Yemen

Emergency Preparedness

SCS seeks to ensure the respect, fulfilment and protection of child rights in emergency situations in Yemen and, when required, by SCS and partners through emergency preparedness.

It intends to give a solid platform for future and partially existing emergencies as well as early recovery work in the three countries of operations, with a focus on Lebanon and Yemen as potential MM countries under SCS lead. This will then also mandate SCS to be the co lead with UNICEF in the Education cluster , which with the already existing good relations are not to be seen as a challenge. With proper preparedness work and the setting of EPPs, from finding out the situation and availability of sources on the ground, SCS MENA foresees a number of capacity buildings both for staff, partners and actors involved children and thereby create a platform for rapid and informed responses.

SCS MENA aims to have a set methodology for child lead disaster reduction in emergencies and a system for developing local EPPs in vulnerable and emergency prone areas, be it man-made or natural disasters. The regional component of the emergency preparedness TP lies in the inter-linkages that are created amongst the three countries with regards to the approaches in developing the TPPs.

By increasing the capacity of SCS and partner organisations in emergency preparedness as well as protection and education in emergencies, networking (in particular developing community-based protection networks in emergency contexts), advocacy and fund-raising there will be an increase in both readiness and preparedness to respond to emergencies at a country level but also in emergency prone regions as the south and north of Yemen.

By piloting child-lead disaster risk reduction and local EPP’s there will be an increased local ownership of any upcoming emergency interventions. Through the capacity building targeting media, there will also be increased awareness, with reference to SC and its partners in child related issues.

SCS is the only NGO with capacity to ensure that children are not forgotten in emergencies. SCS is an active member of the INGO Forum in Yemen and its emergency response coordination group.

A CRC / CRP approach will be applied for both the emergency preparedness work and actual emergency response. A focus of the approaches and work will be:

- capacity building of staff, partner organisations, duty bearers, such as Ministries, UN bodies and the Higher Council for Childhood in Yemen;

- piloting child-led disaster reduction and community at risk emergency preparedness plans in emergency prone areas and not the least work with and through partners in the geographical areas of crises.

In the occurring emergencies, the focus will be on establishing child friendly environments with a community based approach leading into community based protection networks bearing in mind that both emergency and early recovery work should be planned from the beginning recognizing the needs for that the work should lead to sustainable development work when possible.

Work with the Alliance in cases of big emergencies will be considered and/or when there is felt need to address the food gap in the country. Both SCUS and SCUK have expressed interest to explore possibilities to address food security problems in Yemen.