Humanitarian Assistance

This Pocket Guide and its supporting materials provide all humanitarian practitioners with information on: How to support a survivor of gender-based violence (GBV) Who discloses their experience of GBV with you In a context where there is no GBV actor (including a GBV referral pathway or a GBV focal point) available. The Pocket Guide uses global standards on...

The Call to Action on Protection from Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies (Call to Action) is a groundbreaking global initiative to fundamentally transform the way gender-based violence (GBV) is addressed in humanitarian action. The aim is to drive change and foster accountability so that every humanitarian effort, from the earliest phases of a crisis...

In September 2018, the Department of Operations and Emergencies (DOE) of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) launched its first Institutional Framework for Addressing GBV in Crises (GBViC Framework). The GBViC Framework builds on lessons learned and emerging good practices in addressing gender-based violence (GBV) in IOM’s crisis operations...

There is increasing awareness that trafficking in persons (TIP) and humanitarian crises are connected, as crises can exacerbate pre-existing trafficking trends and patterns, or create conditions for new forms of exploitation to proliferate. While evidence of this association exists, collecting data on trafficking in humanitarian settings faces the dual...

The Guidance is the product of two years of consultations between the Global Protection Cluster Task Team on Anti-Trafficking in Humanitarian Action and protection cluster colleagues and partners. The objective of the Guidance is to introduce humanitarian practitioners to the issue of trafficking in persons in all types of crises involving internally...

Despite a significant scale-up of the humanitarian response by the United Nations and humanitarian partners since 2016, in support of the Government of Nigeria, the humanitarian crisis in the BAY states continues. Civilians still bear the brunt of a conflict that has led to widespread forced displacement and violations of international humanitarian and human...

The Rohingya Refugee Crisis Response Plan is focused on life-saving and protection assistance for the most vulnerable people. The Plan targets 1.2 million people, including all Rohingya refugees, and 300,000 Bangladeshi host communities over the next six months.The plan prioritizes the provision of life-saving assistance, improving the conditions and...

The handbook provides operational guidance and tools to support effective protection responses in situations of internal displacement. Specifically, the Handbook seeks to: ensure staff members are familiar with the core concepts, principles and international legal standards that form the framework for protection work; assist staff in operationalizing these...

This booklet provides an overview of what protection means in practice, who is responsible for making it happen and what those in need of protection can expect of humanitarians. The risks that people face can take many forms and require a range of actions, some more specialised than others. This booklet gives a broad outline for humanitarians in other fields...

This Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) provides a framework for coordinated, needs-based and prioritized humanitarian action in Myanmar in 2020. It has been developed by the Myanmar Humanitarian Country Team (HCT), under the leadership of the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator (RC/HC), based on the 2020 Myanmar Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) and a...

The Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (CPMS) have become one of the key resources for humanitarian workers since its launch in 2012. The CPMS have been developed to support child protection work in humanitarian settings by: Establishing common principles between those working in child protection; strengthening coordination between...

The Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP) offers a strategic, coordination, planning, advocacy, and programming platform for humanitarian and development partners to respond to the Syria crisis at the regional level and in host countries. It comprises one regional plan, with standalone country chapters covering Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and Iraq...

Human rights don’t disappear the moment an earthquake, a hurricane or a tsunami strikes. We witnessed after the Indian Ocean tsunami, the earthquake in Haiti and many other disaster situations that during relief and recovery efforts the protection of human rights gains in importance as it can safeguard the dignity of those affected. People are at their most...

Although human trafficking has gathered momentum and several international organizations have developed approaches to address it, the phenomenon remains a serious crime, with grave human rights concerns, that is largely overlooked in crisis situations. In addition, human trafficking is typically not considered a direct consequence of crisis. This misplaced...

This Guidance Note provides guidance for the mandatory mainstreaming of humanitarian protection principles into IOM’s response to crises. This note is intended to help every IOM staff involved in crisis response to apply these standards in performance of their functions when assessing, designing, developing, endorsing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating...

This paper is part of the IOM Migration Research Leaders Syndicate’s contribution toward the Global Compact for Migration. It is one of 26 papers that make up a consolidated Syndicate publication, which focuses on proposing ways to address complex and pressing issues in contemporary international migration. The Migration Research Leaders Syndicate, convened...

The conflict and violence in Syria since 2011 have caused massive loss of life and human suffering, as well as a complex displacement crisis. Four of Syria’s neighbouring states are the most important hosting countries worldwide for refugees from the war-torn country. As of the end of September 2015, there are almost four million Syrian refugees in Turkey...

The Rohingya people of Myanmar (known as Burma before 1989) were stripped of citizenship in 1982, because they could not meet the requirement of proving their forefathers settled in Burma before 1823, and now account for one in seven of the global population of stateless people. Of the total 1·5 million Rohingya people living in Myanmar and across southeast...

Building on the existing foundation of research, this chapter examines two distinctive case studies, the Nepal earthquake of 25 April 2015 and the mixed migration flows through the Western Balkans between spring 2015 and spring 2016. It assesses whether these extraordinary situations indeed led to an increase in trafficking and exploitation and determines...

This Issue Brief provides an introduction to the topic of trafficking in times of crisis—in the context of conflicts and natural disasters. It discusses frameworks and practices relevant to addressing trafficking in these situations and identifies gaps and challenges. Aspects particular to migrants are highlighted, acknowledging that this is an area that...