Department for Culture, Media and Sport
 Printable version
|
 E-mail this to a friend
|
A comprehensive picture of humanitarian assistance capability in the UK
Humanitarian Assistance in the UK: Current Capability and the Development of Best Practice, a research report commissioned and funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) was today launched by Tessa Jowell, the Minister responsible for Humanitarian Assistance.
The research was undertaken as part of the Humanitarian Assistance Unit's work to better understand local capability in this field.
Tessa Jowell said:
"The results of this report will, I hope, guide us in doing better for individuals who are the innocent victims of disasters. For example, so that in future, in the aftermath of a disaster, survivors do not have to struggle to access the support they deserve."
The report distils its evidence into key themes, and contains a number of recommendations for central, regional and local government. It also identifies and outlines areas of good practice and cites twenty two cases - of the many identified during the research - which demonstrate the sorts of activity taking place across the UK. In addition, the researchers highlight three areas that might benefit from a better understanding of key principles: joint working between police family liaison officers and humanitarian response teams; the provision of psychosocial support services; and planning around exit strategies for those services.
The report highlights a number of innovative developments in this field, and demonstrates that examples of good practice can be found across the whole of the UK. However, as well as drawing attention to examples of commendable progress, its findings support the need for further development in this area. Some of the key findings were:
* Most Local Reslience Forum (LRF) and Local Authority respondents have a lead responder in place for Humanitarian Assistance, and arrangements in place for welfare response. However, planning activity tends to focus on short term rather than longer term needs and recovery strategies;
* Most LRF respondents do have a humanitarian sub-group in place to lead on planning for humanitarian assistance, however there are varying views on how LRFs are working and about levels of preparedness;
* There is huge variation in the organisation, experience, training and establishment of humanitarian response teams, with much reliance on volunteers and calls for more guidance, consistency and standards relating to this work.
Notes to Editors
1. Humanitarian Assistance in the UK: Current Capability and the Development of Best Practice was written by Dr Anne Eyre, Viv Brunsden and Jamie Murphy. It was commissioned by DCMS in April 2007. For a copy of the report please go to: http://www.culture.gov.uk/Reference_library/Publications/archive_2007/haintheuk_researchreport.htm
2. For the purposes of this report, Humanitarian Assistance is defined as referring to 'those activities aimed at meeting the needs of people affected by emergencies. In particular this includes those elements of planning, training and exercising aimed at meeting people's practical and emotional needs; response activities focussing on meeting people's needs during and immediately after emergencies; and the coordination and provision of psychological and social aftercare for those affected in the weeks, months and years that follow'.
3. Following ministerial changes on 28 June 2007, Tessa Jowell became Olympics Minister, based at the Cabinet Office. She retains her role as Minister for Humanitarian Assistance, responsible for ensuring that the needs of British victims of major emergencies, and those of their families, are understood and considered properly within Government.
4. For more information about the Humanitarian Assistance Unit at DCMS please visit http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/Humanitarian_assistance/
Public Enquiries: 020 7211 6200
http://www.culture.gov.uk
2-4 Cockspur Street
London SW1Y 5DH
http://www.culture.gov.uk
