OCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Published purpose

March 2014 - Asia is home to approximately 9.5 million refugees, internally displaced people, recent returnees and people without citizenship, who live in conditions of deep deprivation and physical peril. Armed conflict, internal displacement, food insecurity, natural disasters and state-sponsored repression have all contributed to a number of complex emergencies. There are more natural disasters in this region than in any other part of the world, and more people in this region are killed or affected by natural disasters than anywhere else. With the support of DFATD and other donors, OCHA is strengthening the capacity of humanitarian leaders and systems in the region. Activities include: (1) accelerating the roll-out of humanitarian reforms, including the implementation of specific action plans in selected crisis-affected countries; (2) increasing the ability to swiftly mobilize experts during major crises; (3) improving the decision-making capacity of humanitarian leaders, including the use of standardized needs assessments in all emergency settings; (4) undertaking activities to improve in-country monitoring systems, with country operations better able to publish comprehensive, real-time monitoring information on results; and (5) undertaking activities to enhance the preparedness of the humanitarian community for the 2014 typhoon season.