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Informing emergency response and preparedness ahead of the counter-offensive to recapture Mosul from ISIS, Tilkaif and Shikhan districts, Ninewa Plains
March, 2016

Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, was captured by ISIS in June 2014 and still remains under their control. However, the Iraqi army has vowed to recapture Mosul, and the speculation is that a counter-offensive is imminent. All scenarios for this military operation have dramatic humanitarian implications. According to some estimates, between 500,000 and 1.5 million civilians could flee into either the surrounding areas or into ISIS-controlled Syria. A large influx of new internally displaced persons fleeing towards the Ninewa Plains would have an impact on markets in the area; those markets need to be understood in order to meet humanitarian needs and to inform programming in an appropriate and effective way, while doing no harm. In February 2016, Oxfam and the International Rescue Committee co-facilitated a Pre- Crisis Market Analysis to inform preparedness and emergency response interventions by understanding market systems that are critical to supporting the basic needs and livelihoods recovery needs of populations affected by displacement in the Ninewa Plains - the wheat flour, drinking water and credit market systems. The study analysed how selected market systems are performing in the current situation and aimed to forecast the impacts of the shock scenario in the target areas, before providing numerous recommendations for preparedness and emergency response measures.

Report authors: 
Emmeline Saint, with contributions from Corrie Sissons and Alexandre Gachoud (Oxfam), Rachel Rigby (Tearfund) and Emily Sloane (IRC)
Download Report (1.47 MB pdf)

Informing emergency response and preparedness ahead of the counter-offensive to recapture Mosul from ISIS
March, 2016

Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, was captured by ISIS in June 2014 and still remains under their control. However, the Iraqi army has vowed to recapture Mosul, and the speculation is that a counter-offensive is imminent. All scenarios for this military operation have dramatic humanitarian implications. According to some estimates, between 500,000 and 1.5 million civilians could flee into either the surrounding areas or into ISIS-controlled Syria. A large influx of new internally displaced persons fleeing towards the Ninewa Plains would have an impact on markets in the area; those markets need to be understood in order to meet humanitarian needs and to inform programming in an appropriate and effective way, while doing no harm. In February 2016, Oxfam and the International Rescue Committee co-facilitated a Pre- Crisis Market Analysis to inform preparedness and emergency response interventions by understanding market systems that are critical to supporting the basic needs and livelihoods recovery needs of populations affected by displacement in the Ninewa Plains - the wheat flour, drinking water and credit market systems. This executive summary provides a condensed version of a longer report that analysed how selected market systems are performing in the current situation and aimed to forecast the impacts of the shock scenario in the target areas, before providing numerous recommendations for preparedness and emergency response measures.

Report authors: 
Emmeline Saint, with contribution from Corrie Sissons and Alexandre Gachoud (Oxfam), Rachel Rigby (Tearfund) and Emily Sloane (IRC)
Download Report (1.14 MB pdf)

Punjab, KPK and Sindh Provinces
September, 2010

Heavy rainfall beginning in July 2010 caused flooding in most districts in Pakistan, affecting 20 million people, destroying field crops and killing large numbers of livestock. In addition, the floods led to acute shortages of feed for the animals that survived, putting an estimated 800,000 animals at risk in the coming winter. This report summarizes the baseline and post-flood situation of the wheat seed market system in Punjab and KPK Provinces and the wheat flour market system in Sindh. Cash transfer programs (grants, cash for work and vouchers), direct distribution of wheat seeds and wheat flour in very specific areas, and food security interventions such as diversification of crop production and strengthening of alternative income sources are some of the study's basic recommendations, along with further food security assessments and coordination and advocacy work.

Report authors: 
Not specified
Download Report (1.56 MB pdf)

This report presents learning from the first pilot study that used the EMMA toolkit to assess an emergency market system. It analyzes how the toolkit was used, what did and did not work well, the training given to participants, the exercise's organization and recommendations for adapting the toolkit for future use. Participants felt that EMMA is an appropriate tool if used not too long after a crisis and that it highlights issues relating to market analysis that are not always well understood by emergency aid workers. However, team members also said that they did not have enough time to understand the toolkit before going into the field and suggested allowing more time for training, analysis and reflection during future assessments.

Report authors: 
Anita Yeomans
Download Report (226.3 KB pdf)

Endebess, Kwanza District
April, 2008

As a result of post-election violence (PEV), a large number of small-scale farming households in the Endebess area of Kwanza District were displaced. In the process of displacement and violence, households lost key productive assets and structures as well as savings and access to income. This report presents the results of a pilot of the nascent EMMA approach with two main purposes: better understanding critical market systems for the population directly and indirectly affected by PEV, and gaining experience that could be used to improve the toolkit itself. The study examined the impact of the crisis on the area's microfinance market system in order to evaluate the appropriateness of a cash-based response to support poor, small-scale farming households and to identify any necessary additional market support interventions. This assessment recommends the implementation of Cash-for-Work programs for poor, small-scale farming households and cash grants for business re-startup for poor households who are excluded from the government debt relief programs, accompanied by advocacy to government and microfinance institutions.

Report authors: 
Gabriel Ekuwam, Naila Mohammed, Mary Muyoka, Lili Mohiddin, Anita Yeomans
Download Report (549.63 KB pdf)

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Abyei is a relatively small and disputed area of land on the border of North and South Sudan that in recent years has experienced much turmoil. In May 2011, following violent skirmishes, the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) sent troops into Abyei seeking to push out the Southern forces.Compounding the pressure and instability caused by the numbers of both the returnees and the IDPs, the North blocked important trade routes to the South in the midst of the traditional lean season. The combination of these factors had a significant impact on food security in both the short and medium terms. This EMMA was conducted jointly by Mercy Corps and the Norwegian Refugee Council in June 2011 and focused on analyzing the impact of the conflict and the road closure on the maloda (traditional hoe) and okra seed market systems in northern parts of South Sudan. This EMMA report suggests that in-kind seed distributions often undermine markets in the region and inhibit the development of market linkages. It recommends that NGOs stop working as "market actors" and promotes market responses that encourage the market to function better on its own. It also suggests that longer term programs should focus on promoting new and more effective agricultural practices.

Report authors: 
Carol Brady, Emily Henderson, Phillippa Young
Download Report (911.3 KB pdf)

Heavy rainfall beginning in July 2010 caused flooding in most districts in Pakistan, affecting 20 million people and destroying field crops. This assessment aimed to assist agencies in identifying appropriate program interventions and focused on the wheat seed, fodder and casual agricultural labor market systems in Punjab Province. For wheat seeds, this report recommends cash transfers to restore agricultural infrastructure; vouchers to ensure quality and appropriate agricultural inputs; support to extension services; and advocacy for land rights. For the casual agricultural labor market, this report recommends unconditional cash transfers; cash for work; income support for people unable to participate in cash for work programs; and income generating activities and vocational training. For the fodder market system, this report recommends cash for work to restore agricultural infrastructure for enabling normal seasonal employment patterns; vouchers for agricultural inputs; and advocacy around land rights.

Report authors: 
Caroline Ward
Download Report (5.39 MB pdf)

Incessant rain in the upper Himalayas in mid-June 2013 resulted in a series of cloudburst, landslides, and floods in northern India, with the biggest impacts in Uttarakhand State. Landslides and flash floods led to damaged roads, collapsed bridges, huge loss of life and property, as well as numbers of pilgrims stranded at famous shrine areas. Christian Aid's emergency response team carried out this EMMA assessment of the rice and tourism market systems in the two worst-affected districts of Uttarakhand shortly after the crisis to help shape its immediate response strategies. Both market systems were severely affected by the floods due to both supply and demand side constraints. This EMMA recommends a combination of cash transfers to affected households to ensure access to food items, cash or food for work programs to help rebuild essential infrastructure, identifying and addressing key blockages in supply chains, further development of agriculture, livestock-based and alternative livelihoods strategies for area households and the improvement of early warning prediction and communication systems.

Report authors: 
Yeeshu Shukla, Shakeb Nabi, Apar Paudyal
Download Report (1.46 MB pdf)

Badin District, Sindh Province
August, 2015

2010 and 2011 saw the worst floods in the history of Pakistan. In Sindh Province, the floods led to loss of life and also damaged standing crops, household and livestock food stocks, health, education and road infrastructure, houses, irrigation and drainage facilities and protected drinking water sources. This report presents the findings and recommendations for a PCMMA of the rice market system in Sindh's Badin District. During and after a future flood emergency, the rice market system in Badin should be able to provide the needed volume of rice, provided that the very serious transportation and access issues can be overcome. For a future humanitarian response, this report recommends in-kind provision of locally procured rice to the most vulnerable households for the first month of intense flooding, to be replaced by unconditional cash grants to cover rice needs, along with support to selected retailers to transport rice efficiently. It also recommends several activities focused on emergency preparedness, including a mapping and communication exercise focused on identifying key transport routes and land areas that are vulnerable to flooding; the development and implementation of longer-term agricultural development/poverty eradication programst; and advocacy at the national-level food security cluster for consistent provision of the complete caloric requirements for the poorest households in emergencies.

Report authors: 
Emily Sloane and Muhammad Ali
Download Report (1.21 MB pdf)

Badin, Ghotki and Sanghar Districts, Sindh Province
August, 2015

2010 and 2011 saw the worst floods in the history of Pakistan. In Sindh Province, the floods led to loss of life and also damaged standing crops, household and livestock food stocks, health, education and road infrastructure, houses, irrigation and drainage facilities and protected drinking water sources. This report presents the findings and recommendations for a PCMMA of the drinking water market system in Badin, Ghotki and Sanghar Districts of Sindh. It finds that markets are limited in their ability to provide adequate drinking water to make up for the 50% loss of clean water provided by wells and hand pumps during floods. This report recommends the provision of bottled water for the first month for urban and peri-urban areas, to be replaced by the provision of water vouchers for bottled/filtered water. In rural areas, it is appropriate to distribute filtered/treated drinking water by jerry can or by water tankering. In addition, the following preparedness/DRR activities are recommended: installation of hand pumps in areas where displaced communities gather during floods; pre-positioning of water tankering equipment and pre-establishing agreements with district-level water treatment plants or suppliers to fill tankers; pre-positioning agreements with water treatment and bottled water retailers to accept vouchers for drinking water during floods; the cleaning, treatment and repair of wells and hand pumps in rural areas; promoting household-level water treatment strategies; and supporting the growth of private-sector water filtration businesses.

Report authors: 
Gregory Matthews and Juergen Mika
Download Report (1.64 MB pdf)

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