Assignment

�In the first year of the new millennium, the humanitarian community has continued to face great challenges in the alleviation of human suffering.� The need for humanitarian assistance due to natural disasters and complex emergencies has not diminished.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, �severe drought affected large areas of several countries in the Horn of Africa and Central and South Asia, adding to the misery of populations already suffering from protracted conflict and underdevelopment. In Mozambique and Asia, the worst floods in years took thousands of human lives, rendered millions homeless and caused enormous material damage. In West and Central Africa, we were brutally reminded that instability in one country may spill over to neighboring States, threatening the security of refugees and the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.� As the response to the September 11th attacks against the United States develops, the world is reminded that the need for peace and security is inextricably tied to the amelioration of human suffering.

The United Nations, while faced with the crucial task of providing relief to those in need is also faced with another set of questions: How does the UN balance the need to provide relief services with the imperative to ensure the safety of its aid workers and staff? How will the UN garner the financial support it needs to carry out its relief program in a fashion that is both safe and effective? And how will the UN respond to claims that this work should be left to organizations that may be better suited to deal with humanitarian emergencies?

The coming essay examines the UN humanitarian coordinating mechanism, OCHA, and analyzes its responses to the questions above. The essay will pay particular attention to instances in which OCHA has not been able to effectively respond to emergencies and will offer critique and suggestions for change.

The essay will cover:
          � The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
          � Recent successes, failures, challenges
          � Fund-raising and the consolidated appeals process
          � Security of personnel
          � Challenges from member states and civil society
          � The future of OCHA: Effective coordination and cooperation