Venezuela - September-Octuber 2023

Situation Report
Coordination

Coordination

Inter-agency coordination efforts continued during September and October 2023 to strengthen emergency preparedness and response actions, promote the humanitarian principles campaign, prepare the 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan, and continue to improve accountability to affected populations.

During the reporting months, the clusters have worked towards updating their logical frameworks to enable partners to submit their projects for the Humanitarian Response Plan. Likewise, indicators of cross-cutting areas (gender, protection, PEAS, among others) were reviewed, and some activities were adjusted based on the identified cross-cutting lines, such as: MHPSS, livelihoods, and population health.

In October, the Intercluster Coordination Group (ICG) held a working session with sectoral leaders of the regional platform to pursue synergies and identify joint actions for Venezuelan migrants. A mapping of essential services in border areas is one of the activities expected to be undertaken by 2024.

On the other hand, Local Coordination Forums have been strengthened to advance in the joint planning of actions, with a multisectoral approach, to build capacities. We have also strengthened coordination forums with authorities, in many cases through intersectoral technical working groups or technical working groups devoted to each sector, which has enabled us to engage in a constructive dialogue that has improved access, joint planning of activities and technical discussions to enhance the response.

Access workshops were held as part of the implementation of the Humanitarian Access Strategy in the states of Amazonas, Bolivar, Delta Amacuro, Falcon, Sucre, and Zulia, involving the participation of approximately 85 organizations.

In October, the Communications Group of the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) launched the "Humanitarian Principles in Action" campaign to raise awareness of the principles that underpin and guide humanitarian action (Humanity, Impartiality, Neutrality, and Independence), as well as to highlight humanitarian work in the country. The campaign includes three components: radio, digital and community and is available to the entire humanitarian community and the general public.

The Preparedness and Response Working Group, comprised of United Nations agencies, funds and programs, established a Standard Operating Procedure for internal coordination in the event of emergencies. Within the framework of accountability to affected communities, 231 humanitarian workers from 62 partner organizations in the states of Amazonas, Apure, Delta Amacuro, Sucre, and Táchira were trained on the basic concepts and principles underlying this approach to humanitarian response.

The Gender Equality Network (GEN), led by Tinta Violeta, UN Women and GenCap, took part in HCT meetings, where it advocated for gender equality measures in localization actions and reported on the different actions carried out by this Network, as well as on the Gender Roadmap.

Support and advice were provided during the humanitarian programming cycle, for example, through focus groups on the situation of women and LGBTIQ+ people. Advisory services were provided to the clusters for the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) to integrate gender-sensitive activities and indicators into their sectoral logical frameworks.

Technical support was also provided to integrate gender into the allocation strategies of the VHF and the CERF; to the Inter-Agency Contact Line by holding a session on accountability to affected populations (AAP) and gender equality; and to advocate with donor countries for the financing of gender activities, women-led organizations, and gender equality programming.

Capacity building is an essential task of the GEN, and 124 people participated in training activities. Workshops were held with VHF partners on gender analysis, gender-sensitive programming and the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Gender Age Marker. A session on integrating a gender focus into disaster risk preparedness was held with Fire Departments and Civil Protection personnel.

21,905 comments have been received through the Inter-Agency Contact Line (three times more than those reported in the same period in 2022). These comments come mainly from women between the ages of 18 and 59, using suggestion boxes, face-to-face interactions, WhatsApp, and phone calls. There has been a 78% increase in the use of telephone calls, following the promotion of the free-of-charge service for this channel.

99% of feedback cases have been handled and responded to with an average turnaround time of one day. Comments are mostly related to positive feedback, suggestions on implemented projects and requests for information associated with food security and livelihoods, nutrition and water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions.

Feedback received has helped to reinforce key messages related to information on humanitarian interventions in the country, strengthen the community approach through communication strategies with communities, and build the capacity of partners for the adequacy of the response in current and future humanitarian programming.

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