IOM #MEFM - Migration Emergency Funding Mechanism

Migration Emergency Funding Mechanism (MEFM) An Overview: 2012-2014

Cover photo: Through MEFM’s initial support, IOM provided evacuation assistance to individuals through ground transportation, to return to their countries of origin. In Bangui, the capital city of the Central African Republic (CAR), IOM coordinated a mass evacuation for Chadian migrants to the border of Chad. From December 2013 to March 2014, 9,309 persons were evacuated directly by IOM. Photo by Catianne Tijerina © IOM 2014

Migrants caught in crises are particularly vulnerable and often unable to access support networks or resources either from the host country or their country of origin. IOM plays a key role in coordinated humanitarian response, providing assistance and protection to migrants, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and third country nationals (TCNs) in emergencies, responding to the needs of individuals and uprooted communities.

Emergencies, natural or man-made, are often unpredictable. IOM and its humanitarian partners must respond quickly to provide immediate assistance. However, due to IOM’s project-based funding and tightly earmarked contributions, it has no readily available resources at the first onset of a crisis. While donors support the needs of emergency operations, arrival of funds takes time.

Additionally, displacement and migration during emergencies often occurs in more than one country. As people seek refuge across borders, sometimes operational costs are not covered, leaving funding gaps that need to be addressed.

www.iom.int Migration for the benefit of all.

What is MEFM? Recent major emergencies, such as the evacuation from Libya in 2011 highlighted the need for a funding mechanism to facilitate IOM’s rapid response and intervention. IOM’s Migration Emergency Funding Mechanism (MEFM) was established in 2012, following Council Resolution MC/2335 in November 2011.

It was created to bridge the funding gap between when emergencies occur and when donor funding is received.

MEFM, a revolving fund, reinforces IOM’s operational capacity providing reliable, predictable, and direct financial support to Country Offices facing natural or man-made crises in the first days of its onset, before contributions from donors are received.

Since MEFM was established it has loaned USD 8.5 million to IOM Country Offices in order to kick-start emergency operations. Given the growing number of emergencies and recognizing the vulnerabilities of mobile populations, the fund requires USD 30 million to remain an effective tool.

International Organization for Migration

Migration Emergency Funding Mechanism (MEFM) An Overview: 2012-2014

How does MEFM work?

Photo: Relocation of displaced people from PK12, northern Bangui. IOM provided logistical and operational support for the relocation of IDPs from Bangui to Kabo and Moyen Sido. Photo

by Catianne Tijerina © IOM 2014

MEFM is administered at IOM’s Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. It is available to support IOM Country Offices upon the onset of an emergency, after an assessment and review process which is coordinated and managed by the Office of the Director General and the Department of Operations and Emergencies.

MEFM funds are used as a bridging loan pending receipt of funds from other sources,

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including CERF grants and other donor contributions. To be eligible for funds from MEFM, there must be a clear indication that donors are interested in funding the emergency.

IOM keeps a full record of all MEFM donor contributions received and maintains an account of all MEFM allocations to emergencies in IOM’s Annual Financial Report.

Migration Emergency Funding Mechanism (MEFM) An Overview: 2012-2014

What activities does MEFM Support?

Emergency Transport and Evacuation of Vulnerable Populations Arranging for the safe and orderly movement of migrants is a fundamental activity of IOM. With its global team of movement operations experts, along with established agreements with major airline networks and transport providers, IOM routinely moves over 10,000 persons per month throughout the world under non-emergency programs.

MEFM helps IOM to respond immediately to migration emergencies by deploying staff and securing air and other transport assets to move or

evacuate people out of harm’s way in the initial and often most critical phase of a migration crisis.

This rapid response not only can save lives, like in the Central African Republic, but can also preserve protection space as was done on the borders of Egypt and Tunisia during the 2011 migration crisis in Libya.

In large-scale evacuation operations, transport expenditures can exceed over one million US dollars per day, thus substantial funding must be on hand and available immediately to ensure IOM’s timely and effective life-saving responses to critical humanitarian needs.

MEFM ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

1 DONORS CONTRIBUTE

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Nature of the crisis Lack of immediate donor funding Nature of the activity is lifesaving

2 Needs to be addressed 4

Lack of funds by county of origin

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IOM’s capacity and access to beneficiaries

CRISIS

What MEFM does not Fund

GOAL

Non-emergency programmes Core costs of Country Office where the emergency takes place

Balance of $30M

Disaster risk reduction programmes Post crisis activities

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Migration Emergency Funding Mechanism (MEFM) An Overview: 2012-2014 African Republic (CAR) crisis, the figures on displacement in Bangui were very limited. MEFM was critical to the immediate deployment of key surge staff to set up DTM. IOM and its network of local partners were integral in collecting displacement data. As a result, the operational data collected by DTM positioned IOM as a main source of data in CAR. This data is currently provided to the CCCM and Protection Clusters to guide planning, particularly in Bangui.

Photo: MEFM supports the distribution of humanitarian relief items during emergencies. In Syria, children receive relief items in a distribution to IDPs in Sweida.

Thus far in 2014, IOM has assisted over 30,000 individuals with relief items and shelter support. Š IOM 2013

Humanitarian Aid

MEFM Activities Surge Staff Deployments and Needs Assessments

Transportation and Evacuation

Rapid Displacement Tracking At the onset of an emergency, accurate and reliable information on the locations and needs of displaced persons is limited if not nonexistent. As the global Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) cluster colead, IOM is responsible for facilitating assistance and ensuring the protection of displaced communities in both camp and camp-like settings. Within the first days of an emergency, IOM activates its Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) to inform planning and programming. Key DTM experts are rapidly deployed in order to set-up and implement DTM, enabling the assessment and communication of IDP needs and locations to donors and partners on the ground.

IOM’s data on displacement guided humanitarian response planning, particularly in Bangui. At the beginning of the Central

Humanitarian Aid

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At the onset of a natural or man-made disaster, the immediate needs of migrants and displaced populations are highly variable. Depending on the crisis and the needs of the affected population, MEFM is also used to support other humanitarian assistance including, but not limited to, the distribution of relief items and shelter kits for camp management activities.

As the global cluster co-lead for CCCM in natural disasters, IOM seeks to provide quick and sustainable responses to emergencies in order to contribute to effective assistance and protection of displaced communities. CCCM is committed to providing rapid and expert emergency response capacity within 72 hours of the onset of an emergency. IOM’s coordination and management activities in displacement sites aim to ensure equitable access to protection, assistance, and life-saving services.

The provision of humanitarian relief items and shelter items are often the first form of assistance to displaced communities. The distribution of humanitarian relief items and shelter kits often serves as an entry point to the humanitarian system for communities affected by crises.

Migration Emergency Funding Mechanism (MEFM) An Overview: 2012-2014

Where has MEFM helped?

Iraq Syria

Chad South Sudan

The Philippines Ethiopia

Somalia

Central African Republic Kenya

MEFM in 2014

27%

Donor Contributions: USD 10 M

Allocations to Crises: USD 8.5 M

Replenished: USD 2.3 M

Outstanding: USD 6.2 M

MEFM and Global Humanitarian Financing Although IOM receives generous contributions from donors and funding is often committed rapidly, administrative procedures often delay receipt. MEFM is a tool to help bridge the gap in funding a rapid crisis response when other funding sources of the global humanitarian financing system are temporarily out of reach. The United Nations Central Emergency Fund (CERF), UN OCHA’s Emergency Response Funds (ERFs), and Common Humanitarian Fund (CHFs) are some pooled funds accessible to IOM for emergency humanitarian assistance. All of

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73%

these funds have enabled IOM to respond rapidly to emergencies occurring in many countries. CERF in particular has been an expedient funding source, as funds are often dispersed within less than two weeks of an emergency’s onset. However, only in a few cases has pooled funding been allocated for national or international transportation activities due to the geographic scope of migration emergency activities spanning across multiple countries.

MEFM compliments these funds in bridging the gap until donor funding is received by providing lifesaving support in areas not traditionally covered by these emergency funds.

Migration Emergency Funding Mechanism (MEFM) An Overview: 2012-2014

Case Study: Central African Republic The Need In the Central African Republic, the outbreak of fighting between the exSeleka and anti-Balaka forces in the beginning of September 2013 led to extreme violence and population displacement within the country. Faced with widespread insecurity, as houses were damaged or looted, the affected population abandoned their homes and villages to seek refuge in collective centres such as the airport, churches and schools. By January 2014, there were approximately 935,000 IDPs and migrants in CAR, with 513,000 IDPs displaced in Bangui, an astounding 40% increase from 30 December to 3 January. Among the affected population, were tens of thousands of migrants from neighboring countries.

MEFM ALLOCATIONS TO CAR (2014) Total: USD 4.75 M 19%

81%

IOM’s Response Governments requested IOM assistance with the evacuation of their most vulnerable citizens from Bangui. Responding to Member States’ requests for IOM assistance, the Director General approved the mobilization of MEFM. The initial MEFM loan allowed IOM to deploy experts with extensive experience in conflict situations, to charter flights for urgent evacuations, distribute food, and provide urgent medical aid to migrants and IDPs caught in the conflict. In carrying out these activities, MEFM allowed IOM’s Country Office in Bangui to kick-start life-saving operations.

Thanks to donors, IOM evacuated approximately 11,801 migrants who were at risk on 26 charter flights as well as other commercial flights.

Replenished: USD 900,000 Outstanding: USD 3.85 M

The Impact of MEFM In the first onset of the crisis in CAR, IOM’s swift response would have not been possible without the flexibility provided by MEFM. Malian Ambassador to Gabon, Diadié Yacouba Dagnoko, acknowledges IOM’s transport assistance to Malian migrants. He said, “This group of Malians is returning to their homes. I am pleased they are able to return, but it is frustrating because some Malians were born here in CAR but have to flee the violence. We hope that the situation will stabilize and some will return. It is good that those who were separated in the towns of Boda, Mamberi, and Guen, will be reunited with families. I thank the Central African authorities, MISCA, Sangaris, OCHA and IOM for their assistance”.

“IOM has received urgent requests from several governments to evacuate their nationals from CAR. I authorized to start this operation because we must assist stranded migrants whose lives are in danger,” said IOM Director General, Ambassador William Lacy Swing Photo: Families are reunited after escaping Bangui upon IOM’s evacuation assistance to neighboring, Chad. © IOM 2014

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Migration Emergency Funding Mechanism (MEFM) An Overview: 2012-2014

Photo: MEFM is a tool to protect families caught in crisis. For families in Somalia, migration means re-uniting with family. © IOM 2014

crisis situations as appropriate and as relates to the needs of individuals, thereby contributing to their protection”. This ultimately aims to build and strengthen capacities to respond to natural and manmade crises.

However, limited resources against escalating and urgent humanitarian needs raises questions about the sustainability of MEFM. If MEFM is to continue to be an effective response tool it will need further support and a commitment from existing and new donors to meet its intended balance of USD 30 million. IOM calls upon the donor community including Member States, the private sector, individual contributors and migrant countries of origin to help IOM protect migrants caught in crisis and in need of protection across the globe.

The Way Forward MEFM plays a critical role in IOM’s emergency response, allowing IOM to rapidly reach communities, families and individuals in need.

By providing immediate funding, MEFM helps equip IOM with the resources to respond without delay and enables emergency responders the flexibility to deliver urgent lifesaving support. Due to IOM’s project based funding, MEFM is the only facility allowing IOM the flexibility to immediately respond to an international migration emergency and start-up emergency operations.

MEFM is a key tool for IOM to successfully deliver one of its key mandates, “To participate in coordinated humanitarian responses in the context of inter-agency arrangements in this field and to provide migration services in other emergency or post-

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Photo: The Government of Ethiopia asked IOM to assist with the influx of forced returnees from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in November 2013. Often these returnees had no belongings with them other than the ones that they were wearing . MEFM helped IOM provide them with humanitarian relief items and transportation assistance.Š IOM 2013

IOM Thanks MEFM Donors

Australia

Bahamas

Namibia

Norway

South Africa

Sweden

For further information please contact: Donor Relations Division International Organization for Migration Email: drd@iom.int Tel: +41 22 717 9271

Malta

Mauritius

The Philippines

Romania

Turkey

United States