UN OCHA Reporting Appreciation Day. Yes, Really

Published June 23, 2009 @ 07:54AM PT

I admit it. I love the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Or, at least, I love their reporting. Especially their Asperger-like attention to the slightest and smallest humanitarian detail.

Granted, they tend to be a little short on style, and the pacing can be uneven. That said, if you really want to know what's happening on the ground in a given humanitarian conflict or catastrophe - including details about which agencies are doing what, where - OCHA Humanitarian Bulletins or Situation Reports are the best place to start.

So, using the powers vested in me by the Bilderberg Group, the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry and the Stonecutters, I hereby declare Tuesday, June 23rd UN OCHA Reporting Appreciation Day.

UNORAD for short.

(If anyone has a slightly more exciting title, please let me know. And yes, I realize that this means that a) I have too much free time, and b) I should probably get out more.)

In honor of UNORAD, a selection of OCHA reports of various unpleasant occurrences around the globe. Check below to see what OCHA has to say about your favorite humanitarian crises and catastrophes:

-Afghanistan: Flooding OCHA Situation Report No. 6 (14 June 2009)

-Burundi: Humanitarian Bi-Monthly Report - Situation Report No. 6 (11 June 2009)

-Central African Republic: Spiralling Violence in Central African Republic's North East (22 June 2009)

-Darfur: Humanitarian Action in Darfur, weekly bulletin No. 21 (28 May 2009)

-Ethiopia: Humanitarian Bulletin, 15 June 2009

-Nepal: OCHA Nepal Situation Overview Issue No. 49, 1-15 June 2009

-Pakistan: Northwest Frontier Province Displacement OCHA Situation Report No. 05 (18 June 2009)

-Somalia: Weekly Humanitarian Bulletin No. 23, 12-19 June 2009

-Southern Sudan: Humanitarian Action in Southern Sudan Report, week 20, 11-17 May 2009

-Sri Lanka: Vanni Emergency OCHA Situation Report No. 22 (18 June 2009)

-Uganda: OCHA Uganda Humanitarian Update, 1-31 May 2009

-West Bank and Gaza: Protection of civilians weekly report, 10-16 June 2009

-Zimbabwe: OCHA Monthly Humanitarian Update, May 2009

And, because francophones need love and attention as well:

-Chad: Rapport sur la situation humanitaire Tchad, du 2 au 16 juin 2009

-Congo: Briefing humanitaire en RDC, 15 au 19 juin 2009

(An excellent OCHA report in English on the Congo, see: Humanitarian Consequences of Military Operations in the Kivus.)

-Haiti: OCHA Rapport hebdomadaire du 30 mai au 5 juin 2009

-Niger: OCHA situation humanitaire au Niger, semaine du 12 au 18 juin 2009

And, lest we forget that bad things happen in Spanish-speaking countries:

-Colombia: Desplazamiento masivo en El Charco - Informe de Situacion No. 1 (17 June 2009)

[Image of UN flag from www.merinews.com]

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Comments (6)

Michael, are you giving us a one month's heads up so we may plan our parties accordingly? Obviously blue berets are out as party favors.

Posted by Lauren Jenkins on 06/23/2009 @ 08:19AM PT
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Thanks for catching that particular mistake - meant to write June...correction being made

Posted by Michael Bear on 06/23/2009 @ 08:50AM PT
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I once baked a cake and iced it with the UN flag for UN Day. I was more idealistic then...

Posted by Alanna Shaikh on 06/23/2009 @ 01:33PM PT
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Hey, reporting officers don't get enough love. This is a nice post.

Posted by Transitionl... . on 06/23/2009 @ 02:29PM PT
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Thanks for kind words, but just a note,the following report

-Gaza: Protection of civilians weekly report, 10-16 June 2009

is not just on Gaza, but the entire oPt, including the West Bank.

Cheers

Posted by Omar Abulhaj on 06/25/2009 @ 01:00AM PT
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Thanks, and change made

Posted by Michael Bear on 06/25/2009 @ 07:26AM PT
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Author

Michael has worked for NGOs in Afghanistan, across east and central Africa, and Iraq. Prior to going overseas, he worked on a project providing assistance to the United Nations on the application of International Humanitarian Law to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.