History of Agency in the World and Iran

• 1991: Following the failure of the international community to respond to the 1991 Kurdish crisis in Iraq, the General Assembly adopted resolution 46/182 designed to strengthen the United Nations response to both complex emergencies and natural disasters. In addition it aimed at improving the overall effectiveness of the United Nations’ humanitarian operation in the field and creation of a high level position of Emergency Response Coordinator (ERC). Soon after, the Secretary-General established the Department of Humanitarian Affairs (DHA) and assigned the ERC the status of on Under Secretary-General (USG) for Humanitarian Affairs with offices in New York and Geneva to provide institutional support.

• 1998: DHA was reorganized into the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

(UNOCHA).

• 2000: The first temporary UNOCHA Country Office was established in the Islamic Republic of Iran to coordinate the response to humanitarian needs for the war affected people of Iraq and Afghanistan.

• 2003: Permanent UNOCHA Office in Iran was established and has operated since the 2003 Bam earthquake.

Priorities Globally and in Iran

Policy development and coordination functions in support of the Secretary-General by ensuring that all humanitarian issues are duly addressed, including those which fall between gaps in existing mandates of agencies such as protection and assistance for internally displaced persons (IDPs); Advocacy of humanitarian issues with political organs, notably the Security Council, communicating with belligerent parties in a conflict when there is a need to reach out to civilians who are in need of humanitarian aid; Coordination of humanitarian emergency response, by ensuring that an appropriate response mechanism is established on the ground, through the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (ISAC) consultations; Resource mobilization and needs consolidation by the “Consolidated Appeal Process (CAP)” system; Drawing global attention to forgotten emergencies; Promoting the culture of humanitarian assistance; Making sure that smooth and sufficient humanitarian assistance is provided to the population affected by natural disasters; Improving the information management system for adequate decision making in the shortest time possible during a disaster; Promoting international, cultural and humanitarian charter cooperation; Integrating environment management and climate change policies into disaster management activities, considering the high impact of climate change on the occurrence of natural disasters and the emphasis of the UN Secretary-General on this issue; Emphasizing on CBDRM as a priority; Drawing attention of authorities and humanitarian actors on different needs of women, girls, men and boys during emergencies and conflicts.

Main projects/activities in Iran

• Supporting the UN Resident Coordinator and the UN Country Team’s response to disasters;

• Increasing the capacity and efficiency of the UN Country Team in Iran to respond to natural disasters;

• Channeling international humanitarian assistance and allocating cash grants, in cases such as the earthquake affected people in Bam, Mazanderan and Lorestan;

• Coordinating needs assessment missions and emergency response during natural disasters; Cooperating with government authorities, Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) and NGOs on disaster preparedness, mitigation and hazard reduction;

• Coordinating with the UN agencies and international NGO’s on humanitarian aid;

• Facilitating exchange of knowledge, best practices, lessons learnt and other experiences among stakeholders;

• Strengthening the capacity of relevant government organs, IRCS and NGOs to respond in a timely and adequate manner to disasters through workshops and seminars at different levels;

• Advocating international humanitarian concepts and principles, promoting familiarity with the challenges to these concepts and principles at national and regional level;

• Following up the establishment of a Regional Disaster Management Center in Iran;

• Acting as secretariat of the UN Disaster Management Plan (UNDMP);

• Organizing training and professional workshops on CBDRM, gender in emergencies, climate change, environment management and their impact on disaster management;

• on Flood Management and Legal Framework of Humanitarian Assistance in Iranian universities and different provinces;

• Enhancing incorporation of risk reduction approaches in humanitarian response;

• Promoting preparedness and prevention efforts to render international assistance effective, timely and appropriate.

Address: United Nations Building No. 8, Shahrzad Blvd., Darrous, Tehran, Iran,

P.O. Box 15875/4557

Tel: (98-21) 2286 0691-4/2286 0925-8/2286 8193, E-mail: ochatehran@un.org

Facsimile: (98-21) 22886675 website: www.unochaonline.un.org