Meeting Humanitarian Challenges in Urban Areas: Review of Urban Humanitarian Challenges in Port-au-Prince, Manila, Nairobi, Eldoret

Following recommendations of the IASC Task Force on MHCUA, Nairobi, Eldoret and Manila and Port au Prince were adopted as representative case studies. They reflect recent and different types of sudden onset emergencies and disasters (urban violence, severe flooding and hurricanes, earthquakes) impacting densely populated urban areas. They also illustrate different national and local government and NGO capacities and partnerships. All the cities experience on-going chronic conditions because of rapid urbanization, high population densities, deepening poverty and, in the Kenyan cities, the in-migration of refugees and IDPs.

The objectives of this evaluation of urban case studies are to:

a. review, the tools, practices capacities and methodologies employed by humanitarian agencies in responding to humanitarian crises and emergencies;

b. develop a robust evidence base to support the strategy formulated for meeting humanitarian challenges;

c. enhance IASC’s understanding of challenges and gaps encountered in the humanitarian response.

Four institutional and organizational themes and six sectoral issues are highlighted and for each topic the review: outlines key challenges and gaps experienced by humanitarian agencies; highlights practices, approaches and tools; provides transferable recommendations to IASC partners for improving delivery of humanitarian response and preparedness.