Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu and its member firm network have launched a humanitarian crisis programme to enhance crisis preparedness and emergency response worldwide.

The Humanitarian Innovation Program will deliver two global pro bono projects for humanitarian organisations. It was developed after consultations with the organisations, which identified the need for innovation and collaboration with the private sector, said a statement.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA), only 3 per cent of all global official development assistance goes to disaster preparedness, yet each dollar invested in preparedness, saves seven dollars in recovery.

Deloitte’s programme aims to deliver solutions to humanitarian agencies to help them during the preparation and readiness phases, to strengthen the response of the local and international community, sustain livelihoods, and save more lives ultimately, it said.

The programme launches at a time when humanitarian organisations are increasingly responding to a variety of disasters, requiring an immediate response with limited resources.  
 
“With the scale and frequency of disasters increasing, and humanitarian organisations being stretched to do more with fewer resources, the need to find sustainable, multi-sector solutions has never been greater,” said Omar Fahoum, chairman and CEO of Deloitte Middle East.

“This programme is more than a series of pro-bono engagements; it will serve to generate innovative ideas that have the potential to transform the humanitarian sector in all regions in the world including the Middle East. Each project will tackle an issue faced by many organisations in the sector,” he said.

The programme will be open to any humanitarian organisation worldwide and Deloitte will receive applications through July. A panel will review the applications and select two pro bono projects, on which the member firms will begin work later this year, said the statement. – TradeArabia News Service