Thanks to the Joint Strategy Team, our concerns of ongoing conflicts, humanitarian assistance (and lack thereof), have all been put in writing. Lets get this into our background briefing files and use this as our talking points while trying to influence policy. ______________________________________________________ Key Messages from the Joint Strategy Team On the Humanitarian Response in Kachin and Northern Shan States 05 August 2014 Improving the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) dignity and quality of life by satisfying some of their immediate needs remains the constant focus for the humanitarian response. The key messages below are grouped into three distinct categories: Humanitarian Response, Return & Resettlement and Participation & Ownership. HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE 1. Humanitarian response should continue in the IDPs camps until a safe return and resettlement takes place; this aid should be duly funded in order to guarantee the fulfillment of the minimum humanitarian standards. Up to now humanitarian response activities have struggled to fully meet the minimum standards due to funding constraints. The gaps appear across programme sectors because some are funded more fully than others which negatively affected the continuity of programme services. (One example is of the recent food shortage in 7 camps of 11,000 persons in May 2014. Funds were urgently reallocated in order to prevent an imminent food crisis. Strong support is urgently needed from international donors and the government to avoid any future food shortages). 2. Humanitarian aid should be fair, be conflict sensitive and do no harm. Under the intention of ensuring that food is equitably distributed, international agencies have begun targeting IDPs needs by using a wealth ranking system which is a standard practice by the World Food Programme (WFP). This has been initiated when the humanitarian response remains inadequate and inconsistent. • Since the wealth ranking was piloted in one selected camp, the IDPs have expressed that the process is unacceptable and divisive, as well as not being timely, culturally contextualised or conflict sensitive. • In order to avoid unnecessary conflicts, respect cultural solidarity mechanisms and respect IDPs’ dignity; the IDPs ought to be consulted directly about processes that affect their daily community life and the services they are receiving. • We urge the agencies involved to honour practices such as “Do No Harm” and conflict sensitivity. RETURN AND RESETTLEMENT 3. The IDPs need to be directly involved in any discussion about return and resettlement which ensures that they are fully informed of their rights and options. • All stakeholders need to acknowledge and respect the IDPs dignity and rights. • All parties to the conflict need to acknowledge and respect the Humanitarian Principles, International Humanitarian Law and Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement such as Durable Solutions. • The IDP’s protection and safety needs to be guaranteed prior to any return or resettlement, including social service packages to meet their basic needs. • In order to strengthen and uphold the durable solutions and the International Humanitarian Law, we ask that the United Nations agencies carefully monitor the potential hot spots, as well as work in close coordination with local organisations. 4. All stakeholders need to ensure that the IDP’s protection needs are addressed. The presence of military personnel near the camps who have been arbitrarily searching the IDP’s belongings, as well as threatening, interrogating and detaining them is a violation of international humanitarian law. • We urge all parties so the conflict, the Myanmar government and the KIA, to respect all civilian’s rights and observe the principles of distinction between civilians and combatants, and take precautions in the case of attacks to avoid civilian victims. • Also, ensure that civilians are not exposed to any “violence to life and person, cruel treatment and torture, outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment.” PARTICIPATION AND OWNERSHIP 5. The humanitarian response needs to recognise the contribution of including women’s meaningful participation in the peace processes, return and resettlement planning and their leadership in camp life, and pay attention to their specific needs. Women’s humanitarian needs are distinctly unique to their gender as mothers, caregivers and primary wage earners particularly in families broken by the conflict. Girls and women of all ages are targets for gender based violence and human trafficking within the highly unstable context of armed conflict. We urge that all humanitarian responses fully uphold UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women’s peace and security and its corresponding resolutions. This resolution adopted a gender perspective which included the special needs of women and girls during repatriation and resettlement, rehabilitation, reintegration and post-conflict reconstruction. 6. We welcome the positive indicators in the ongoing peace process and support inclusiveness and opening the space for civilian participation. We reiterate that having a ceasefire agreement alone is not synonymous with meaning that peace will prevail in the region. 7. We urge all stakeholders to recognise and support the local humanitarian agencies’ roles and contributions to the ongoing humanitarian response and on the forthcoming return and resettlement process. It should be recognised that locally based organisations have been playing a leading role in response activities while they coordinate with United Nations and international organisations, as well as thematic clusters. The local organisations appreciate the UN and international organisation’s contribution, and ask for them to respect and not harm these local initiatives. Joint Strategy Team: Bridging Rural Integrated Development and Empowerment (BRIDGE), Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC), Kachin Relief and Development Committee (KDRC), Kachin Women Association (KWA), Kachin Development Group (KDG), Karuna Myanmar Social Services (KMSS), Metta Development Foundation (Metta), Shalom Foundation and Wunpawng Ninghtoi (WPN).
Posted on: Sun, 10 Aug 2014 04:31:12 +0000
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