The Covid19 pandemic highlights and foster inequalities. Women’s pregnancies have increased in the department of Grand Anse. Reasons for this are: lockdown allows risks of sexual assault sometimes forcing victims to live with their aggressor, the closure of schools and reduction in livelihoods forcing women to engage in free unions or early marriages, lack of sexual and reproductive education, lack of access to contraceptives. A year after the Pandemic is evident the strong need to tackle issues related to women and reproductive health, access to Livelihood and Water and Sanitation, a traditional women-assigned task within the communities and strongly link with stopping the propagation of the virus. This proposal aims at tacking this context revealed in a specific area of the country (Haute Voldrogue, department of Grand Anse, Commune of Jeremie) traditionally neglected and with high levels of vulnerabilities. The activities will run for a period of 6 months, with constant monitoring aiming to update the context and work for adaptative and longer-term strategies, linked with the gender component.

07 RRF 2021 Haiti Gender and Covid19 FV

A long-standing political disagreement between the Ethiopia Federal government and the northern regional state of Tigray’s regional government led to an outbreak of hostilities on 4^th November 2020. This was characterized by military action resulting in general insecurity in the region, internal and external displacements, and a disruption of livelihoods.

The 2021 Humanitarian Needs Overview launched by the humanitarian community on 5 March estimates that approximately 4.5 million people are currently in need of humanitarian assistance in Tigray.

Changes in ETH201 revised appeal include the addition of Norwegian Church Aid as a requesting member, a focus from livelihood to life-saving interventions, the inclusion of GBV protection, and COVID-19 prevention. Based on information from recent need assessment, the appeal now focuses on central and East Tigray from southern Tigray.

Four ACT Ethiopia members, Ethiopia Orthodox Church Development Inter-Church Aid Commission (EOC-DICAC), Ethiopia Evangelical Mekane Yesus Church (EECMY-DASSC), Lutheran World Federation (LWF), and Norwegian Church Aid are responding to this crisis.

Ethiopia_Tigray-Conflict-response Revised Appeal ETH 201

Tropical Cyclone Eloise made landfall in central Mozambique on 23^rd January at around 2 a.m., near the coastal city of Beira. It came with winds of 140 km/h and heavy rainfall of 250 mm within 24 hours.

After landfall, Cyclone Eloise downgraded to a moderate tropical storm with a maximum wind speed of 83 km/hr. The weather system continues to move in a westerly direction, bringing high amounts of rainfall in its wake.

Other areas were already flooded ahead of Eloise’s landfall, especially surrounding places including Buzi and Nhamatanda resulting in thousands of displaced people. At least 13 people have died and many have been injured.The cyclone also caused severe flooding in the same area that was just recovering from two similar cyclones in 2019.

CEDES, ACT member in Mozambique are responding to affected  communities.

Mozambique_Response to Cyclone Eloise (RRF)

In November 2020, following presidential elections in Ivory Coast, the Northern and southern parts of Liberia received thousands of Ivorians refugees fleeing clashes between opposition and pro-government supporters in Ivory Coast.

To date approximately 20,651 Ivorian refugees have fled to Liberia according to reports from UNHCR and Liberia Refugees Repatriation and Resettlement Commission.

The refugees have found themselves in a desperate situation with many unmet vital humanitarian needs such as:

1. Safe drinking water
2. Health services
3. Agriculture
4. Food and non-food items
5. WASH

ACT member in Liberia, Lutheran Development Services are planning to respond to the refugees in the sectors of non food items, food assistance, WASH and prevention of the spread of COVID-19.

Liberia_Assistance to Ivorian Refugees (RRF)

The São Paulo State is home 45 million people ranging from very vulnerable communities to

well structure urban and rural areas. From the beginning of the pandemic, it is the epicentre of

the COVID-19 in Brazil, with around 1.5 million cases and 47,768 deaths until this day. By

December 2020, the summer storms season started, bringing great damage to the poorest areas

of São Paulo. From 2016 to 2020, more than 75 people died from floods, 35 only in 2020.

In the São Paulo Municipality, the most affected districts are in the East, the Northwest and

the South. The Jacuí and Jardim Santa Helena neighbourhoods are in an area that follows the

river course of the Rio Tietê. The Grajaú district has many poor communities living in the

shore of the city’s larger reservoir in informal settlements.

Outside of the metropolitan area, in the coastal area known as Baixada Santista, there are

urgent situations in the municipality of Cubatão, by the Pilões River. In this year, an area

greatly damaged by the floods is the Vale do Ribeira the poorest region in the state, home of

large quilombola1 and indigenous communities, and many conservation units (protection

areas).02 RRF 2021 Sao Paulo Floods FV

A long-standing political disagreement between Ethiopia Federal government and the northern regional state of Tigray’s regional government led to an outbreak of hostilities on 4^th November 2020. This was characterized by military action resulting in general insecurity in the region, internal and external displacements, and a disruption of livelihoods.

In Tigray region at least 855,000 persons are currently in need of humanitarian assistance of which include non-displaced persons, Internally Displaced persons, returnees, and over 96,000 Eritrean refugees.

Three ACT Ethiopia members, Ethiopia Orthodox Church Development Inter-Church Aid Commission (EOC-DICAC), Ethiopia Evangelical Mekane Yesus Church (EECMY-DASSC) and Lutheran World Federation (LWF) are planning to respond to this crisis.

Ethiopia_Tigray Conflict response