Since floods devastated Pakistan in 2010, affecting some 18 million people, USAID has been supporting the critical work of the Pakistan Floods Shelter Cluster.
Most people are familiar with disaster response scenes depicting aid workers distributing food and water or helping families set up their tents. However, few people are aware that disaster response also involves behind-the-scenes coordination, critical to minimizing overlaps and gaps in the provision of humanitarian assistance. For this reason, USAID supports humanitarian coordination to complement the other forms of assistance that it provides following disasters.
In the aftermath of the 2010 floods in Pakistan and during subsequent episodes of seasonal flooding in 2011 and 2012, USAID provided more than $31 million to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). This funding has enabled IOM to deliver shelter assistance to tens of thousands of needy families in collaboration with local authorities and has supported IOM’s work as the lead for the Pakistan Floods Shelter Cluster, the coordinating body for emergency shelter activities in the country. With USAID support, the Shelter Cluster has been able to conduct field assessments, identify emergency shelter needs following floods or other disasters, develop response strategies, and organize appropriate assistance with the aid of its members, Pakistani national and local disaster management officials, and civil society groups.
USAID’s support for a dedicated Shelter Cluster team also makes a significant difference to coordination in ways beyond the essential needs assessments and information sharing that guide a disaster response. At times, multiple relief agencies may conduct activities in the same area, and it is up to the Shelter Cluster lead to prevent relief efforts from overlapping. A strong Cluster lead team can also provide practical guidance to members and advocate independently on shelter issues with local authorities and other stakeholders, ensuring that the humanitarian shelter response occurs more effectively and reaches the most vulnerable populations, particularly women and children.
USAID is also engaged in shelter coordination operations, not just as a donor, but as an active member. As part of the humanitarian community, USAID staff members have regularly participated in Shelter Cluster meetings, contributing to decision making and the development of strategies and guidance documents. Moreover, USAID has helped to shape and expand the Shelter Cluster team and bring coordination activities closer to beneficiaries by taking a lead role in the establishment of district-level coordination focal points.
Through IOM, USAID’s support has helped assemble Shelter Cluster members into a cohesive unit with robust response capacity. In so doing, USAID is both addressing the needs of disaster-affected communities and supporting good humanitarian practices in Pakistan.