GNC-CT and UNICEF Regional Nutrition Teams joint call on COVID-19 coordination

The Global Nutrition Cluster Coordination Team (GNC-CT) and UNICEF Regional Nutrition Teams have started a series of joint calls with country coordination teams. Last week, the MENARO COVID-19 coordination call was conducted. A call with ROSA took place this week on the 13th of May 2020 with the regional office and representation from Pakistan, Bangladesh Dhaka, Bangladesh Cox’s Bazaar, and Nepal. A regional call with Cluster and sector coordination staff from countries under UNICEF WCARO and EAPRO will take place on Tuesday the 19th of May.

Follow up calls are taking place this week with country teams in Egypt, Yemen and Libya.

As the direct and indirect impact of COVID-19 are affecting the nutritional status of vulnerable populations, many countries are taking measures to strengthen their sectoral coordination capacity, by re-activating sectors or Clusters, strengthening the ongoing mechanisms or even starting new mechanisms.

The GNC-CT wishes to ensure that their available guidance, tools and technical expertise, specifically for: a) Sectoral/Cluster Coordination, b) Inter-sectoral/Inter-cluster Coordination, and c) Information Management, is available to all countries which may benefit from it, independently of the type of coordination mechanisms they have chosen.

The regional calls will help GNC-CT identify opportunities for more direct support of country coordination  efforts in contextualizing the guidance available and also be good opportunities to share countries experience and lessons learned with neighboring countries and help regional and global level adaptation of future guidance and support to the changing gaps and opportunities.