CIDA: Analysis of Humanitarian Needs

1. CIDA: Analysis of Humanitarian Needs Good Humanitarian Donorship Initiative (GHD) Geneva, January 27, 2009

2. Overview: Approaches to better allocations according to humanitarian needs • Humanitarian Needs Index (HNI)-Data sources and methodology • Calibration of Natural Disasters • Calibration of Protracted Emergencies-Key Challenges • Next Steps and ways forward

3. CIDA’s Humanitarian Needs Index What we trying to achieve: • The HNI is a tool to measure comparability between emergencies through an analysis of mortality and morbidity data • A subjective weighting of relevant humanitarian needs indicators--limits analysis to those deemed most relevant and relies on data collected at regional level • HNI determines a relative ranking of emergencies anchored around average levels of need

4. Sources of information: The CE-DAT is maintained by the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) and derives information from field surveys conducted by humanitarian organizations (crude mortality rate; under-5 mortality rate; global acute malnutrition; severe acute malnutrition; and vaccination coverage); and also the IDMC for IDP data Practical use for decision-making: Results of this analysis have been used during the last two annual CIDA reviews to help inform our funding decisions. The results of the analysis are compared and triangulated with other qualitative and quantitative data. CIDA’s Humanitarian Needs Index

5. Limitations & Next Steps of HNI • Reliability and validity of the data • Capacity and expertise for carrying out surveys? • Consistent and coherent methodologies? • Subjectivity in interpreting the data • Different interpretations of ‘need’ • Selection and weighting of indicators

6. Calibration Table for Natural Disasters • CIDA/IHA has also developed a method for comparing the severity of different natural disasters (severity is defined as number of people affected or number of people requiring life-saving assistance) • Measures of Severity for calibration: # affected; # displaced or evacuated; # dead; # hectares of lost crops; # homes fully or partially damaged; # people targeted for emergency food assistance; and # people targeted for other core-life saving humanitarian assistance

7. Strengths & Weaknesses of Natural Disasters Calibration Table • Strengthens needs-based decision making & improves consistency; • Enhances transparency to internal & external audiences & provides a record of decision making However, • Data are often incomplete or not available in a timely fashion; • Definitions not consistent across organizations making data comparisons difficult

8. Calibration Table for Protracted Emergencies • There is an important debate and no clear agreement on what indicators to use: Fragile state index; Human Development Index; Proportion of the population under 1 US $ a day; Current allocations of international food aid; or # of people below the poverty line? • More complex and difficult to develop than Natural Disasters Calibration Table • Further development of HNI favoured over Calibration Table for Protracted Emergencies.

9. Next Steps and Ways Forward • CIDA acknowledges that the HNI has important limitations (inherent subjectivity, data limitations, etc..) • Epidemiologists at CRED are supportive of this work and have offered technical suggestions to improve the methodology; CIDA is making on-going improvements • CIDA pursues this initiative to make a contribution to dialogue around needs • CIDA will continue to develop and refine calibration for natural disasters