Humanitarian Challenges in a Non-Armed Violence Context

OCG Interventions in Mexico and Honduras

MSF in Latin America has a history of more than 40 years of implementing a wide range of programs, including neglected diseases (HIV, Tuberculosis and Chagas), urban violence as well as regular emergency responses to acute epidemic and natural disasters.

In recent years, MSF has noted that ‘social violence’ is strongly linked to health exclusion and dysfunctional health systems. Therefore, in 2010, the Operational Centre Geneva (OCG) initiated an intervention in Honduras and, in late 2012, considering the peaks of violence in Mexico, MSF conducted an assessment and started a project in Nuevo Laredo, a terrestrial port city bordering on the United States, in January 2014. In Honduras, the focus was first on urban violence, later on the support of Emergency Medical Services, and its current focus is on sexual violence, while MSF in Mexico started off supporting Emergency Medical Services and is currently incorporating sexual violence as a key operational component.

In light of the above, the current evaluation aims to determine the pertinence, appropriateness, effectiveness and impact of the OCG projects in Honduras and Mexico in responding to identified needs. It intends to inform operational choices regarding the modus operandi as well as areas of needs that have been identified but have not been addressed by the current programs, and share findings within the house and possibly with other Operational Centres.

In total, 86 individuals were interviewed, including staff from OCG Headquarters, the Mexico Branch Office, the Operational Centre Barcelona, members of both Projects, official counterparts from the Ministry of Health, stakeholders and beneficiaries in both countries. Through a systematic analysis, the evaluation looked at: operational choices made by OCG in both countries; achievements, best practices and lessons learned; and recognized common dilemmas and challenges in serving the most vulnerable and neglected populations.

Publication date
01.11.2015