OCHA

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

DRC

Highlights 2011

OCHA facilitated the development of an advocacy strategy for humanitarian protection and assistance. It focused on displaced communities in Tanganyika fleeing violence in and around Wimbi, South Kivu. This allowed for a special allocation of more than $1.6 million, resulting in a multi-sectoral life-saving intervention.
OCHA led efforts to develop an access strategy for humanitarian activity, liaising with a range of actors in a delicate environment. For example, it helped broker a suspension of hostilities between FARDC and the Mai Mai Yakutumba, enabling negotiations that led to the release of aid workers held by Mai Mai combatants.
Against a disturbing background of continuing protection violations, particularly mass rape and sexual violence, OCHA worked with UNHCR to define ToRs and the functioning of an Emergency Cell as part of the Protection Cluster. The system was set up in mid-2011 and has improved coverage of gaps in emergency response to sexual violence in South Kivu.

OVERVIEW 2011

The humanitarian crisis in DRC is among the world’s most complex and protracted emergencies. Acute complex emergencies continue in the conflict-affected provinces of North and South Kivu, Orientale and Equateur. There are large-scale humanitarian needs, particularly for the 1.8 million people displaced and their host communities. In non-conflict areas, the main humanitarian concerns include food insecurity and frequent outbreaks of diseases such as polio, measles and cholera. Recurrent expulsions of Congolese people from Angola also have significant protection and humanitarian implications.

The presence of the Ugandan Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) on Congolese territory continues to have an impact. Approximately 347,000 people remain displaced in DRC because of LRA activities, mainly in Haut and Bas Uélé in Province Orientale. The humanitarian response in these regions has been constrained by security problems, the limited presence of state actors and the difficulty of the terrain. In the Kivus, armed-group activity intensified during the first half of 2011. This resulted in more attacks on civilians, including sexual violence. The conflict in the Kivus is also increasingly spilling into the neighbouring provinces of Maniema and Katanga, largely due to the reconfiguration of the Congolese Army.

The number of security incidents affecting humanitarian actors increased between 2008 and 2010. There was a slight decrease in the number of incidents during 2011, but attacks are becoming more targeted and brutal. September and October 2011 were particularly violent, with two hostage situations and five humanitarian workers killed.

Throughout 2011, OCHA DRC maintained a presence in the most conflict-affected areas where needs are greatest. By working closely with clusters and provincial coordination committees, and by maintaining regular contact with the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSC0) and local authorities, OCHA now has a solid understanding of humanitarian situations and how to improve humanitarian access. OCHA often facilitated the humanitarian response in remote areas of DRC, such as Bendera, Shabunda, Walikale and Ango.

Through its management of the Common Humanitarian Fund, OCHA has also enabled humanitarian actors to respond quickly to emergency situations where regular funding was not immediately available. Pooled funding represented 35 per cent of the resources mobilized within the framework of the Humanitarian Action Plan (HAP). This has been instrumental in improving the humanitarian programme cycle. Common funds have further served as a pre-positioned reserve to allow for flexible and timely response to sudden or emerging needs. Fund allocation was
improved in 2011 through a more systematic involvement of clusters and provincial coordination committees in the early stages of the fund-allocation planning, especially in needs assessments and establishing priorities.

OCHA’s deployment of GenCap advisers has kept gender issues in the spotlight. The advisers provide demand-driven and practical support across the different sectors. This includes integrating Gender Minimum Engagements into the HAP and ensuring projects submitted to the Pooled Fund comply with these commitments. For example, road-rehabilitation projects are now staffed at a minimum of 25 per cent by women. Sexual and gender-based violence prevention projects now include boys and men, and sexual violence is less treated as a “woman’s issue”. The Protection Cluster increasingly includes sex- and age-disaggregated data in its protection monitoring, allowing a better understanding of where the risks lie. Fathers are now involved in nutritional education projects, recognizing their key role in deciding what is eaten at home, how much is allocated to food, who eats first, etc. As a result of a gender analysis, the Non-Food Items Cluster now includes a female hygiene kit in all its family kits.

Taking into consideration the presidential elections on 28 November, OCHA consulted with partners on drawing up improved inter-agency contingency plans in all provinces where OCHA has a permanent presence, including Kinshasa and for the western provinces. Over several weeks, OCHA gathered pertinent information, shared it with partners, called special meetings to carefully analyse risks and potential humanitarian consequences. In addition, OCHA ensured that MONUSCO briefed humanitarian partners on the various preparations and the security measures in place to allow for better analysis of possible scenarios and response preparedness.

The establishment a Monitoring and Evaluation Unit in Kinshasa, working through clusters, should provide a better identification of baseline indicators for planning and monitoring humanitarian response. A pooled-fund allocation has given clusters the possibility to visit projects and enabled every cluster to recruit a Data Manager. This is vital for more systematic and evidence-based monitoring and evaluation.

Through regular contact with authorities, armed groups and community leaders, OCHA DRC continued to advocate for the protection of civilians and humanitarian principles. Supported by a legal consultant, OCHA DRC participated in the “commission mixte”, composed of representatives of the Ministry of Planning, Belgian Cooperation, UNDP and NGOs. It finalized a provincial draft law to govern non-profit organizations in DRC, especially in North Kivu, South Kivu and Oriental Province. OCHA’s input helped ensure that these laws consider the specificities of humanitarian action and principles.

WORKPLAN 2011

GOAL 1: A more enabling environment for humanitarian action.
Objective 1.2 Relationships strengthened with a wider group of operational partners and other relevant actors in advanced humanitarian action.
INDICATOR	OCHA is a member of the relevant integrated UN planning mechanisms: Integrated Mission Planning Team, Integrated Security Management Team, Senior Management Group on Protection and Stabilisation and Reconstruction Plan for Eastern DRC/International Security and Stabilization Support Strategy.
ACHIEVEMENTS	OCHA regularly attended UNCT and ISMT meetings during the period under review, advocating humanitarian principles and an enabling environment. OCHA has equally attended and provided input to the senior management group on protection at national and provincial levels. Participation in the Programme Management Team will be sought in 2012 through the newly created Planning Monitoring and Evaluation Unit.
INDICATOR	Humanitarian principles and 100 per cent of relevant priorities reflected in all UN ISF. Distinctions between UN political and humanitarian workload clarified.
ACHIEVEMENTS	In 2011, much progress was made regarding integrated efforts towards stabilization and recovery, such as the ISSSS. OCHA played a central role in ensuring that humanitarian aspects are consistent with recovery and development efforts and intentions. OCHA has ensured that, even in non-conflict areas, attention is given to humanitarian concerns, including where efforts for recovery and development are the global priority. In 100 per cent of all UN common documents (ISF document) and of the mission document, OCHA inputs were included on humanitarian action in DRC.
INDICATOR	Corporate action by OCHA DRC field offices and Kinshasa is initiated, and key issues to address are agreed on an internal guidance document.
ACHIEVEMENTS	All identified protection concerns initiated from the field have received OCHA attention and, consequently, OCHA intervention with the relevant actors (armed groups, Government bodies) and partners (NGOs, UN agencies, and MONUSCO and HAG members). Despite strengthened exchange and interaction, protection remains a major concern in DRC.
Objective 1.4 Humanitarian response and response preparedness are underpinned by integrated analysis and rigorous learning.
INDICATOR	Regular internal analytical report on the humanitarian situation submitted to HC and HQ including recommendations for action.
ACHIEVEMENTS	OCHA has given important consideration to humanitarian response, response preparedness, and situation analysis. Therefore, two staff members with the required background were recruited in 2011. They will be fully operational in emergency preparedness and response, reporting and advocacy. Sub-offices regularly provided monthly analytical reports, but there will be a need for their compilation, with clear recommendations, into one countrywide document for the use of wider advocacy efforts.
INDICATOR	DRC advocacy strategy for 2011 endorsed by HC and disseminated to Government, beneficiaries and partners.
ACHIEVEMENTS	A Reporting and Advocacy Officer hired in 2011 will focus on this issue in 2012. Sub-offices in North Kivu and South Kivu held outreach activities to increase awareness of humanitarian principles by Government authorities, students, members of civil society and Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo (FARDC). The office elaborated an outreach strategy in December. It will be implemented in 2012 by all OCHA sub-offices in the field.

GOAL 2: A more effective humanitarian coordination system
Objective 2.1 Effective mechanisms that manage and support accountable humanitarian coordination leaders.
INDICATOR	Established and functioning operational inter-cluster forums at capital and provincial level in accordance with generic TOR.
ACHIEVEMENTS	HCT decisions in 2011 include developing a humanitarian access strategy; developing a strategy on planning, monitoring and evaluation within the Humanitarian Action Plan framework; a response plan to the situation of Congolese expelled from Angola; consideration of the Gender Marker in all humanitarian activities and responses; the complementarities between humanitarians and development actors, and ways and means to strengthen cooperation between humanitarians and Government authorities. OCHA regularly organized and facilitated inter-cluster meetings at national and provincial levels.
INDICATOR	Percentage of agenda issues addressed by strategic-level HCT that are submitted from operational-level inter-cluster coordination forums.
ACHIEVEMENTS	Strengthen and raise the level of issues addressed by the HCT that are submitted from the field. Communication channels between the provincial clusters and their national level, and between the provincial and national inter-clusters, will be strengthened. Related information-management processes will be reviewed. Currently, 60 per cent of the agenda issues addressed by the HCT were field driven and endorsed by national inter-clusters.
INDICATOR	Percentage of inter-cluster, cluster and cross-cutting recommendations issued by the HCT that are implemented at operational level.
ACHIEVEMENTS	30 per cent
Objective 2.2 An OCHA capable of responding quickly with clear triggers for establishing, phasing and drawing down operations.
INDICATOR	Country Office Strategy developed, including planning indicators in consultation with partners.
ACHIEVEMENTS	OCHA has developed its Country Office Strategy for 2012-13. The results and conclusions of the retreat were presented to the HC and donors to ensure country-level buy in.
Objective 2.3 A more predictable and scalable suite of OCHA services and tools to support leaders and partners in response preparedness, humanitarian response and transition.
INDICATOR	Country operations reviewed against minimum services list.
ACHIEVEMENTS	Not applicable
INDICATOR	Percentage of key OCHA tools using sex- and age-disaggregated data.
ACHIEVEMENTS	The use of sex- and age-disaggregated data for programming was another focus for training activities, mostly targeted at adopting practical skills. Two-hundred field actors (58 females and 142 males) were exposed to training activities during this period. Clusters involved were Education (Bunia, Bukavu, Goma, Kalemie, Kinshasa, Dungu), Protection (Bunia, Bukavu), Nutrition (Kinshasa) and Food Security (Kalemie). Beneficiaries of training activities included cluster members at field level, pooled-fund evaluators, and UNDP Gender Unit and programme staff. There will still be a need in 2012 to assess the percentage of key OCHA tools using sex- and age-disaggregated data.
Objective 2.4 A more systematic humanitarian programme cycle (needs assessment and analysis, joint planning, fund-raising and resource allocation, and monitoring and evaluation).
INDICATOR	Needs-assessment plan developed and endorsed by the HCT.
ACHIEVEMENTS	This exercise will be on the agenda in 2012, as international professionals were hired in late-2011 to respectively lead OCHA DRC’s emergency preparedness and response and the Humanitarian Action Plan at programmatic level.
INDICATOR	Eighty per cent of projects in the funding mechanism (CAP, ERF) coded with the Gender Marker.
ACHIEVEMENTS	Gender equality has been mainstreamed in 100 per cent of new humanitarian programmes and clusters strategies for 2011. Pooled-fund projects are also consistently reviewed by the Gencap Adviser. A Gender Action Plan has been finalized. Various training activities took place in Kinshasa, Goma, Bukavu, Bunia, Dungu and Kalemie to reinforce the use of tools for gender equality programming. A focus on gender analysis in each cluster, ADAPT and ACT framework adjusted by cluster and the Gender Marker.
INDICATOR	Percentage of total projects submitted prioritized as “high” in compliance with HCT-endorsed methodology.
ACHIEVEMENTS	100 per cent of financial allocations were made according to the HAP priorities. In new situations, priorities set in assessment reports were considered.
INDICATOR	Reporting and analysis on agreed indicators provided by OCHA and clusters.
ACHIEVEMENTS	A Planning Monitoring and Evaluation Unit was created, and baseline indicators for planning and monitoring of the response were established with clusters.
INDICATOR	Percentage of missions designated by the Country Policy and Institutional Assessment (CPIA) as amenable to Government participation realized.
ACHIEVEMENTS	Forty per cent. The achievement is under projection despite efforts to systematically include Government participation. This is mainly because Government actors always request financial assistance from OCHA before participating in such missions. Efforts have been made to accommodate some requests, but this has not been systematic. The missions with Government participation mostly occurred in South Kivu and Katanga.