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THURSDAY11OCTOBER2012GIRLSx19RIGHTSGAZETTE7Humanitarianaidcanbeaninstrument-orlongertermresiliencex1dexplainedGeorgievawhoisa-ormerWorldBankDirector-orSustainableDevelopment.x1cBuildingourstrengthtogetherwecandomuchmore.x1dLastyeartheEuropeanCommissionspent1.1bnonhumanitarianinterven-tionsreaching150millionpeople.Withcalls-orbelttighteningbecomingeverlouderbigEUbudgetsareo-tendi--x1culttojusti-ytotaxpayers.ButwhenitcomestogettingEuropeancitizensonsideGeorgievaisinmanywaysinamore-ortunatepositionthanherdevelopmentcooperationcounterpartAndrisPiebalgs.ArecentEurobarometersurveyshowedthevastmajorityo-citizensat88believeitisimportanttheEU-undshumanitarianactivitiesx13asignix1cantEmergenciesEUHumanitarianAidCommissionerKristalinaGeorgievaisx1cobsessedx1dwithpreventingdisastersbeoretheyariseGeorgievaWeliveinx18anincreasinglyfragileworldx19LOuISEHAGENDIJKPlanEUOx1ceLivinginx1canincreasingly-ragileworldx1dEUhumanitarianaidCommissionerKristalinaGeorgievaisx1cobsessedx1dwithavertingcrisesbe-oretheyarise.x1cIhaveonesinglemindedobjectiveanditistomakehumanitarianactionmoree--ectiveasearlyaspossiblex1dshetoldKarenSchrohHeado-PlanEUO-x1ceinanexclusiveinterview.x1cWemustmovetoactionearlypreventsu--eringratherthanreduceitMyobsessioniswithpreparednesspre-ventiondisasterriskreduction.x1dThisshesaysdependsonmuchgreatercoordinationbetweenhumanitarianaidanddevelopmentactorstacklingboththeimmediateemergencyandthestruc-turalcauseso-vulnerability.x1cI-wecom-bineourmusclewecanhaverealimpact.ongenderempowermentindevelopment.Reviewso-theMillenniumDevelop-mentGoalsMDGsin20102011x13twothirdso-waythroughx13revealedMDGx1vematernalmortalitywastheMDGwiththeleastprogressanissuea--ectingyoungerwomenandgirls.Thiswasmag-nix1edbythebirtho-thesevenbillionthpersonontheplanetlastyearwiththehighestyouthpopulationo-alltime.Theincreased-ocusongenderandyouthhasledtoanincreasingconvictionthatgirlscanbeextraordinaryagentso-changeandkeytobreakingintergenerationalcycleso-poverty.Howeverwealsoknowthatduringemergenciesadolescentgirls-aceevengreaterrisko-sexualviolenceandabuseo-being-orcedintoanearlymarriageando-beingdeniedaccesstoeducation.Itisnotjustacademic.AsIwritethisarticleIamintheFarNortho-Cam-eroonanarearecentlydevastatedbytheworstfoodingseen-orageneration.Aculturallyconservativeareaeveninx18nor-malx19timesmanygirlsaresubjecttoearly-orcedmarriageattheageso-11or12.Thousandso-peoplehavebeendisplacedbythefoodingx13thoseIvisitedwereliv-inginsqualidconditionscampedaroundaprimaryschoolthatcannotbeused-oreducationaslongasitisused-orshelter.Thecampistoocrowdedwithlatrinesoverusedandeverythingconstantlydampduetothecontinuedrains.Therehavenx19tbeenanychildmarriagesintheonemonthsincethese-amilieshavebeendisplacedbutastheolderwomentellmethisisonlyduetothe-actthatnomenhavecometoask-ortheirdaughters.Yet.Thewomenareclearthati-mencomex13whentheycomex13thentheywillhavenochoicebuttosendtheiryoungdaughters-ormarriage.Povertyexacerbatedbythedisasterdictatestheirlacko-choice.Whilstpovertymaydictatealacko-choice-ortheparentso-adolescentgirlsindesperatesituationswetheinter-nationalcommunitydohaveachoice.Programmeinterventionstargetedatadolescentgirlsinemergenciescankeepthemsa-eandinschoolwhilstalsohar-nessingthesmallwindowo-opportunitypresentedbyemergenciestoencour-agecommunitydiscussionaroundtherightsandpotentialo-adolescentgirls.Programmeinterventionscanincludetargetedschool-eedingtoencourageparentstokeepgirlsinschoolssocialprotectionprogrammesinthe-ormo-conditionalcashtrans-erstodothesameandcommunityadvocacyprogrammingtargetinginstitutionalsocio-culturalandindividuallevels.Povertydictatesalacko-choice-orparentso-adolescentgirlsx13particularlyinemergenciesx13butwehaveachoice.Achoicetoinvestingirlsandinvestinthe-uture.PartsoCameroonhavebeendevastatedbytheworstfoodinginagenerationGirlsinemergenciesMakingthechoiceKATIETONGPlanInternationalSpecialistonAdolescentGirlsinEmergenciesWithintheaidsector2012hasseenanincreased-ocusonthespecix1ce--ectsemergenciesonadolescentgirls.FromtheCoalition-orAdolescentGirlsreleas-ingaMayreportentitledx1cMissingtheEmergencyShi-tingtheparadigm-orrelie-toadolescentgirlsx1dtotheUKx19sDepartment-orInternationalDevelop-mentandtheNikeFoundationcommis-sioningresearchintothemoste--ectiveapproachestotargetingadolescentgirlsinemergenciestothenextinternationalDisasterRiskReductionDay-ocusingonx1cWomenandgirlstheinvisible-orceo-resiliencex1d.Sowhytheinterestallo-asuddenWelltherehavebeenvariouscoalesc-ing-actors.Overrecentyearstherehasbeenanincreased-ocusongendertar-getedprogramminginhumanitarianresponsesando-coursethecreationo-UNWomenin2010-ocusingspecix1callyx1cThex12oodcrisiscausedx12amiliestoputalltheirmoneyintotheirbellies.WhatImeanisthatgirlshadtodropoutx12romschooltoreducex12amilyoverheadstherex12oreweneedhelptomakethesegirlsx1nanciallyindependentx1dTANIYAmBONINuRSEDOSSOREGIONNIGERx1cEducationmakesthediferencebetweenthecapacitytobeindependenttoholdyourlix12einyourhandsandmakedecisionsx12oryourselx12andnothavingit.MymessagetothewomeninCongointheSaheleverywhereissendyourgirlstoschool.Thisisthebestyoucandox12ortheirx12uture.x1dKRISTALINAGEORGIEVAEuROPEANCOmmISSIONERFORINTERNATIONALCOOPERATIONHumANITARIANAIDANDCRISISRESPONSEincreasesince2010.x1cTheresultsarenotonlyverygoodtheyaresurprisinginthecontexto-hardshipathomex1dshemused.x1cWhenthereiscrisisitgeneratesatremendousoutbursto-support-romEurope.x1dCommentingontheresultsshesaidx1cWedonottakesuchgenerosity-orgranted.Itisourdutytodoourutmosttodeliveraidandprotectioninacompassion-atepro-essionalande-x1cientway.x1dThechallengewillbetomaintainthissupport-orspendingonpreventionratherthanresponse.AsGeorgievaexplaineditisun-ortunatelyeasiertoraisemoney-orhumanitarianactionwhenasituationhasalreadyreachedcrisispoint.x1cPeoplejustdonx19twanttoseechildrendyingx1dsheargued.x1cTraditionalx1ddevelopmentorganisa-tionssuchasPlanareideallysuitedtosupportGeorgievarealiseherlongtermvision.Ourworkisgroundedontheneedso-thecommunitiesweworkwithandoursta--havebuiltupexpertiseandrelation-shipsoveranextendedperiodo-time.Andcruciallyweremainaccountabletothesecommunitiesoncetheimmediateemergencyresponsehaspassed.ThisisnotlostontheCommissionerwhoacknowledgestheimportantrolelocalpartnersplayindeliveringessentialhumanitarianassistance.x1cTheareao-theworldwhichsu--ers-romdisastersisvastx1dshesaid.x1cTheNGOsandgrassrootsorganisationsaretheonesthatarethere.Whensomethinghappensthebestwaytohelppeopleistousethisoutreachandthisiswhatourpartnersare-orus.Theyarethedeliverymechanisminterriblecir-cumstances.x1dO-tenworkinginhigh-riskconditionssheaddedx1cItisincrediblyimportanttonurturerelationshipsandthisiswhatNGOsarebestatdoing.x1dInanyemergencychildrenx13girlsinparticularx13areamongthemostvulner-ableandtheroleNGOsplayinidenti-y-ingthosemostinneediscriticaltodonorssuchastheEuropeanCommission.x1cWearealwaysdrivenbyagoodassessmento-needsx13whoarethemostvulnerablewherearetheyx1dsaidGeorgieva.x1cForthiswerelyonourpartnerslikePlanorUni-ce-tobeabletodirectassistancetothesepeople.x1dGirlsinparticular-acemultipleriskswhenadisasteroccurs.Citinga2008policypaperproducedbytheCommissionwhichlooksatchildrenasvictimso-con-fictandnaturaldisastershearguedthatx1csmallthingsx1dcanbedonetoimprovethesituation-orgirlssuchasensuringthereislightingandsecurityinthebathroomareao-camps.Theresponsetoeverydisasterisdi--er-entando-ten-raughtwithdi-x1culty.Bet-tercoordinationamongallinvolvedandlearninglessons-romthemistakeso-thepastaretwoo-themostimportantele-mentsinensuringhumanitarianactionise--ectiveande-x1cientnotonlyreactingtoacrisisbutactingearlytopreventanemer-gencyoccurringinthex1rstplace.Krista-linaGeorgieva-oroneisdeterminedtotakeonandrisetothechallenge.FilanyalivesinNigerx19sDossoregion.Herhousewasamongmorethan120destroyedbyrecentfoodsandpeoplehavebeenorcedtosetupcampinherschool.x1cSomanypeoplehavenowheretogosotheyarelivinginmyschool.IamveryworriedbecauseIhavetogobacktoschoolinamonthx19stimeandIcannotbecausepeoplearetherex1dshesays.x1cButipeopleareassistedtorebuildtheirhousestheywillsurelycomeoutandwewillbeabletogobacktoschool.x1dPhotoPlanPhotoPlanPhotoEuropeanUnion2012