Guidance Note on Early Recovery

This guidance note is designed primarily for UN colleagues and partners working at country level on early recovery in natural disasters and complex emergencies. There are many similarities in the way humanitarian and early recovery actors respond to these types of crises, but there are also distinct and pertinent differences. Each setting is unique, and the impact of a crisis on it, so it is not possible to recommend a uniform approach to early recovery. Moreover, all early recovery activities should conform to national priorities, with national authorities managing the recovery process as soon as they have the capacity to do so. This guidance is not therefore intended to be prescriptive. Nevertheless it is based as far as possible on interagency consensus, best practice and evidence, and its use is strongly recommended. Where no distinction is explicitly made, it may be assumed that the guidance offered here is equally relevant to recovery from conflict and from a natural disaster.