Evaluation of Emergency Preparedness Plans for International NGOs in Palestine رسالة ماجستير

Abstract

Disasters carry a heavy toll globally. In Palestine, the humanitarian context is unique, and aggravated by complications of the political situation. Emergency preparedness has never been more crucial to lessen the impact of disasters on vulnerable Palestinian communities. This research aims to evaluate Emergency Preparedness Plans (EPPs) for International NGOs in Palestine. The analysis was established upon four main priorities of the United Nation‟s Sendai framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, along with the development process of Emergency Preparedness Plans. Moreover, in order to feed into future planning for emergencies, the research studies the level of coordination and unified efforts among key stakeholders in emergency preparedness and response. The data was collected based on interviews that were conducted with ten NGOs under the Inter-Cluster coordination group, as well as the Palestinian Civil Defense‟s Disaster Management Unit, and the National Committee for Disaster Risk Reduction. Analysis of the data revealed key observations. Firstly, despite high compliance with certain pillars of the Sendai framework, EPPs are not fully effective and can certainly be improved if all pillars are incorporated within. Secondly, the findings also suggest a need for more systematic, inclusive, and institutionalized coordination efforts among different actors in emergency preparedness and response.