The protracted humanitarian crisis in Iraq remains one of the largest and most volatile in the world. The COVID-19 outbreak hit a country already facing a humanitarian crisis, further deepening vulnerabilities and disrupting on-going efforts to deliver aid to the most vulnerable people in acute need of humanitarian assistance.

More than 1.77 million people  have acute humanitarian and development needs according to the Iraq Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO, 2020). IDPs in and out of camps, returnees, and Refugees experienced partial or full collapse of living standards and disrupted access to basic goods and services, exhausting their capacities to cope and frequently resorting to negative coping strategies.

ACT Iraq Forum members LWF and CA will respond to the prolonged crisis with an appeal to raise USD4,977,126 over two years.

IRQ211_ Iraq Appeal

The armed conflict has put Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh in a state of crisis. According to the preliminary assessment of needs 100,000 spontaneously arrived people need food, shelter, clothing, including for cold season, footwear, blankets, pillows, bedding, sanitation and hygiene items, stationery for schoolchildren, technical means for on-line classes, cash for payment for utilities, medicament, and other essentials. Spontaneous arrivals are staying with hosts, guest houses, hotels, resorts, in public buildings such as schools, kindergartens, community halls. The onset of cold winter weather makes the provision of suitable shelter and NFIs, such as blankets and warm clothes crucial. Pre-existing economic and food security vulnerabilities in Armenia limit coping capacity in areas currently receiving high numbers of spontaneous arrivals. ART, a national member of ACT Alliance will assist the most vulnerable 2,000 individuals for 3 months to meet their essential needs: food, hygiene and sanitary items, bedding, household appliances, payment for utilities.

ART is currently developing ACT Appeal to scale up the response.

RRF_132020_Armenia_Armed conflicts in Nagorno Karabagh

Barely recovering from Typhoon Goni that made landfall on 1st November,  2020 and displaced more than 500,000 people, Bicol region and CALABARZON in the eastern part of Luzon braced for another typhoon Vamco (Ulysses) on 11 November which brought violent winds, massive flooding in the eight regions within Luzon, and torrential rain-triggered landslides. Typhoon Vamco was the deadliest cyclone to hit the country this year with 67 confirmed casualties and several people missing. Tens of thousands of homes in low-lying areas in the NCR were submerged in roof-level floods. In Northern Luzon, Cagayan and Isabela provinces experienced the worst flooding in decades as the Cagayan River overflowed, partly due to the release of water from Magat Dam, and inundated low-lying municipalities. It exacerbated the already dire situation of those severely affected families by Typhoon Goni and affected another 1,110,910 persons, of which, 306,340 persons temporarily residing in evacuation centers.

On top of all these, the COVID-19 pandemic still poses serious public health risks and caused the Philippine economy to contract by 7.3% further worsening the impoverished situation of the most vulnerable and poorest Filipino families.

ACT Philippines Forum will respond to the disaster with an appeal to raise USD1,154,820.

APPEAL Philippines Typhoon Goni and Vamco PHL202

As per assessment report conducted by the One UN Provincial Program Team Sindh, 2.2 million people have been directly or indirectly affected by the monsoon rains with 77,337 houses fully damaged and 137,007 partially damaged. An estimate 1.9 million acres of crops have been affected and 45,961 of livestock were lost. Mirpurkhas is among one of the worst affected districts in the province where huge loss to standing crops, property, livestock and infrastructure has been reported. People have taken refuge on the elevated places due to their damaged or flooded houses. They have reportedly lost food stock, savings and other precious household assets. The areas remained under the impact of drought, locust, COVID-19 which has already weaken their economic and livelihood situation while the recent floods will add up to their miseries.

Community World Service Asia will respond through ACT Alliance’s Rapid Response Fund.

RRF 092020 Pakistan Sindh Floods

UN OCHA estimated 2 million people were affected by the typhoon Goni as it traversed across northern and southern Philippines, of which 1.1 million are poor. The Philippines’ National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) reported about 517,172 people are staying in government evacuation centers or with friends and family and estimates 27,750 houses damaged. Several municipalities still do not have power and water supply as supply lines have been destroyed by the typhoon. Photos from the affected areas particularly Catanduanes, Albay, and Camarines Sur show that houses have been destroyed by strong winds or flooded. Typhoon Goni affected the same area as typhoon Molave (local name: Quinta) a week before. Some areas will also be affected by tropical storm Atsani (local name: Siony) that entered the Philippine area of responsibility right behind Goni.

Philippines has also one of the highest cases of COVID-19 infection in the world with more than a thousand new cases daily that containment measures are still in effect.

ACT Philippines Forum plans to respond to the disaster.

RRF 082020 Philippines Typhoon Goni

ACT Alliance is pleased to announce launching a total of 16 Sub-Appeals under the Global ACT Appeal for the COVID-19 Pandemic (ACT201). In addition, 17 Rapid Response Fund proposals have also been approved.

The following Sub-Appeals are now available for consideration by ACT members and potential funders/donors:

1. Afghanistan/Pakistan: Humanitarian Response to COVID-19 affected Communities in Pakistan and Afghanistan – ACT201-AFG/PAK. Budget Approved by the Steering Committee to be funded by ACT201: USD1,000,000; Budget Requested: USD3,702,121.

2. Bangladesh: COVID-19 Response to Refugees and Host Communities in Bangladesh – ACT201-BGD. Budget Requested: USD998,638

3. Cameroon: Reduced morbidity and mortality of COVID 19 pandemic and increased preparedness and resilience of communities through public health interventions and community engagement in Cameroon – ACT201-CMR. Budget Requested USD132,149

4. Caribbean Region: COVID-19 Response in the Caribbean – ACT201-CRB. Budget Requested: USD749,683

5. Central America:  Inclusive and safe access to humanitarian assistance, by strengthening livelihoods and promoting alternatives to water and basic sanitation (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene); improved conditions of vulnerability through Community-Based Psychosocial support (CPSA) and awareness about gender-based violence in its different manifestations.  Central America COVID-19 Regional Response – ACT201-CAM.  Budget Requested: USD936,103

6. Democratic Republic of Congo: Preparedness and response to primary impacts of COVID-19 on IDPs, returnees, hard to reach and vulnerable populations in North Kivu and South Kivu, DRC – ACT201-COD. Budget Requested: USD300,879

7. Greece: Emergency support to the most vulnerable Greeks and Refugees suffering from the COVID-19 Pandemic – ACT201-GRC. Budget Requested: USD498,151

8. India: Humanitarian Assistance to vulnerable and affected communities of the COVID –19 Pandemic – ACT201-IND. Budget Requested: USD856,702

9. Jordan: ACT Response to Refugees and Jordanians impacted by COVID-19 Pandemic –ACT201-JOR. Budget Requested: USD844,690

10. Palestine: ACT Response to Refugees and Vulnerable communities Impacted by COVID-19 in Palestine and Israel  – ACT201-PSE. Budget Requested: USD718,000

11. Somalia: ACT Multi-Sectoral and Integrated COVID-19 Response in Somalia – ACT201-SOM. Budget Requested: USD1,000,000

12. South Sudan: South Sudan Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic – ACT201-SSD. Budget Requested: USD994,793

13. Southern Africa: To contribute to prevention, management and stopping the spread of COVID-19 through provision of healthcare services to targeted community members in Zambia, Malawi and Madagascar – ACT201-SARF. Budget Requested USD570,000

14.Tanzania: COVID-19 Response in Tanzania – ACT201-TZA. Budget requested USD989, 066

15. Ukraine: Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Ukraine – ACT201-UKR. Budget requested USD 355,000

16. Venezuela: Improve protection and assist populations that are most vulnerable to the pandemic, thereby especially addressing needs of IDP’s, migrants and host communities ACT201-VEN. Budget Requested: USD600,000

17. West Africa: Preparedness and response to primary and secondary impacts of COVID-19 on IDPs, Returnees, hard to reach and vulnerable populations in Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and Sierra Leone ACT201-WARF. Budget Requested: USD971,000

Total Sub-appeals Funding Requested: USD 12,514,854

Rapid Response Fund proposals approved

1. Afghanistan: Community World Service Asia (CWSA) will provide cash to 580 at risk households to support their basic needs, as well as 200 PPE kits for 2 health facilities.

2. Armenia: Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) will provide food assistance to 2545 households and health services to older people in remote areas.

3. Bangladesh: Christian Commission for Development (CCDB) in Bangladesh will provide food and hygiene supplies to 5000 households of daily workers who have lost their livelihoods during the lockdown.

4. Brazil: Coordenadoria Ecumênica de Serviço (CESE) will provide food packages to 4200 indigenous households in the Amazon region, Mato Grosso do Sul and Rio Grande do Sul.

5. Cuba: Cuban Council of Churches (CIC) will provide protection kits for health personnel from 2 isolation centres, 880 people with personal hygiene kits, food to 140 patients at an isolation centre, and psychosocial support to 2000 people.

6. Egypt: The Bishopric of Public, Ecumenical and Social Services (BLESS) will provide hygiene kits and food to 3000 households, and will work with local faith leaders to disseminate key messages on infection prevention and good hygiene, as well as reducing fear and stigma.

7. Ghana: The Presbyterian Church in Ghana- Relief Services and Development (PRS&D) will provide food to 1500 households, handwashing stations in 10 communities, and protective equipment to vulnerable households and three health centres.

8. Haiti: Service Chrétien d’Haïti (SCH) will engage in a community-led response to raise awareness of COVID-19, encourage families to take appropriate steps to prevent the disease, and provide food to support 420 families losing their daily wage income during lockdown.

9. Honduras: Comisión de Acción Social Menonita (CASM) will provide biosecurity kits to 40 medical staff in 10 primary health units, cash transfers for food purchases to 1650 families, and COVID-19 prevention and anti-stigma information to 7000 people.

10. Indonesia: Pelkesi, Yakkum Emergency Unit (YEU) and the Centre for Disaster Risk Management and Community Development Studies will provide PPE and psychosocial support to staff at five COVID-19 referral hospitals, and will reach 10,000 with an information campaign about prevention and mitigation of COVID-19.

11. Lebanon: Department of Service to Palestinian Refugees of the Middle East Council of Churches (DSPR-MECC) will target 440 households including Syrian families living in the camps for cash grants that will be utilised for food, drinking water, medicines, hygien kits, and rent subsidies.

12. Malawi: Christian Agency for Rural Development (CARD) and Evangelical Lutheran Development Service (ELDS) will provide an awareness campaign to reach 2.4 million people with accurate information about COVID-19 and its prevention, and will work with local faith leaders to provide psychosocial support to affected families.

13. Peru: Diaconia Peru will provide free virtual counselling to 12,000 vulnerable people in Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia and Colombia, with an emphasis on the prevention of gender-based and family violence. Local faith leaders will be trained in GBV prevention and pastoral responses to illness and bereavement. Additionally, 600 vulnerable families will receive food and PPE support.

14. Philippines: The National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) will provide food packs, sanitation and hygiene kits, and unconditional cash grants to 1500 vulnerable families.

15. Serbia: Ecumenical Humanitarian Organization (EHO) and Philanthropy- The Charitable Fund of the Serbian Orthodox Church will provide food packages to 3000 people, hygiene packages to 4300 people, PPE for frontline workers, shelter for homeless people, psychosocial support to 130 people (focusing on gender), and engagement with faith and religious leaders and groups to provide awareness raising.

16. Tanzania: The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT), through its network of hospitals and local health facilities, will provide PPE for 480 frontline medical professionals, work with 50 bishops and high-level religious workers on information and awareness messaging, and medical interventions for 25,000 high-risk people to reduce new infections and allay fears and anxiety.

17.  Uganda: Church of Uganda will provide food assistance to 50 households and communicate to the communities the risk of COVID-19 and its infection prevention. The Church will also engage faith leaders to raise awareness on GBV and provide psycho-social support.

Please communicate all pledges and/or funding opportunities to the Head of Humanitarian Affairs, Alwynn Javier (alwynn.javier@actalliance.org), with copy to the Finance Officer, Marjorie Schmidt (marjorie.schmidt@actalliance.org).

While Lebanon is already struggling from the financial crisis, economic contractions and the USD devaluation, and hosting large number of refugees. A warehouse at the Beirut Port containing large quantities of ammonium nitrate exploded on 4 August 2020. After an initial explosion, a subsequent blast caused widespread damage, with reports of damage more than 20 km from the port area. Hundreds of buildings including grain silos storing around 85 percent of the country’s grain, and numerous residential places have been damaged or destroyed, including many healthcare facilities and several major hospitals in the Greater Beirut area, due to the blast.  Official reports estimate that more than 160 people were killed, over 5,000 injured, and more than 300,000 people left homeless in the Greater Beirut area/Mount Lebanon.

LEB201-Lebanon Emergency Response