UNJLC FOM
UNJLC Concept
About FOM

Part 1: UNJLC Terms of Reference (TOR)

Part 2: Staff Officers’ TORs and Checklists

Part 3: Air Operations

Part 4: Emergency Environment
4.1. ROLE of HUMANITARIAN ORGANISATIONS and ACTORS
4.1.1. Introduction
4.1.2. Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG)
4.1.3. Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC)
4.1.4. Resident Representative (UNDP)
4.1.5. Humanitarian Coordinator
4.1.6. Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
4.1.7. United Nations Humanitarian Agencies
4.1.8. Local Emergency Management Authorities (LEMA)
4.1.9. The Red Cross Movement
4.1.10. Non Governmental Organisations (NGO’s)
4.1.11. Donors
4.1.12. Civil-Military Coordination (CM Coord, CIMIC)
4.1.13. Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO)
4.2. POSSIBLE SCENARIOS
4.2.1 Context
4.2.2 Emergency without Military Operations
4.2.3 Complex Emergency

Part 5: Guidelines And Complementary Information

Part 6: Supporting Information

4.2. SCENARIOS

•  CONTEXT

A hazardous situation in a country may turn into a disaster when the affected society cannot cope by using only its own resources. Such a disaster, either natural or man-made, becomes an emergency when lives and property are at immediate risk. The term "emergency" suggests an intense period and level of urgency, requiring immediate international humanitarian relief actions. In such an emergency environment, t he IASC may decide to activate the UNJLC if they consider that joint management of their common logistic assets will produce a synergetic effect in providing relief support. This is particularly the case in large-scale emergencies which exceed the in-country capabilities of those Agencies and other humanitarian organisations that are active in the area on a routine basis.

It is impossible to predict in which environment the UNJLC will be called upon to operate. Humanitarian emergencies can occur after natural sudden onset disasters such as the catastrophic flooding in Mozambique in February 2000, or in "complex" situations such as in Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq 2003.

•  In case of a natural or man-made sudden onset disaster, relief activities will normally be managed by the LEMA (see paragraph 4.1.8) supported by the UN humanitarian community. Such support is usually provided by the Resident Representative/Coordinator, and OCHA/UNDAC working in close consultation with UN humanitarian Agencies.

•  In complex emergencies, humanitarian logistic activities should, for security reasons, be co-ordinated with the military authorities in the region. As explained at paragraph 4.1.13.above, any DPKO presence will be headed by the SRSG. In the case of a multi-national or national peacekeeping component, the military structure may be headed by an appointed official or by a military commander.

For the sake of simplicity, only two scenarios are described below.

•  EMERGENCY WITHOUT MILITARY ACTIVITIES

The first scenario considers UNJLC activation during an emergency without any peacekeeping or military activities. This could be the case after natural sudden onset disasters (floods, earthquake, etc), man-made sudden onset disasters (industrial accidents, chemical/nuclear explosion etc) or during natural slow onset disasters (drought, crop failure, epidemics, famine, etc). The UNJLC may be integrated into the structures of the LEMA, the Resident Representative/Coordinator or the Lead Agency.

In principle, the Lead Agency or the relevant Disaster Management Team (DMT) will establish humanitarian priorities in co-ordination with other UN Agencies. If deployed, CMCoord staff could be attached to OCHA to fulfil an advisory function, or to the UNJLC to assist in operations planning and/or the co-ordination of operations at execution level, in particular when MCDA are involved. A typical organisational structure is shown at FOM 6.1.7.

•  COMPLEX EMERGENCY

The second scenario considers UNJLC activation during a complex emergency with a peacekeeping or peace enforcement dimension. In principle the UNJLC would remain an independent entity which would not be linked to any DPKO or MNF logistics structures. The advantage of this approach is that humanitarian logistic activities are not intertwined or confused with logistics activities supporting military operations. This may contribute to the safety of the relief operation. UN activities will be led by the SRSG. As indicated at paragraph 4.1.2. above, the IASC appoints a Humanitarian Co-ordinator for each complex emergency on a case by case basis. The Agencies may decide to create a Crisis Management Group (CMG) to coordinated humanitarian relief activities and establish priorities. The CMG will be chaired by the HC.

In principle, the UNJLC will report to the Humanitarian Co-ordinator or to the Lead Agency as the case may be. As in the case of emergencies without military activities, if military assets are used to support humanitarian activities, CMCoord staff may be tasked with co-ordinating their employment. This could be at both planning and execution level. A typical organisational structure is at FOM 6.1.8.