January 07, 2008
2008
Happy new year to all.
Unfortunately the situation in Nairobi has led me to stay away from work and thus not being able to connect that often to the internet which again has resulted in a very inactive blog (not that this blog has ever been very active).
The general disappointment with the crisis in Kenya and Nairobi is how UN-Habitat has reacted, or rather, how it has not reacted. Many of the post-election problems are bound to urban centres, slum and poor areas. UN-Habitat is the UN agency particularly specialised in slum upgrade programmes and urban safety issues and yet, nothing has been said or done to ease the tension and violence occurring on the agency's backyard.
The UNON (United Nations Office at Nairobi, Headquarters in Africa) has been closed during the time it should be working. Although general safety, security and road safety related issues and staff insurance policies should not be shrugged off, UNON is the only diplomatic organisation not fully operational one week after the violence began in Nairobi.
UN-Habitat writes miles of policy papers stating that during crisis and post-conflict situations development aid should 'arrive' immediately and that the transition time between humanitarian aid and development aid should be non-existent. Yet, on media (where UN-Habitat is never present) only WFP's Land Cruisers are speeding to crisis zones leaving organisations like UN-Habitat wondering why money is poored into humanitarian relief and not to urban development aid.
Core policies of UN-Habitat are not visible and the agency is not taking a pro-active role when it should show its host nation, the region, the global community and the international press that it is leading the way with good leadership and polished solutions.
The crisis in Nairobi represents a typical present and future conflict situation that is born in urban centres, slum and poor areas. UN-Habitat knows how to deal with these conflicts but the lack of media friendly, visionary and good organisational strategies still seems to be the burden of the smallest agency of the UN family.
Meanwhile, while policy papers are being drafted and new slum programmes set, the urban poor are clashing with the police and politicians hurrying home before sunset.
Posted by hans at 12:20 PM | Comments (0)