Recognizing the need for the country-level Food Security Clusters to take a holistic approach to data collection and sharing, the gFSC is developing a web-based Information Management (IM) tool for country clusters and partners to use to collect, analyse and report on food security responses. The gFSC IM tool is an elaboration of a tool that was built and used by the Somalia and South Sudan Food Security Clusters.

The IM tool aims to make data collection, processing, and response analysis globally comparable.  By producing operational reports and maps the IM tool can give visibility to gaps and overlaps of partner responses and ultimately avoid duplication of humanitarian assistance, especially considering issues of food availability, access and utilization.  Consistent information sharing by partners will facilitate project tracking and monitoring and result in evidence based decision making for strategic intervention and improved implementation.

Pilot training

The IM Tool was first time tested during the training in Rome on 15-18 July, when experienced Information Management Officers and Cluster Coordinators with information management experience tested the tool and provided their inputs to help the gFSC ensure that the IM Tool is adaptable to different emergency contexts. Many thanks for everyone who participated!

Timeline

Based on the feedback received at the pilot training, the IM tool is now being finalized. Roll-out process is tentatively scheduled for fall 2014, funding permitting.  

More information

More information about the IM Tool is now available at FSC website.

As discussed at the Global Meeting of Food Security Partners in May, the planning process for the global Food Security Cluster Strategic Plan 2015-16 will start during the summer so that new Plan can be endorsed at next Global Meeting in November. 

As proposed at the Global Meeting, the gFSC called for expressions of interest to become part of the Drafting Committee to work more closely on formulating the Plan. The Drafting Committee has now been formed and will have representatives from:

• ACF
• CARE International
• Food Security and Livelihoods Working Group in Gaziantep, Turkey
• HelpAge International
• Lutheran World Service India Trust to represent ACT Alliance
• Samaritan’s Purse
• Welthungerhilfe

Prior to the next Global Partners' Meeting (tentatively scheduled for 3-5 November), the draft Strategic Plan will be shared with all FSC Partners for comments.

The current Strategic Plan 2013/14 can be found at the FSC website.

The World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) is an initiative by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to improve humanitarian action. Through the two-year consultation process, the aim is to build a more inclusive and diverse humanitarian system by bringing all key stakeholders together to share best practices and find innovative ways to make humanitarian action more effective.

The process is being managed by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and will culminate in a global summit in 2016. Participants of the regional and online consultations will prioritize the relevant issues in their respective regions. Four themes will serve as broad categories to guide the conversations: (i) Humanitarian effectiveness; (ii) Reducing vulnerability and managing risk; (iii) Transformation through innovation and (iv) Serving the needs of people in conflict.

Partners can contribute to an inclusive preparatory process by: Contributing to discussions on the web platform, and raise awareness about the summit and encourage participation in our online consultations, especially among civil society and affected communities. For more details please visit the website: www.worldhumanitariansummit.org

• Please see the first issue of the newsletter of FAO's project on Building capacities to Better Integrate Nutrition and Food Security Programming.
• Building a Better Response is an e-learning course that aims to build the knowledge of humanitarian actors about the international coordination system for large-scale emergencies, humanitarian leadership, basics of humanitarian funding and planning, and other areas of importance to humanitarian response. The e-learning course consists of five units: 1) Foundations of Humanitarian Action 2) The International Humanitarian Architecture 3) The Cluster Approach Planning and Funding the Humanitarian Response 4) International Law and Humanitarian Standards. Those who complete all five units will receive a certificate from the Humanitarian Academy at Harvard.
• The goal of the gFSC Urban Working Group is to outreach and support the country-level clusters.  Based on discussions at the latest Global Partners’ Meeting in May, the Urban WG has now developed a concept note on how to increase communication and means of collaboration between the global level and urban initiatives at country cluster level. We we look forward to your comments – please send feedback and questions to Marina Angeloni, marina.angeloni@wfp.org

• According the April multi-agency Integrated Phase Classification (IPC), the food security situation remains precarious throughout the country. Some 45 per cent of the rural population (1.7 million people) is food insecure, meaning that there has been an increase of 500,000 people in need of food security assistance countrywide in the past eight months. Increased food assistance, nutrition support and agricultural inputs are needed throughout the country to assist food-insecure vulnerable people, and to support crisis-hit farmers to plant for the current agricultural campaign in order to avert a large-scale food and nutrition crisis in the coming months.
• Rainfall data from April to June indicates that the weather has been drier than average. There have been significant rainfall deficits in the north-west, particularly in the main agricultural areas of Ouham and Ouham Pendé and areas north of Bangui. Food needs in these areas are expected to continue throughout the agricultural season.
• The results of the markets and food security assessment, carried out in April 2014 by FAO and WFP, warn that CAR needs a long and expensive humanitarian operation over at least the next 18 months to stem the growing toll, and to help rebuild livelihoods.
• Despite the rainy season, poor road conditions and insecurity that continue to hinder access countrywide, food security partners were able to reach more people and deliver more assistance in the past two weeks including agricultural kits.
• A joint Food Security Cluster/Shelter Cluster rapid assessment on the vulnerability and food security situation of vulnerable people was carried out in certain areas of the PK5 neighbourhood in Bangui.

• In June over 1.3 million beneficiaries were reached by food assistance while emergency livelihood support was provide to 1.5 million people. (Note: the figure for livelihood support is cumulative  since the beginning of the year.) 
• Mobile teams continue to conduct their registrations and distributions in field. Adok was completed with 54,000 beneficiaries. In Ganyiel (52,000), distributions are on-going with registration continuing in Gorwei and Kodok. Distributions are also taking place in Duk Padiet (2,600), though a lower than expected number of registrations due to security tensions in the area.
• Over the past week 4,250 emergency fishing kits were released to partners for beneficiaries in Unity State to cover the counties of Abiemnhom, Leer and Mayom.
• Vegetable kits and no-harm tools have been released to partners to reach beneficiaries in Renk, Upper Nile State; Gogrial East, Gogrial West and Tonj East in Warrap State, and Central Equatoria State for Juba.
• Organizations' M&E efforts continue to be strengthened.  An intensive training is being conducted for 13 field monitors in Juba, Wau, Rumbek and Torit.  The training will cover topics including Accountability to Affected Populations, and review previous three months of monitoring efforts. Additionally, the participants will receive in depth training on the mobile phone application EpiCollect for rapid distribution of monitoring activities and for a post planting monitoring survey.
• Partners started a vaccination awareness campaign through Numlau FM radio located in Aweil East County in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State.  Livestock vaccinations are on-going throughout the state in Aweil East, Aweil North and Aweil Centre to prevent livestock diseases such as rabies and PPR. 
• (Source: South Sudan FSLC on 17 July)

• The conflict has resulted in the disruption of the public distribution system upon which large numbers of people in Iraq depend.
• The crisis has impacted the May/June cereal harvest and post-harvest activities in key production areas such as Ninewa and Salah Al-Din governorates, which account for nearly a third of Iraq's wheat production and about 38 per cent of its barley. Disruptions to central procurement and distribution systems resulted in fuel shortages, interruption of harvest subsidies and payments and food supply chains. This is further impacting agriculture and food security. Large build up of displaced people continue in the check points (specifically Khazer check point) many of who have to wait in the sun at times for 1-3 days.
•  As per the 4Ws data submitted by Cluster partners (updated on 21 July), a total of 217,418 affected individuals have been provided with food assistance since June. This includes 120,210 individuals assisted with Family Food Rations by WFP and implementing partners ACTED, IOM, ISHO, Muslim Aid and BCF. Other Cluster partners ASA, Caritas, DRC, IKL, Islamic Relief, Rwanga Foundation, SALT and Save the Children have reached 97,208 individuals. Additionally WFP also provided 1300 Immediate Response Rations to IDPs in transit centres in various locations.
• The FSC response in the last one week includes addressing the key food needs of the minority displaced from Mosul who mostly went to Al Hamadaniyah, Tel Kaif and Ankwad in Erbil. FSC partners responded to the rapidly emerging needs. There was also response in critical areas such as Sinjar and Wassit. 
• The FSC's latest map shows partners’ presence in Anbar, Babil, Baghdad, Basrah, Dahuk, Diyala, Erbil, Ninewa, Najaf, Salah Din, Sulimaniyah, Kerbala, Thiqar and Wassit. However due to access problems partners are not operational currently in some of these governorates especially Anbar. The presence map will assist in determining further the response coverage and gaps.
•  Inaccessibility to conflict areas in order to reach IDPs and the transient nature of IDPs who are constantly on the move. Resumption of food distribution in Anbar remains a challenge and efforts are ongoing.

• Over 200,000 IDPs hosted at UNRWA shelters, government schools and other facilities, with host families or in open spaces are in need of emergency food assistance.
• WFP, in cooperation with UNRWA, is providing ready-to-eat emergency food rations to all IDPs sheltered in UNRWA or government schools, an average of 200 metric tonnes of food per day. WFP continues to provide food assistance to patients and hospital staff.
•  Food Security Sector partners are delivering complementary food distributions to IDPs at UNRWA and government schools. Other partners are reaching approximately 22,000 displaced persons in private shelters and host families.
• Bakeries, mills and dairy production plants have reduced their operational capacity due to lack of security and damage to facilities.
• IDPs residing in public schools and private shelters require food and other assistance. (Source OCHA Gaza Emergency Situation Report, 27 July as of 15:00 hrs)

The LEGS Project is planning an external evaluation of the Project in September/October 2014, and is looking for two English-speaking consultants with a combination of skills and experience in humanitarian work, evaluation, and development communications and communications strategy. The consultancy report will be written in English but fluency in Spanish or French would be an advantage. Further information is available in the Terms of Reference. The deadline for expressions of interest is 1 August 2014.
 

Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/FSCluster