3.2. International humanitarian assistance organizations

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organizaciones internac ahEmergencies of a certain magnitude involve a great number of humanitarian actors—actors already present in the country and/or actors coming from abroad to provide assistance.
 

3.2.1 Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

Under the United Nations Secretariat, OCHA is responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure a coherent response to emergencies. OCHA mobilizes and coordinates effective and principled humanitarian action, in partnership with national and international actors and promotes preparedness and prevention. It also coordinates specialized teams that are sent when governments of countries affected by a disaster so request. 

UNDAC, the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination, moves rapidly to assist countries affected by a disaster and begin recovery work, collaborating with national authorities for coordination, damage assessment, preparation of situation reports, and support in organizing humanitarian assistance.

INSARAG is a network of disaster-prone and disaster-responding countries and organizations dedicated to urban search and rescue (USAR) and operational field coordination The international search and rescue teams that form part of INSARAG provide support and advise affected countries on the rescuing victims and saving lives. INSARAG promotes the standardization of criteria and procedures for training, equipping and ensuring the self-sufficiency of international disaster assistance teams, while the techniques and procedures used in search and rescue operations are governed by international regulations that are binding on INSARAG teams.

UNETE the U.N. Emergency Team is composed of emergency specialists in each of the UN agencies present in a country. Frequently, other humanitarian partners, such as the IFRC, international NGOs, donors, and relevant governmental actors (civil defense agencies, ministries of foreign affairs) are invited to participate as members of UNETE. In disaster situations, the U.N. Resident Coordinator activates the team to conduct damage assessment missions, analyze requests for international assistance and support and facilitate the coordination of U.N. and international community relief operations.