Abstract:
In line with global policy, UNICEF Pacific has been actively using the Core Commitments for Children (CCCs) in a number of emergency response scenarios, including the response to Solomon Islands earthquake and tsunami in 2007 and more recently in the response to floods in Fiji in early 2009. UNICEF Pacific commissioned an evaluation of the former response in order to inform further refinements to the organisationâs response capacity and has recently reviewed the supply situation in the wake of the emergency response in Fiji. Both evaluations demonstrate a commitment to ensuring that children and women remain at the core of emergency planning in the Pacific. In the wake of these emergencies and with the recognition that Pacific Islands States are at high risk of natural disasters, it is crucial to consider the vulnerabilities of children and women in emergencies and whether all partners are responding to these vulnerabilities through prioritizing their needs. To that end, this rights-based assessment of the Governments' emergency preparedness and responses plans and capacity is another effort to ensure that the CCCs are a primary reference point for all emergency-related activities in a countryâs response to a disaster situation.