• Reaching out to Other Countries
• Bangladesh
• Bolivia
• Horn of Africa
• Indonesia
• Niger
  • ECB Consortia share learning highlights from inter-agency Simulations in 2010-2011
• What is an ECB Consortium?
• How did we select five ECB Consortia?
• What is a CEP?

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21 March 2012: Niger communities say they will run out of food before next harvest joint ECB / ACAPs study shows. Aid agencies call on donors to act now to prevent humanitarian disaster. Read the full report in English and French.

Niger is among the poorest countries in the world (ranked 167 /169 by the UN Human Development Index) , with infant and maternal mortality rates among the highest in Africa. On a daily basis, the majority of people living in Niger face food insecurity, disease, illiteracy, weak institutional support and limited means to participate in government.

Food crises are occurring more regularly than ever before in Sub-Saharan Africa, due to deepening poverty, the degradation of natural resources, the rise in food prices, or climate change. Responses to these crises are often limited to costly, ineffective, and unsustainable emergency relief and food aid. Global responses often lack oversight, coherence, and a gender-sensitive framework.

The Emergency Capacity Building Project started in Niger during the  2005 food crisis, with a multi-agency evaluation which brought together CARE, CRS, Mercy Corps, Save the Children, and World Vision.

Now a consortium of agencies, led by CARE Niger, the members include: CRS, Oxfam, Plan International Niger, Save the Children, Mercy Corps and World Vision. The consortium is also partnering with other NGOs, UN agencies and government structures.

The partnering agencies seek to work together with government and civil society actors to build joint capacities in accountability and DRR practices. They also aspire to work more closely with UN agencies to improve coordination efforts led by OCHA. During their recent annual review ECB agencies identified opportunities to invite government and UN representatives to participate in inter-agency training activities in 2011-2012.

As a result of relationships created under the auspices of the ECB Project, collaboration between ECB agencies have also formed during emergencies. In 2010, the crisis provided an opportunity for Mercy Corps and Oxfam to work together with assessment results to ensure their programs were complimentary in the Agadez region.

A Joint Evaluation in the fall of 2010 focused on the ECB agencies response to the ongoing food crisis and four key program areas: Food distribution programs, malnutrition treatment programs, cash transfers programs, and pastoral farming programs. This evaluation sought to identify important changes that have been implemented following the recommendations made in the 2005 Joint Evaluation. Lessons learnt from this evaluation have been integrated into global level field-focussed tools and future activities.

Niger held their first Simulation in February 2011. Facilitated by Lucien Simba from UNOCHA, and Mercy Corps' Richard Jacquot, the participants were able to identify coordination and competency gaps during a flood simulation in the fictitious country of Nerestan. The group prioritized two core capacity building opportunities. An assessment training, led by CARE and CRS, will inform multi-agency participants about the key techniques for conducting a rapid assessment. They are also preparing for a Sphere standards and Good Enough Guide training next month.

This consortium is led by CARE, with the support of the energetic Field Facilitator Mamane Sani Zahairou.

Contact us for further information on the work being conducted by ECB in the region