevertheless, some IDPs from villages located in relatively safer areas have started to return. Moreover, the militarization of camps and communities as well as the recruitment of children by armed forces in these sites and in the host communities remains a major concern. Banditry, criminality and impunity are also major security threats faced by civilian population. EUFOR has made the effort to adapt and respond in part to the security threats. However more can be done to respond to security threats faced by civilians. A better communication and information sharing mechanism between humanitarian workers and EUFOR will improve the understanding of each other’s role. MINURCAT is not operational yet in the east, but is about to deploy the first contingents of Chadian police and gendarmes.

II IRIN’s coverage of the humanitarian impact of climate change

Ms. Katarina Toll Velasquez, Donor and External Liaison Officer at IRIN, Emergency Services Branch, gave a presentation on the release of the latest IRIN In-Depth analysis multimedia package “Gathering Storm”, which provides information on the humanitarian implications of climate change through a wide range of products, including articles and films, produced by IRIN’s reporters around the world. They provide reports covering various climate change related issues such as environment, food security, aid policy, health, water, sanitation, governance, economy, natural disasters, migration and displacement, as well as conflict.

“Gathering Storm” can be found on IRIN’s Website at

In addition, a participant representing Save the Children noted that its report on Children and Climate Change is available at

III AOB

Ms. Rebecca Richards, OCHA, briefed on the update of the cluster activities in Myanmar, in response to Cyclone Nargis. Cluster work started in Myanmar already in 2007 when a Humanitarian Country Team was also established, to advance on issues such as contingency planning. This sensitisation process of the cluster approach prior to response activities following Cyclone was instrumental in facilitating the present cluster operations. Ms Richards noted that there has been an excellent partnership between international NGOs and the UN in the cluster work—three NGOs are co-leading the health and the education cluster, as well as the protection of women and children. More information on cluster operations in Myanmar can be found on the following page of the Humanitarian Reform website:

List of participants

1 / Ms.ChloeDessemond / IASC Secretariat /
2 / Mr.PeterNeussl / IASC Secretariat /
3 / Ms.MirlindaPasoma / IASC Secretariat /
4 / Ms.YukikoYoshida / IASC Secretariat /
5 / Mr.DanielMesserli / ICRC /
6 / Ms.LauraPerez / IDMC / NRC /
7 / Mr.DamasoFeci / InterSOS /
8 / Ms.LeaMatheson / IOM /
9 / Ms.FatimaEl Moustaoui / Islamic Relief /
10 / MsAnamariaFonnegra / OCHA /
11 / Ms.YasminaHammoumi / OCHA /
12 / Ms.SallaHimberg / OCHA /
13 / Ms.EmmaKeating / OCHA /
14 / Ms.Anne-MarieLinde / OCHA /
15 / Mr.TakeoMurakami / OCHA /
16 / Ms.RebeccaRichards / OCHA /
17 / Ms.LaetitiaRougeron / OCHA /
18 / Ms.KatarinaToll Velasquez / OCHA /
19 / Ms.GudrunVan Pottelbergh / OCHA /
20 / Mr.JeanVerheyden / OCHA /
21 / Mr.RaafatAbdel-Tawwab / Other /
22 / Ms.NickiBennett / OXFAM Int. Secr. /
23 / Ms.MpakoFoaleng / Refugees International /
24 / Ms.SusanNicolai / Save the Children (SCF) /
25 / Ms.AurelieLamaziere / SCF /
26 / Ms.AlysonLofthouse / UNITAR /
27 / Mr.Oliviervan Damme / UNITAR /
28 / Dr.KhalidShibib / WHO /

Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC)