ABOUT SPHERE COMMUNITY BANGLADESH

is a national inter-agency coalition for humanitarian workers in Bangladesh, with the primary goal of promoting and popularizing the Sphere Principles and Standards within the country. Initiated in 2012, SCB acts as a crucial point of contact for various stakeholders, facilitating coordination and collaboration within a complex network of individuals, local and national NGOs, international organizations, the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, the United Nations, as well as the private sector. SCB has evolved into a platform that enables multiple groups and voices to come together, share knowledge, assess, and address gaps in humanitarian aid, and most importantly, act as a mechanism of accountability within the field. 

The SCB conducts various activities, such as translating the Sphere Handbook into Bangla, conducting training on the Sphere Principles and Standards, especially for local and government agencies, encouraging experienced individuals to participate in the Training of Trainers (ToT) and popularising and disseminating available resources and courses on Sphere.

SCB is voluntarily led by a secretariat organization that is chosen to serve for a set duration of time (usually a period of 2 years). The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) – Bangladesh Country Delegation is currently chairing the secretariat of the Sphere Community Bangladesh, ensuring continuous implementation of humanitarian responses in compliance with the Sphere standards, including the CHS, the Humanitarian Charter, and the Protection principles, for the period from March 2023 to December 2024.

About IFRC Bangladesh Country Delegation

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian network. The IFRC acts before, during and after disasters and health emergencies to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people. The IFRC is an international membership organization that unites 191 Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies from 191 countries. In Bangladesh, the IFRC Country Delegation and Cox’s Bazar sub-delegation support the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) through development projects and disaster operations (including the recent COVID-19 response).  In recent years, the IFRC has supported BDRCS through an average of two Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) or Emergency Appeal Operations per year, mainly in relation to cyclones and floods. 

As the current secretariat for Sphere Community Bangladesh (SCB), IFRC strongly emphasises the localization of humanitarian aid by actively encouraging the participation of local and national organisations in the dialogue and activities fostered by Sphere Community Bangladesh (SCB). Moreover, IFRC is attempting to promote the Sphere Standards and Principles within government agencies. Finally, during its tenure, IFRC aims to cultivate a mindset that views Sphere as a ‘process’ of ensuring quality in humanitarian aid rather than as a collection of quantitative benchmarks to be arbitrarily achieved.