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Cluster

The word cluster stands for congregation, or grouping of people or organizations coming together around a specific interest to be fulfilled in a joint manner. Considering this definition, the word cluster in disaster and crisis management refers to a field of specialization around which multiple actors (governments, international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs), the International Federation of Red Crosses and the Red Crescent Movement, and the United Nations (UN) agencies) operate. The idea of operating in a joint manner in both disasters and complex emergencies by unifying efforts, resources, and expertise is known as the cluster approach.

Background, Aim, and Scope

The cluster approach is one of the fields of intervention that came about as a result of reform in the humanitarian sector in 2005 by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC). In particular, IASC—together with other organizations—decided to implement a mechanism through which international and national agencies could improve their response to disasters and complex emergencies in support of the affected governments. Past experience, such as the 2004 and 2005 Darfur crisis, in conjunction with the evaluation of the humanitarian response, carried out by the Humanitarian Response Review (HRR) on the behalf of the emergency response coordinator (ERC), highlighted the inadequacies of collaborative efforts in certain sectors (shelter, water and sanitation, etc.). Thus, the aim of the cluster approach is to improve preparedness, avoid duplication of efforts, improve the accountability and the quality of humanitarian services, better coordinate the efforts of the humanitarian sector, and strengthen its predictability.

Preparedness refers to the ability of the international system to respond to more than one emergency per year. For instance, IASC established that each cluster should be able to respond to three emergencies per year, two of them happening simultaneously, with provisions of service for 500,000 beneficiaries. One of the most important characteristics of the cluster approach is predictability. Predictability refers to the ability of the cluster to fill the gaps in the humanitarian sector at a global as well as at a country level. One important characteristic of the cluster is that of being a “provider of last resort.” This means that when there are gaps that cannot be filled by the entire international community, the cluster lead will step in to take care of it. If this is not possible due to a lack of financial resources, the cluster lead is still obliged to make an appeal to meet the specific need. Thus, the strategic relevance of the cluster approach is that it favors collaboration, making cluster members equal partners. In the past, strategic response in emergencies was based on a first-come, first-served basis; now the system is aimed at improving predictability.

Cluster Structures

The cluster approach consists of nine clusters created on the basis of identified needs and, therefore, services to be provided. In particular, the identification of specific clusters/sectors over others has been done on the basis of those sectors experiencing difficulties in coordination and accountability. Sectors at a satisfactory level of accountability and coordination have already been achieved, such as the agriculture sector, led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); the food sector, led by the World Food Program (WFP); the education sector, led by the United Nations International Children's Fund (UNICEF); and refugee welfare, led by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). These are not included in the global cluster.

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