The Government of Madagascar has declared the flooding situation in Madagascar a national Emergency after heavy rainfall and flooding caused by a tropical disturbance affected nearly 107,000 people, displaced more than 16,000, and caused at least 31 deaths in Madagascar since 20th January 2020. The situation has led to massive floods, including a rapid rise of rivers with enormous water flow, corresponding landslides and massive destruction of the surrounding infrastructure (roads and bridges) and agricultural areas. ACT Madagascar Forum Member FJKM (The Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar) which is the second-largest Christian denomination in Madagascar have mobilized their volunteer network and have started to respond. Madagascar_Flood Alert.

The Philippines has been seeing a succession of disasters since December 2019 that have so far affected about 5.7 million people across the country.  Overall these have taken a significant toll on the capacities of the government and other actors to support the affected population. All three major island groups have been hit: typhoon and volcanic eruption in Luzon, typhoon in Visayas, and earthquake in Mindanao.  Across these areas, it has been difficult for affected people to restore their assets particularly their homes and livelihoods. The government estimates that almost USD 2 million worth of agriculture have been affected and economic losses of more than USD60 million, and the situation is not expected to improve very soon. ACT Philippines Forum plans to submit a single Appeal for these disasters with NCCP as lead requesting member. The ACT Appeal will define a comprehensive and strategic approach for responding, considering the multiplicity of needs in a wide geographic location and mindful of the limited resources and capacities available within the ACT Forum. ALERT Philippines Multi Disasters    

Continuous and heavy rainfall caused flooding in Jakarta and its surrounding cities for two days during new year. Poorly maintained rivers, lack of water infiltration and littering has resulted in the rise of the water levels at many points in Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi (Jabodetabek). As of 4 January, there are about 173,000 people have been displaced in 207 sub-districts of Jabodetabek as reported by National Disaster Management Authority of Indonesia (BNPB) with 53 dead.  About 409,000 have been affected by the floods. ACT Indonesia Forum have been coordinating. Jakarta-based Indonesian Christian Association for Health Services (ICAHS/PELKESI), in partnership with Salvation Army and Gereja Kristen Indonesia (GKI), has started its relief operations by providing medical services in selected Jakarta areas and have already served 158 people.  They will continue their work in Bekasi in the coming days. PELKESI plans to access ACT Alliance’s Rapid Response Fund to continue their health services in flood-affected areas. ALERTS Indonesia Jakarta Flood

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported that typhoon Phanfone (local name:  Ursula) 600,142 families or 2,431,821 persons were affected in 2,702 barangays (villages) in MIMAROPA, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, and CARAGA regions. About 19,553 families or 77,989 individuals are still staying in government designated evacuation centers. Twelve municipalities in nine provinces have declared a State of Calamity. About 428,781 houses were damaged. In the afternoon  of Tuesday the 24 December 2019, the province of Salcedo, Eastern Samar in the Philippines, Phanfone made its first landfall with sustained wind speeds of 120 kph and gusts of up to 150 kph. The storm brought heavy rain and violent winds as it traversed the Visayas region of Central Philippines, taking a similar path as typhoon Haiyan in 2013.  It exited the landmass through Mindoro and Palawan provinces on December 28, making seven landfalls overall. ACT Philippines Forum, through National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) plans to raise an appeal.   ALERT Philippines Typhoon Phanfone

The humanitarian crisis in Iraq remains one of the largest and most volatile in the world. The pace of displacement over the past four and a half years is nearly without precedent with more than 5.4 million people displaced since the rise of the Islamic State (IS). The 2019 Iraq Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) states 6.7 million people continue to be in need, and although 4.3 million people have returned to their place of origin, 1.7 million people remain internally displaced. At present 721,000 IDP’s and 241, 000 Syrian refugees reside within the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), many of whom have remained in prolonged displacement since the beginning of the Syrian conflict in 2011. Act Iraq forum is preparing an appeal to respond to the needs of the affected communities. Act members: CA, DCA, HIA and LWF are getting ready for a response in Iraq targeting Shelter/ NFI’s, WASH, Livelihoods, Protection and Mine action sectors.   Call-4-Action_Iraq_Humanitarian_Crisis

The Syrian crisis is in entering its tenth year of protracted conflict causing a UN declared level three humanitarian emergency. The past and present hostilities compounded with the continued massive displacement of populations, remain the main drivers of humanitarian needs. As such the Syrian crisis remains the largest displacement crisis in the world, with over 5.6 million registered refugees and over 6 million people displaced within Syria. Jordan hosts 671,074 registered Syrian refugees. Lebanon hosts 1.5 million Syrian refugees along with 31,502 Palestine Refugees from Syria, and a pre-existing population of more than 175,000 Palestine Refugees. With this Lebanon is on street demonstration for over that 55 days demanding change in the government, which put the country on hold, with negative affect of the Lebanese population in general and more specific on the refugees mainly affected quality of life, purchase power, disrupted of social cohesion as well as economic investment, devaluation of local currency and ongoing sanction that affect food and health supply. North East Syria recent developments also worsen the situation, as the number of people living in camps in the northeast has almost tripled in 2019. Act JSL forum is preparing an appeal to respond to the needs of the affected communities. Act members: DSPR, FCA, LWF and MECC are getting ready for a response in Syria, Jordan and Lebanon targeting shelter/NFI, Food Security, WASH, Education, Protection/Psycho-social, Livelihood/Early Recovery, Health/Nutrition, and capacity building sectors. Call-4-Action_Syria_Humanitarian_Crisis

In the afternoon of Sunday the 8 December 2019, cyclone Belna passed the region of the entire western coastline in Madagascar. While the eye of the cyclone moves near to the coast in the channel between Mozambique and Madagascar, the coastal areas of Madagascar are getting affected with heavy rains and wind up to 200 km/h. The entire catchment of cyclone Belna has actual a width of 200 km and a rotating wind speed of approximately 150 km/h which is still speeding up (source Metrological Department for Madagascar).  As a result, the northwest of Madagascar is experiencing heavy rains and strong winds with a high possibility of flooding affecting very isolated areas with challenging road access. Tropical Cyclone Belna will bring impacts to Madagascar into the middle of the week and strong winds can result in damage to homes and cause significant power cuts and tree damage. The cyclone is foreseen to develop up to category 4 and will touch land on December 9th somewhere between Mahajanga and Tulear, situated in the West / South West of Madagascar and pass the Southern part of the Island before leaving on the open Indian Ocean. ACT Madagascar Forum members are planning to submit a funding request to respond to affected communities. Madagascar_Cyclone Belna.

Moderate to heavy Deyr seasonal rains, which started in early October in many parts of Somalia have continued to be received across the country. The regions of Gedo, Nugaal and Hiran in Somalia are the most affected, with these regions heavily flooded. Recent updates by Somalia NGO consortium indicate that over half a million people have been affected by floods and an estimated 370,000 people have fled homes submerged in floodwater. The Ethiopian highlands, where the Juba and Shabelle rivers originate, also received moderate to heavy rains over recent weeks causing flooding in the neighbouring districts according to FAO-Managed Somalia Water and Land Information Management (SWALIM).  Farmland, schools, homes and roads have been destroyed, and livelihoods disrupted in some of the worst-hit areas. ACT Somalia Forum members (DKH and NCA) are planning to submit an appeal in response to supporting affected communities. Somalia_ Floods Alert.

The South Sudan States of Upper Nile, Jonglei, Unity, Northern Bahr el Gazal and Eastern Equatoria have been seriously affected by flooding, caused by heavy continuous rains. On October 27, 2019, the government of South Sudan declared the flooding situation a state of emergency in most affected areas. The floods have affected over 900’000 people with estimated 420’000 people displaced and in need of immediate emergency assistance. In addition, the floods have destroyed 20,000 metric tons of food, caused houses, water points, pit latrines, and school shelters to collapse. Infrastructure damage has been caused, and livelihoods (crops and livestock) have been swept away.  Affected populations are hindered access to basic services by the floods (UN OCHA-Report November 5, 2019). The Government, United Nations and Non-governmental organizations are responding to the immediate needs of affected persons and coordinating a response in affected locations. Affected communities face problems of access and availability of food, safe shelter & Non Food Items. Diseases like malaria and water-borne diseases are a threat due to the breeding of mosquitoes and contamination of water because of submerged pit latrines and poor sanitation. South Sudan ACT forum members will submit an appeal in response to floods. Alert_Floods_South Sudan

Kenya has experienced heavy rains in the recent months across the country, affecting over 144,000 people in 25 counties. According to preliminary findings by the Kenya Red Cross Society and the Government's National Disaster Operation Centre (NDOC), the floods have claimed the lives of 48 persons, left 17,000 people displaced and also affected 200,000 refugees living in settlements in Dadaab.  With the current weather forecasts, which predict heavy rains until the end of November, the NDOC expects these numbers to rise. Affected villages and farms are submerged, causing massive displacement of families, and livestock. Crucial livelihoods of undetermined acreage are destroyed, which will heavily affect the food security situation across the country. Affected communities are exposed to water-borne diseases, and require food, shelter and safe water. ACT Kenya forum is planning to submit a funding proposal to support flood-affected communities in Kenya. Kenya_Flood Emergency

A 6.5 magnitude earthquake hit the province of Cotabato in the Philippines in the morning of 31st October, 2019.  The province has experienced two earthquakes of more than 6.0 magnitude since 16th October and they expect that aftershocks and tremors will still continue until December, as reported by Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS). As of October 31, over 30,045 people are affected in 72 barangays or villages in Regions XI and XII, of which almost 12,800 are in 19 evacuation centres, while 6,850 are staying with host families according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). A total of fifteen deaths, 610 injured and 2 missing persons were reported due to the October 16 and 29 earthquakes. Over 2,600 homes and about 513 schools, frequently used as evacuation centers, sustained damages in Region IX, X, XI, XII, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). Secondary hazards were monitored in the said regions such as fire, flooding due to dike damages, and landslides causing isolation of some communities, among others. Affected communities, displaced in evacuation centers, with host families or camping outdoors in makeshift tents are afraid to go indoors for fear of being injured. The National Council of Churches in the Philippines will access ACT Alliance's Rapid Response Fund to provide food, sleeping materials, shelter repair kits, drinking water, and psychosocial first aid to the affected people. Alerts Cotabato Earthquake

Heavy rains for eight continuous days have caused havoc in the Upper East Region in Ghana, resulting in loss of life, injured and displaced persons. At least 20 people have lost their lives and 19 are reported injured. More than 1,550 houses have also been destroyed by the floods across the 15 most affected districts of the region. The Ghana National Disaster Management Organization (NADM)) is currently coordinating the response. The flood-affected communities find themselves in a desperate situation, with many unmet vital humanitarian needs such as access to Shelter, WASH, Early recovery/livelihoods, food security, Protection and Psychosocial support. The ACT Ghana forum is planning to submit a funding proposal to contribute towards providing unmet needs of affected persons. Ghana_Flood Alert.