1. Background
Experiences from different countries in the Pacific Region has shown that communal centres (eg places of worship, schools, community halls, public centres, police posts etc), are often used as temporary shelters or evacuation sites for people displaced during natural disasters. However, there is limited information and guidance available to promote safety, wellbeing and dignity for those hosted in evacuation centres in times of disasters and to support protection of the most vulnerable. In this context, the Pacific Humanitarian Protection Cluster (PHPC) has developed this Guidance Note on Protection in Evacuation Centres to build awareness of protection and to support its integration into disaster preparedness and response in the Pacific region.
The Guidance Note draws on widely recognised good practices in response to emergencies and existing international humanitarian standards in emergencies. In particular, the guidance note reflects the content of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Operational Guidelines on the Protection of Persons in Situations of Natural Disasters.
The Pacific Protection Cluster is available to provide technical assistance and support for drafting country-specific guidelines on protection in evacuations centres, as needed.