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OCHA Policy Brief on Gendered Drivers, Risks and Impacts of Food Insecurity in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (2023) CC

It is widely understood that the food insecurity crisis in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa is one of the world’s fastest growing and most neglected crises. It lacks sufficient global focus, resources and urgency. As in so many crises, women and girls are disproportionately affected and shoulder t...he consequences of protracted neglect, with unconscionable impacts on their safety, life chances and agency. Gaining a holistic view of the gendered drivers, risks and impacts of food insecurity in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa is difficult. This is due to a lack of data and prioritization, and the large geographical and socioeconomic terrain covered by both regions. However, what we do know about this crisis is more than enough to urgently address the needs of women and girls. An OCHA discussion paper on this topic (which will be published imminently, and from which this policy brief is drawn) found that there is: A strong risk of profound regression in gender equality gains made to date in the countries of concern, including on education, sexual and reproductive health, and the economic independence of women and girls (with knock-on effects on broader humanitarian and development outcomes). An increasing challenge to reverse what must be recognized as a protracted and growing gender-based violence (GBV) emergency in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa. The food insecurity crisis in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa is protracted, multidimensional and highly gendered, with spiralling impacts on gender equality and food security outcomes. It is driven by interwoven and overlapping factors, including climate change, political instability, conflict, socioeconomic conditions, migration and displacement and, more recently, COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine. Interlinked with these factors are gendered structural drivers of food insecurity, including deeply entrenched gender inequalities and harmful social norms. Gendered risks and impacts of food insecurity include alarming limitations on access to education, sexual and reproductive health rights, women’s agency and participation, and dramatic increases in different existing forms of GBV and the emergence of new ones. Recognition of such gendered dimensions of food insecurity and of the need for a multisectoral approach in the response is key to addressing the crisis, along-side sustained commitment and adequate allocation of resources. This policy brief draws out key findings from the OCHA discussion paper on this topic, which includes a desk review of studies, assessments and reports, and interviews with local women’s organizations on the front lines of the food insecurity crisis in communities across both regions. Below are the most pressing gendered drivers, risks and impacts of food insecurity (not in order of priority), as well as key gaps in the current humanitarian response to food insecurity, and recommendations to take forward. more

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Northeast Nigeria Health Sector - Humanitarian Response Strategy 2025 - 2027 (December 2024)

Government of Nigeria; Health Cluster; World Health Organization WHO (2024) CC

The protracted humanitarian situation in northeastern Nigeria, particularly in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe (BAY) States, remains a concern due to ongoing insecurity, displacement, food insecurity, disease outbreaks, and climate-related shocks. To address these complex challenges, the health sector has ...developed a comprehensive humanitarian response strategy aligned with the three States Development plans, Durable Solutions for the Population Displacement Plan, and the Humanitarian Need Response Plan for 2025. This strategy aims to reduce morbidity and mortality among crisisaffected populations by ensuring timely, equitable, and effective delivery of lifesaving health services, while strengthen the resilience of health system and enhancing local and national capacities for sustainable health response in protracted emergency. Supported by an in-depth analysis of the ongoing health humanitarian response using the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) methodology, the strategy is guided by three key objectives: 1. Provide access to lifesaving interventions and sustain an effective response to the prolonged health emergency. 2. Prevent, mitigate, and prepare for health risks from all hazards and respond to all health emergencies. 3. Advance the primary health care approach and essential health system capacities for universal health coverage. To achieve these objectives, the strategy employs the “Five C” framework which refers to: • Collaborative Surveillance: Enhancing collaborative efforts for effective monitoring. • Community Protection: Implementing community-based protection measures. • Safe and Scalable Care: Ensuring care that is both secure and scalable. • Access to Countermeasures: Facilitating access to necessary countermeasures. • Emergency Coordination: Coordinating emergency responses efficiently. These proactive approaches are designed to be more anticipatory and preemptive rather than reactive, aiming to meet the needs of the crisis-affected population by providing lifesaving interventions, enhancing preventive and anticipatory actions, and ensuring the resilience of the health system. All actions are guided by International Humanitarian Standards and the Humanitarian Principles. The implementation of the health humanitarian response strategy will involve collaboration with local authorities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and international organizations. The strategy emphasizes localization and resource mobilization, efficient logistics and supply chain management, mainstreaming protection, and the deployment and training of healthcare workers. Continuous monitoring and periodic evaluation will ensure the effectiveness of the response. Cross-sector collaboration with sectors such as WASH, Nutrition, Education, and Protection will be crucial to enhance the quality and reach of health interventions. Additionally, sustainability and transition approaches will ensure long-term health outcomes and benefits, bridging the gap from humanitarian to development efforts. By adopting this comprehensive approach, the humanitarian response in northeastern Nigeria, particularly in BAY States, can be effectively guided, ultimately reducing the suffering of affected populations. more

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Manual for the Public Health Management of Chemical Incidents (English, French and Spanish version)

World Health Organization (2009) C_WHO

The purpose of the WHO Manual for the Public Health Management of Chemical Incidents is to provide a comprehensive overview of the principles and roles of public health in the management of chemical incidents and emergencies. While this information is provided for each phase of the emergency cycle, ... more

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Health Technical Guidelines

ECHO EU (2014)

This guidance is intended to be one stop shop to improve the quality and effectiveness of health interventions in emergency, to respond to the most frequent scenarios and conditions. The main document contains the most common elements to be found in emergencies. As much as possible they are one pag... more

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WHO's Health Emergency Appeal 2023

World Health Organisation (WHO) (2023) C_WHO

WHO needs US$2.54 billion to provide life-saving assistance to millions of people around the world facing health emergencies. WHO’s Health Emergency Appeal is a consolidation of WHO’s priorities and financial requirements for 2023 to carry out health interventions in emergency and humanitarian r... more

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Roundtable on Hospital Communications in a Mass Casualty Radiological Event

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2003) C_CDC

On January 14-16, 2003, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) held a communications roundtable in Atlanta, Georgia, to explore hospitals' challenges in communicating with internal and external audiences in communitywide emergencies involving radioactive materials. The roundtable, Hosp... more

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Core competencies in disaster nursing: Competencies for nurses involved in emergency medical teams (Level 3)

International Council of nurses (2022) C1

Over the last decade, there have been numerous disasters and major emergencies that have profoundly impacted the lives of millions of people worldwide. To support these crises, national and international emergency medical teams (EMTs) are often deployed to assist disaster affected populations. EMTs ... more

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Connecting Global Priorities: Biodiversity and Human Health

World Health Organization WHO (2015) C_WHO

Healthy communities rely on well-functioning ecosystems. They provide clean air, fresh water, medicines and food security. They also limit disease and stabilize the climate. But biodiversity loss is happening at unprecedented rates, impacting human health worldwide, according to a new state of knowl... more

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Melarsoprol Resistance in African Trypanosomiasis

Fairlamb, A.H.; Horn, D. Elsevier Ltd. (2018) CC

Arsenical monotherapies were previously very successful for treating human African trypanosomiasis (HAT). Melarsoprol resistance emerged as early as the 1970s and was widespread by the late 1990s. Melarsoprol resistance represents the only example of widespread drug resistance in HAT patients wher... more

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Health equity for persons with disabilities: guide for action
recommended

World Health Organisation (WHO) (2024) C_WHO

An estimated 1.3 billion people globally experience significant disability. This figure has grown over the last decade and will continue to rise due to demographic and epidemiological changes. In 2022, the World Health Organization launched the Global report on health equity for persons with disabil... more

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Rebuilding Liberia's Health System- WCO-Liberia Annual Report 2022

World Health Organisation (WHO) (2023) C_WHO

Rebuilding Liberia’s health system is crucial for improving the country’s overall health outcomes. This annual report highlights key achievements, challenges,and lessons learned in implementing programmes of technical cooperation with the Government of Liberia from January to December 2022. T... more

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Bearing the brunt: The impact of COVID-19 on older people in low- and middle-income countries – insights from 2020

HelpAge (2021) C1

The report shows that older people are not getting the healthcare treatments they desperately need. The COVID-19 response has disrupted services for non-communicable diseases such as cancer and diabetes, communicable diseases such as malaria, and much-needed services for mental health. Combined with... more

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Global Accelerated Action for the Health of Adolescents (AA-HA!): guidance to support country implementation, second edition.

World Health Organization WHO (2023) C_WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) is releasing the second edition of its Global Accelerated Action for the Health of Adolescents (AA-HA!) guidance. The document aims to equip governments to respond to the health and well-being challenges, opportunities and needs of adolescents. The guidance pro... more

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Health Sector Integrated Refugee Response Plan 2019 - 2024

Uganda Government (OPM) (2022) CC

Uganda hosts approximately 1.1 million refugees making it Africa’s largest refugee hosting country and one of the five largest refugee hosting countries in the world. Most recently, throughout 2016- 2018, Uganda was impacted by three parallel emergencies from South Sudan, the Democratic Republic o... more

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Handbook for Emergencies

UNHCR (2007) C2

Section One summarizes UNHCR’s mandate of international protecdtion and the aim and principles of emergency response; Section Two deals with emergency management; Section Three covers the vital sectors and problem areas in refugee emergencies, including health, food, sanitation and water, a... more

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Health Sector Disaster Recovery Framework Guide

UN Development Programme; World Health Organization WHO (2023) CC

The Disaster Recovery Framework (DRF) Guide for the Health Sector provides guidance on how to implement a comprehensive, integrated, and structured approach to disaster recovery. Its overarching goal is to minimize the impact of the disaster on communities and help countries to recover quickly and e... more

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Atlas of African Health Statistics 2022: Health situation analysis of the WHO African Region

World Health Organisation (WHO) (2022) C_WHO

Atlas of African Health Statistics 2022: Health situation analysis of the WHO African Region Since 2019, we have been implementing Phase 2 of the regional Transformation Agenda, which informs and aligns with the global WHO Transformation, to ensure WHO is accountable, driven by re- sults and provid... more

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Ways out of the global health crisis

Seitz, K. Misereor, Brot für die Welt, Global Policy Forum GPF (2021) C1

Healthy people, healthy animals and a healthy environment worldwide with the One Health approach. The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically demonstrated just how close the link is between humans, animals, and the environment, and has highlighted and aggravated existing challenges. The destruction of na... more

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The 2021 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: code red for a healthy future

Romanello M., McGushin A., et al. (2021) C2

The Lancet Countdown is an international collaboration that independently monitors the health consequences of a changing climate. Publishing updated, new, and improved indicators each year, the Lancet Countdown represents the consensus of leading researchers from 43 academic institutions and UN ag... more

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Considerations relating to social distancing measures in response to the COVID-19 epidemic- second update

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control ECDC (2020) C1

Social distancing is an action taken to minimise contact with other individuals; social distancing measures comprise one category of non-pharmaceutical countermeasures (NPCs)1 aimed at reducing disease transmission and thereby also reducing pressure on health services. This document builds upon exi... more

Health equity for persons with disabilities: guide for action recommended

Health equity for persons with disabilities: guide for action
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