Strengthening Humanitarian Coordination in Africa - OCHA 2009

The African field and regional offices of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) are responsible for the inter-agency coordination between all humanitarian assistance agencies that provide relief in response to conflicts and natural disasters on the continent. Regional offices located in Dakar Senegal; Nairobi Kenya; and Johannesburg South Africa and are vital to coordinating emergency operations that meet the needs of crisis-affected populations. CIDA's contribution is supporting OCHA's regional offices to coordinate humanitarian activities of United Nations agencies international and local non-governmental organizations throughout Africa. Activities focus on supporting and strengthening existing coordination structures; analyzing crisis situations; managing and disseminating information to implicated parties; mobilizing resources; and conducting key advocacy activities particularly to help ensure that humanitarian workers can safely carry out their operations.