THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The United Nations regional office functioning at the Kerala State Disaster Management Agency (KSDMA) will work on the concept of ‘One UN’ with the activities of all the UN agencies functioning in the state being coordinated from this office. Post-flood, there are around 50 officials or rather consultants deputed by various UN agencies in the state.
UNICEF regional head for Kerala and Tamil Nadu Job Zachariah has already assumed charge as the UN official in charge of the regional office and will be coordinating with the state government as well as international agencies primarily in the area of Rebuild Kerala post-floods.
The UN office will be focusing mainly on providing support to the state government through the Rebuild Kerala Initiative (RKI) and to work alongside with this according to international UN norms and actions. It may be noted the UN had provided the Post Disaster Need Assessment (PDNA) for the state concentrating on each and every minute detail required for the rehabilitation and rebuilding of the state after floods. One of the major roles of the United Nations regional office in the state will be to implement those measures which were included in PDNA.
The UN body in the state will also be focusing on resource mobilisation, including scouting funds from CSR allocation of corporates and other institutions functioning within the state and outside. One of the major aims will be to pool in funds from these corporates for at least a period of three years for implementing the programmes initiated in the PDNA. The importance of this move is that funds are generated without any interest.The Rebuild Kerala Initiative will be strengthened with the expertise of the UN bodies and expert consultants who have experience and exposure in dealing with such situations. These experts will be roped in from across the globe with the regional office as the coordinating body. However, at present, the office is working with a four-member skeletal staff, but the presence of around 50 consultants deployed by various UN agencies gives it the advantage to rope in people as and when required.
Sources in the UN told Express, “Presently, those who are in the field are junior-level consultants but we will be roping in experts from across the globe for the project. We will be reducing the presence of our consultants from 50 downwards. But at any point in time we will have 20 people with proven expertise.”
With the UN opening its office, the I 32,000 crore rebuild initiative of the state government will get maximum support and expertise and with the sourcing of funds being supported by the UN, Rebuild Kerala Initiative will move at a faster pace.
Under an umbrella
Highlights
UN regional office to be headed by regional head of UNICEF Job Zachariah
UN office to operate under the principle of ‘One UN’ programme
Regional office to have less staff strength but to operate through consultants with expertise
Game plan in Kerala
Coordinating with all the UN bodies in the post-flood activities
Support Rebuild Kerala Initiative in all spheres
Resource mobilising through CSR funds and other funding support system
Lend expertise and technical support to Rebuild Kerala Initiative