Strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations
Report of the Secretary-General
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Summary
The present report has been prepared pursuant to General Assembly resolution 46/182, in which the Assembly requested the Secretary-General to report annually to the Assembly and the Economic and Social Council on the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance. The report is also submitted in response to General Assembly resolution 62/94 and Economic and Social Council resolution 2007/3.
The present report describes major humanitarian trends and challenges that have occurred during the past year and analyses two thematic issues of concern: the humanitarian implications of climate change and the humanitarian challenges related to the current global food trends. The report provides an overview of current key processes to improve humanitarian coordination and ends with recommendations for further strengthening the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations.
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*A/63/50.
**E/2008/100.
I. Introduction
1. The present report responds to the requests contained in General Assembly resolution 62/94 and Economic and Social Council resolution 2007/3.
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II. Overview of humanitarian trends and challenges
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B. Complex emergencies
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14. In the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the United Nations has been providing assistance to affected communities for six decades. Palestinian populations in the West Bank and Gaza as well as Israeli populations in Sderot and western Negev continue to struggle with violence and economic restrictions. In Gaza, where close to 80 per cent of the population depends on humanitarian aid, the almost total lockdown of crossing points into the Gaza Strip since June 2007 has impeded the entry and distribution of humanitarian assistance and prevented commercial goods from entering and exiting markets. Severe restrictions on the movement of people and goods in the West Bank and Gaza have deeply affected commercial activities. The resulting economic stagnation has put nearly half of the population below the poverty line, in Gaza in particular. Civilians in Sderot and western Negev in Israel live in constant fear for their lives, as rockets and mortars continue to be fired indiscriminately from Gaza.
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16. Where the United Nations and its humanitarian partners have been able to respond to these complex emergencies, they have been effective at providing timely assistance to people in need. For example, United Nations agencies and partner organizations were able to provide safe water and sanitation to one million internally displaced persons in Somalia; cared for 240,000 Sudanese refugees and 180,000 internally displaced persons in eastern Chad; provided emergency job creation and cash assistance to 44,000 destitute families in the Occupied Palestinian Territory; …
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Document symbol: A/63/81|E/2008/71
Document Type: Report
Document Sources: Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), General Assembly, Secretary-General
Subject: Agenda Item, Humanitarian relief, Palestine question
Publication Date: 25/07/2008
Document Type: Report
Document Sources: Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), General Assembly, Secretary-General
Subject: Agenda Item, Humanitarian relief, Palestine question
Publication Date: 25/07/2008