In any type of humanitarian emergency it is crucial to act fast in order to save lives. The checklist is a supplement to the handbook for RCs and HCs on Emergency Preparedness and Response. This checklist provides guidance to RCs and HCs who are confronted with any type of humanitarian emergency. It maps out actions to take to prepare and to respond to an emergency.
This handbook outlines key actions that Resident Coordinators (RCs) and Humanitarian Coordinators (HCs) should take to prepare for and respond to emergencies.
The Humanitarian Country Team (HCT), under the leadership of the Humanitarian Coordinator (HC) is the centrepiece of the humanitarian coordination architecture. A well functioning HCT that is timely, effective and efficient, and contributes to longer-term recovery will alleviate human suffering and protect the lives, livelihoods and dignity of populations in need. The document aims to provide guidance that can be tailored to specific country situations, as necessary and includes:
1) Establishment and disestablishment of a Humanitarian Country Team
The following Humanitarian Coordination Competencies were endorsed by the 73rd IASC Working Group meeting in March 2009 and build on the Profile for Humanitarian Coordinators endorsed by the 65th IASC Working Group meeting in July 2006. They mirror and build on seven of the eight Resident Coordinator competencies, with indicators contextualized to humanitarian action, and introduce three additional competencies which have direct application in humanitarian contexts:
