Past deployments
Somalia
Somalia’s recent history is marked by disasters – both man-made and natural. Since 1991, Somalia has been without a permanent central government. Battles for power between different clans, together with devastating droughts and floods, led to the destruction of infrastructure, the disintegration of basic health and social services, widespread human rights abuses.
As a result, Somalia has some of the worst human development indicators in the world. According to a press release from FAO’s Food Security Assessment Unit (FSAU) from April 2008, the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance in Somalia now stands at 2.6 million (35% of the total population). This rapid increase is due rocketing food prices resulting in an additional 600,000 urban poor facing acute food and livelihood crisis, on-going drought impacting increasing numbers of pastoralists, and continued fighting in Mogadishu forcing more people to flee. For more details on HAP's accountability support for agencies active in Somalia click here.
South Sudan - Juba and Luonyaker
In response to members’ requests, the Field Representative visited Juba and Luonyaker in South Sudan from 3rd to 12th October 2007. During the visit the Field Representative held briefings and consultations with member and non-member agencies, worked alongside specific staff in coaching and work plan development, and facilitated training and focus group discussions as part of the process for developing complaint-handling mechanisms. For more details, including a humanitarian accountability overview from this visit, see here.
Darfur - Sudan
From January 2006, HAP deployed two field officers and two support staff to Darfur, Sudan. Hosted by Tearfund, the program staff traveled throughout Darfur to raise awareness of accountability (especially the HAP Principles) and to encourage field staff to take simple steps to improve their accountability. The main services was the orientation and training over 300 staff through 34 sessions over a 6-month period. For more details see here.
Pakistan
HAP began working in Pakistan after the South Asian Earthquake in 2008, which killed some 75,000 people and left 400,000 homeless, in 2005. Due to the earthquake's devastation a large number of aid agencies joined the relief effort while those already in-country increased their existing operations. Perhaps as a result of the influx of agencies, some concerns were expressed about the quality of community engagement and accountability to beneficiaries.
As part of HAP's support to its members a team from the Secretariat arrived to assist in capacity building and complaints handling training for local staff. This support visit resulted in the collection of consultation reports from numerous beneficiaries that clearly highlighted a growing lack of confidence in relief agencies, low levels of awareness amongst staff of basic humanitarian principles and agencies not including beneficiary participation in their programs. In an effort to address these issues, HAP Members asked the Secretariat to establish an operation in Pakistan. The HAP Pakistan programme began in October 2005 and closed in July 2009.
For the duration of the Pakistan programmes, HAP worked with members and non-members alike to integrate much needed accountability practices into emergency planning and disaster response. One measurement of success for HAP's Pakistan operation is the continuation of members' engagement and commitment to capacity building activities, particularly as agencies move from emergency relief to development and recovery work.
HAP is continuing its support to the humanitarian work in Pakistan, particularly the 2010 flood response.
Aceh - Indonesia
From April 2005 to October 2006, a HAP deployed an Accountability Coordinator in Banda Aceh. Hosted by Oxfam GB, the Coordinator interviewed beneficiaries, documented and disseminated information about good practices and helped members to design a pilot project on complaints handling. For more details see here.
