ACT Alliance demonstrates its value as the leading faith-based alliance in humanitarian response by working with faith and humanitarian actors at the global, regional, national, and community levels. ACT harnesses the combined strength of its members in delivering humanitarian response at scale and with considerable reach through joint programming approaches.
We commit to an effective ecumenical response that saves lives and maintains dignity, irrespective of race, gender, belief, nationality, ethnicity, or political persuasion. Humanitarian needs define our priorities and the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence guide our actions. We remain committed to strengthening the resilience of affected communities and to being accountable to people and communities affected by a crisis. The ACT Alliance Secretariat is certified against the Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability and is committed to the Sphere Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response.
Through its national, regional and sub-regional forums ACT Alliance provides humanitarian and emergency preparedness support to local communities helping them during a crisis and to become more resilient.
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The Rapid Response Fund is an innovative funding mechanism designed to put local communities at the centre of decision-making and is recognised as one of few such funding mechanisms across the sector. The RRF provides valuable opportunities to demonstrate the niche of faith actors in humanitarian response as we work closely with local ACT members and their community networks. On average, the RRF funds 20 emergencies annually and responses are implemented within six months.
The primary mechanism for large scale or global emergencies, including protracted crises: ACT Alliance raises an appeal to its membership with both requesting and funding members co-owning the process. Appeals are open for funding during their entire project period and accessible to both national and international ACT Alliance members.
Consortia represent a new funding mechanism for ACT Alliance. As part of Emergency Preparedness planning, consortiums are established before a disaster strikes and consortium members share a vision and strategic focus. Members self-organise and develop their own financial management models and programme strategies supported by the EPRP process and tools.
Emergency preparedness and response planning is integral to the strengthening of ACT Alliance’s capacity to respond effectively in emergencies through joint programming.
ACT national and regional forums develop emergency preparedness and response plans (EPRPs), working collaboratively to understand potential disaster risks and plan how to respond to emergencies quickly and effectively. Forum EPRPs are accessible by members through an online platform, which can be viewed by other members who may be interested to support them. ACT Forums use specific ACT guidelines and tools to support the process of developing an EPRP which is reviewed regularly.
As part of the holistic and integrated approach to humanitarian response, development and advocacy, ACT’s emergency preparedness and humanitarian response is supported by stronger humanitarian coordination and advocacy with stakeholders and duty bearers.
In the current strategic period our advocacy focuses on three banner commitments to the Grand Bargain at the World Humanitarian Summit where ACT has made significant investments and where member engagement is quite strong: the localisation agenda and the primary role of national/local members and local faith actors; demonstrating the important role of faith actors in humanitarian response; and strengthening of cash-based programming across the humanitarian sector.
With the Syria crisis continuing into its eighth year, more than half of the population of Syria has been forcibly displaced from their homes, and many people have been displaced multiple times. The number of daily displacements remains high, with approximately 920,000 as Internally Displaced Person (IDPs) in the first 4 months of 2018 (at a rate of almost 7,600 newly displaced persons each day, according to the UN-HNO 2018). UNHCR, estimates that 13.1 million people need humanitarian assistance, and almost 6.6 million, have been internally displaced (UNHCR1). There are 12.8 million who require health assistance, with almost 3 million living in UN-declared hard-to-reach or besieged areas exposed to serious protection threats. Estimates show that 2.9 million people inside Syria are living with a disability (Humanitarian International Plan2), while almost 5.6 million people are in acute need due to multiple displacements, exposure to hostilities, and limited access to basic goods and services, and 4.2 million in need of shelter intervention (HNO 2018, OCHA 2017). Children and youth comprise more than half of the displaced, as well as half of those in need of critical humanitarian assistance. Appeals_Syria_Humanitarian Crisis-SYR191 SYR191_Appeals_budget total Final
Since 1976, the date of the first cases of viral haemorrhagic fever, the DRC has been facing several episodes of Ebola virus epidemic. The Ministry of Public Health declared the 10th Ebola outbreak in August 2018. Its first confirmation was found in Mabalako health zone, Mangina locality, northwest of Beni. Within a few days, the disease spread to Beni and Butembo cities. So far, suspected cases have been reported in Musienene (N-Kivu), Mandima (Ituri) and Komanda (Ituri) health zones. At the pace by which Ebola is spreading, it is estimated that there is a great risk of Ebola spreading to other provinces of North Kivu, Ituri province and even beyond the Rwanda and Uganda borders. Appeals_DRC_Ebola and Cholera Outbreak in North Kivu Province-COD182
Two low pressure systems, one in the Atlantic and the other in the Pacific, caused intense rainfall conditions, flash floods in several communities in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua from 5 to 18 October , In El Salvador Civil Protection reported 15 people injured, six dead, one missing and 768 people in shelters. In addition, 1541 flooded houses and eight houses destroyed, an affected school and three other collapsed walls; eight roads and 13 damaged streets, 120 contaminated wells. On October 6 a green alert was declared in El Salvador for the entire country. On October 7, a Yellow Alert was declared for 29 coastal municipalities, which on October 8 increased to 34 municipalities to include three municipalities in Morazán department and two in La Union department. In Honduras, the rains have caused flooding and landslides across the country. Most damage has been reported in Francisco Morazán, Valle, and Choluteca departments, where a red alert was issued by the government. 12,076 people have been affected by the floods. 963 homes were damaged, including 169 flooded, and 9 completely destroyed. Among them, 7,234 people have been evacuated, and 6,789 moved to 78 temporary shelters. According to the National Emergency Operations Center (COEN) of COPECO, heavy rainfall left about 25,558 people affected and 9 dead. The number of people in shelter reached to 9,097, 11,552 people evacuated, and some 170 schools are damaged, eight bridges were affected as well as 63 roads, ten bridges destroyed, seven water systems damaged; 1,133 houses damaged and another 10 houses destroyed between the municipalities of Francisco Morazán, Choluteca and Valle. About 89 shelters were enabled most of them in educational centers in the department of Choluteca. Appeals_Central_America_response_to_Floods_CAM181
On 18th March 2018 the Manaro volcano on the island of Ambae erupted and for the second time in six months triggered a state of emergency and mass evacuations of the population. The heavy outpourings of ash and gas has resulted in hazards of acid rain, flash floods, loss of food and water sources, and damage to infrastructure and human health. Large portions of the island were significantly impacted, all education institutions and key government services were closed and staff and students evacuated to other islands. On Thursday 26th July Vanutu's Council of Ministers held an extraordinary meeting to extend the state of emergency and to revise the previous voluntary evacuation to a compulsory evacuation. Those self-evacuating to the island of Santo did not receive any official government support and humanitarian agencies were initially discouraged from responding on Santo, in favour of the official government response on Maewo. Unfortunately the majority of the displaced communities (~8,700ppl) evacuated to Santo. Most people are still living in temporary shelters in and around host communities. It is estimated that the informal and government supported relocations have impacted approximately 13% of Vanuatu's population. Concept Note: Ambae Volcano Evacuation Relief and Resettlement Support
There is an emerging humanitarian crisis in the Southern Kasaï region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where Congolese have sought safety after being expelled from Angola in a violent clampdown on refugees and migrants. The mass population movement follows the Angolan Government’s decision to expel Congolese migrants, many of whom were working in the informal mining sector in the Northeastern part of the country. Most of those forced to return to DRC were in Angola as economic migrants, often working in the diamond mines while others are refugees forcibly displaced for a second time, having previously fled the conflict in DRC. The oil-rich Angola attracts many Congolese as it is relatively more stable and offers better employment prospects unlike DR Congo which has more abundant mineral wealth but is largely rocked by unrest and violence from different rebel groups and militias. According to UNICEF, more than 300,000 Congolese citizens have returned since 1 October 2018, raising concerns of another crisis for a country already dealing with multiple conflicts and an Ebola outbreak. Those who are returning are coming back to a desperate situation in Kasai, where a militia conflict in 2016 and 2017 forced 1.5 million people to flee their homes leaving ethnic tensions simmering. This poses a threat of resurgence of violence as the region is still extremely fragile following the previous conflicts. According to Oxfam, the Kasai region is one of the poorest in DRC and is already struggling with malnutrition, cholera and a threat of resurgence in conflict. With the influx of people stretching the already limited resources, there is a danger that inter-communal tensions may resurface. The mass influx of people in the middle of the rainy season poses major health risks, in a region already suffering from a cholera epidemic and where clean water and decent sanitation are scarce, making matters worse for returning children and families. The price of basic food stuffs has risen sharply in some areas, which could lead to inadequate food supply. The arrival of returnees in recent weeks has occurred mostly in the Province of Kasai, although some children and families have returned to neighboring provinces, including Kasai Central and Kwango. By 16th October 2018, more than 73 % of those who have returned were hosted in Kamonia Territory in Kasai Province, their main entry point being Kamako border post in Kamonia Health Zone. The rest are in Kasai Central Provinces mainly Luambo ZS in Luiza Territory. Upon arrival, majority are hosted in churches, schools and unfinished houses. Food, emergency shelter and NFIs, WASH, emergency health care and transport are identified as urgent. The young people who are frustrated after losing their sources of income coupled with the abuses they suffered during expulsion has intensified ethnic tensions in the host communities. There are reports of conflicts between returnees and host communities over resources. ACT DRC Forum members namely Christian Aid (CA), Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Church of Christ in Congo (ECC), and Bureau Oecumeniqued'Appui au Developpement (BOAD) have revised and published COD 181 and are now appealing for USD 3,628,974 to respond to the expulsion of Congolese from Angola , a situation which has aggravated the already dire crisis in Kasai. ACT DRC Forum members propose to work in the areas of shelter, Food Security, WASH, Health/Nutrition, Protection, Education and unconditional cash, in order to save lives and alleviate suffering of conflict affected populations in Kasai Provinces in the Democratic Republic of Congo. DRC_Kasai Conflict COD 181(Revised Appeal)
Cyclone Gaja made landfall over Tamil Nadu coast on 16th November 2018 at 1:45 AM, wreaking havoc as it passed the coastal districts of Tamil Nadu. Cyclone Gaja made its landfall with wind speed of 120 – 140 kph, leaving behind a huge trail of destruction in the districts of Nagapattinam, Cuddalore, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Pudukottai, Dindigul, Trichy, Karur, Sivagangai, Ramnad, and Karaikal in the Union territory of Pondicherry. According to the Government record, 45 people were killed and around 250,000 people were displaced from their homes on the coasts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in the wee hours of Friday. The state government has appointed some government officials in various districts to expedite the rescue process in the affected areas. Schools have been closed in those districts and university exams were postponed. According to government sources, 170,454 coconut and banana trees were uprooted, and about 39,938 electric poles were toppled including a large number of transformers. Power supply was suspended for more than two days. Many houses collapsed, making people homeless. Supply of drinking water was also disrupted. The Government has sanctioned an assistance of Rs.30,000 for cattle and Rs.3,000 for goats to the beneficiaries who have lost cattle and goats in the cyclone. Relief workers are trying hard to reach the remote and inaccessible areas of Nagapattinam, Thiruvarur, Thanjavur,Pudukottai and in some parts of Kodaikanal. The regions in the delta has remained without power supply since Friday (16.11.2018). More than 1,17,000 houses including thatched huts, tiled roof houses have been partially or fully damaged. RRF No.20 2018 Cyclone Gaja Emergency Response in Tamil Nadu India
On Monday morning, 01 October 2018, the villages of Dsegh in Lori and Arapi, Voskehask, Harij in Shirak mountainous regions in Armenia were affected by sudden heavy rains and hailstorms that swept away 130ha of crops in Dsegh and 185,8 ha - Arapi villages, 28,2 - Voskehask, 64,29 - Harij. The dwellers lost 70 to 80% of their crop. Local authorities have declared these regions in state of emergency due to the damages caused by the natural disaster and asked national and international organizations to support the affected population. The Ministry of Territorial Administration and Development asked the Armenia Round Table Foundation (ART) for humanitarian assistance to help the affected communities. According to the official information from the ministry, the damages affected 300 communities in 9 regions out of 10. More than 7000 hectares of wheat, barley and grain, fruit, vegetables/orchards, and vineyards were damaged. According to government official information, the total damage to agriculture is estimated to be 8,7 billion AMD which equals to 18,125,000 USD. The hailstones and storm were so heavy that they broke the roofs and windows, and flooded houses. RRFs Armenia Hailstorms-RRF19_2018
On 28 September 2018 at 17:02 WIB (Indonesian Western Time), an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 hit Central Sulawesi, 27 kilometers northeast of Donggala with a shallow epicenter (10 km). It was immediately followed by a tsunami warning by BMKG (Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency). This earthquake triggered a tsunami that hit the coast at 17:22 WIB. 2 provinces were directly affected by the earthquake and tsunami: Central Sulawesi Province (4 districts/city; Donggala, Palu City, Sigi and Parigi Moutong) and West Sulawesi Province (North Mamuju District). According to the most updated information about the impacts of this disaster from the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre), as of 26th October, there were already 2,081 casualties, with 1,309 missing or feared to be buried, and 4,438 major injuries. As many as 206,494 displaced persons are sheltered in 122 evacuation site, with 68,451 houses significantly damaged. According to ASEAN Specialized Meteorological Centre (ASMC), the sub-seasonal forecast indicates that Central Sulawesi may still experience rains and wetter conditions in the coming period. Appeals: Emergency Assistance to People Affected by the Earthquake and Tsunami in Central Sulawesi – Indonesia - IDN182
On 1st August 2018, an outbreak of Ebola was confirmed in Mabalako Health Zone in Mangina village situated in Beni Territory, North Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The official declaration of Ebola epidemic by DRC National Ministry of Health initiated a response from WHO and other organizations from the health sector to attempt to stop the further spread of the disease and treat the affected. Unfortunately, these attempts have not been totally successful as Ebola continues to spread to several locations within the Beni territory region and Ituri Province. According to the WHO report on 30 October 2018, 244 persons have contracted Ebola and 144 deaths have occurred. Members of the Health Cluster in Beni and Goma have formed committees that meet daily to update and reflect on ways to respond to the Ebola outbreak. As a result, vaccination systems have been reinforced and sensitization activities intensified in affected regions. Poor hygiene, poor vaccination uptake and false traditional beliefs on the cause of Ebola are contributing to spread. There are fears that the epidemic might spread towards Goma because of trade movements between Beni and Goma. There remains an urgent need to intensify efforts to prevent and treat Ebola. One common effective way preventing its further spread is by placing hand washing points at strategic places to give opportunities for people to wash hands frequently and thus avoid spread of the virus. In addition, by increasing sensitization on how the disease is spread, it is believed that fewer people will get the infection. Bureau Œcuménique d’Appui au Development (BOAD), a local DRC ACT Forum member and currently DRC ACT Forum convener, will respond to the Ebola epidemic, given BOAD’s experience in implementing humanitarian programs over the past several years. While BOAD will play a leading role in the Implementation of Ebola response project in DRC, the Church of Christ in Congo (ECC) and Evangelical Lutheran Church in Congo (EELCO), both national/local ACT members, will contribute to the response by giving their respective expertise as they have also implemented similar projects in the past. Activities will include awareness raising campaigns on Ebola transmission, training community/religious leaders and health agents on appropriate hygiene and sanitation practices and highlighting traditional practices that may be affecting the spread the virus. In addition, posters with messages on Ebola symptoms and setting up hand washing kits at churches, markets and schools will be done. Media messages (broadcasting) on how to prevent the spread of Ebola will also be released. Psycho social support and counselling to affected persons and provision of non-food items will be done through a cash transfer program. To avoid exposing staff to the virus, staff working on the project will be trained on Ebola prevention. ACT DRC national /local Forum members have jointly applied for a Rapid Response Fund in response to Ebola emergency namely BOAD, Eglise Evangelique Lutherienne au Congo (EELC) and Church of Christ in Congo (CCC). Other ACT DRC members namely Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Norwegian Church Aid, Christian AID (CA), BOAD, Salvation Army, Eglise Evangelique Lutherienne du Congo (EELC) and Church of Christ in Congo (CCC) will jointly apply for an appeal in response to Ebola epidemic. DRC: Ebola Emergency – RRF No. 18/2018
Two low pressure systems, one in the Atlantic and the other in the Pacific, caused intense rainfall conditions, flash floods in several communities in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua from 5 October 2018. In El Salvador, Civil Protection reported 15 people injured, six dead, one missing and 768 people in shelters. In addition, 1541 flooded houses and eight houses were destroyed, 120 wells contaminated, and several schools and roads damaged. In Honduras, the rains caused flooding and landslides across the country. Most damage has been reported in Francisco Morazán, Valle, and Choluteca departments, where a red alert was issued by the government. 12,076 people were affected by the floods. 963 homes were damaged, including 169 flooded, and 9 completely destroyed. 7,234 people were evacuated, and 6,789 moved to 78 temporary shelters. According to the National Emergency Operations Center (COEN) of COPECO, heavy rainfall left about 25,558 people affected and 9 dead. The number of people in shelters reached 9,097. 11,552 people were evacuated, and some 170 schools are damaged. Further, 63 roads18 and 7 water systems were damaged. A total of 1,143 houses were either damaged or destroyed in the municipalities of Francisco Morazán, Choluteca and Valle. As part of the revision of the ACT Alliance Humanitarian Response Mechanism, the “Preliminary Appeal” is replaced by the “Concept Note”, a shorter more concise document which summarizes the proposed ACT response and emphasizes collaboration amongst the ACT members. For further information on the Revised Humanitarian Response Mechanism, please refer to its online toolkit: https://actlearn.org/course/view.php?id=236 Concept Notes_El Salvador and Honduras_Floods - CAM181
Since Friday, October 12, a caravan of approximately 6,000 Honduran migrants have been making their way north through Guatemala toward Mexico and the United States. It is the latest and the largest iteration of big groups of Central Americans migrating North in an effort to escape their desperate circumstances, often experiencing additional human rights abuses along the way, and ending up in a cycle of detention and deportation that leads them back to the same situation. Most people who joined the caravan have been ground down by low wages, unemployment and poor public services in Honduras and are looking for better opportunities elsewhere. Many are also escaping widespread violence associated with a breakdown of governance and the emergence of drug cartels. They fear for their lives and are seeking protection by applying for asylum in either Mexico or the United States. In their path, Guatemalan and Salvadorian people, affected by similar circumstances, are joining the caravan as well. Following the example of this spontaneous movement, other groups are starting to organize similar caravans, despite Mexican efforts to stop them at the border. Now growing throngs of Central American migrants have resumed their advance in southern Mexico toward the U.S. border, and their numbers have risen to about 6,000 overnight, walking toward the Mexican town of Tapachula. The Government of Mexico will request the support of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner or Refugees (UNHCR), so that in coordination with the authorities of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, and in conjunction with the National Institute of Migration (INM) and the Mexican Commission for Assistance to Refugees (COMAR), proper attention can be given to those applying for refugee status at Mexico's southern border. The purpose of taking this step is to contribute to a humanitarian solution, in accordance with legislation, that is respectful of human rights, transparent, and has the assistance of the international community through the pertinent bodies of the United Nations. In addition, this measure seeks to guarantee the safety and physical integrity of the migrants, especially minors, the elderly and women, and to prevent people from being exploited by international criminal organizations engaged in migrant smuggling, which endangers their lives. Given the crisis, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala ACT Alliance Forums agreed to carry out a joint response and are requesting funds to provide food aid, hygiene kits, psychosocial support and protection to 2000 people, advocacy actions will be carried out as well. Central America: humanitarian response to people on the move - RRF No. 17/2018
In the afternoon of Thursday the 11 October 2018, the mountainous eastern district of Bududa in Uganda was hit by a series of landslides which also caused massive flooding following torrential heavy rains. As a result, 5 villages have been washed away in the district of Bududa and confirmed reports indicate that 40 bodies have been found. Rescue teams have been deployed to search for missing persons. The landslide in Bududa triggered boulders (huge rocks) to fall into River Suume which rolled to Bukalasi health Centre; in the process washing away buildings/structures; injuring many people and causing much damage. In addition, the boulders blocked the river channel; causing the river to burst its banks and cause flooding to occur in the nearby trading centre. Bududa district which lies on the foothills of Mount Elgon, at the Uganda and Kenya border is a high-risk area for landslides. The landslides have put Bududa district in a state of crisis. The persons affected by the landslide find themselves in a desperate situation, with many unmet vital humanitarian needs such as access to food, shelter, need for health care as an effect of water-borne diseases, and other basic essentials. The emergency response in Uganda is currently being coordinated by the Office of the Prime Minister. The government of Uganda immediately deployed a rescue and recovery team in the area and are currently working with the District Disaster Management Committee to carry out loss and damage assessments. The Government of Uganda is contributing of Uganda Shillings 500,000 ($132) each to the families of the deceased. The Red Cross and military are involved in first aid and rescue of affected individuals. ACT Alliance member of Uganda forum, Church of Uganda has been working in Uganda since 1979 and is now helping/planning to help people affected by the landslide under its department (household and community transformation directorate). Church of Uganda has been a member of ACT Uganda Forum since ACT Uganda Forum was formed in 2010 and has submitted a funding proposal to support the affected in the areas of food, non-food and psycho-social support. Uganda: Landslide Emergency - RRF No. 16/2018
By 31 October 2018, the Syria crisis remains the largest refugee crisis with 5,631,309 registered refugees by UNHCR in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt. While UN agencies reports on Syria reflect that amidst an intensification of hostilities in multiple locations notably Idleb, Afrin, East Ghouta, southern Damascus, northern rural Homs and parts of north east Syria, the first six months of 2018 witnessed 1.2 million population displaced as civilians sought to escape to avoid the effects of conflict. (HNO 2018) Some 6.1 million people remained long-term displaced across Syria. As UNOCHA stated in the midyear HRP report for 2018: "the overall scale, scope and complexity of humanitarian needs of people in Syria remain staggering in terms of magnitude and severity with an estimated 13 million people in need across the country, of whom 5.6million are in areas of acute need”. (UNHCR 2017, OCHA 2017) The pace of displacement remains relentless, with hundreds and thousands of families displaced internally for the second or third time. While according to the (regional) 3RP 2018 mid-year report, as the conflict in Syria entered its eighth year, neighbouring countries continue to contend with mounting demographic, economic, political, security and social pressures. Across the region, borders and admission practices remained closely managed, affecting the displacement ability of many individuals. Despite the exceptional generosity of host governments, the conditions of refugee families across the region remain extremely challenging and many refugee families have become increasingly vulnerable with each passing year of displacement: poverty rates exceed 60 per cent in some host countries and some 35 per cent of Syrian refugee children are out-of-school. (HNO 2018) Meanwhile, Palestinian refugees who are affected by the Syrian crisis continue to face particular vulnerabilities. It’s worth mentioning that the appeals and the response plans set by UN agencies and the host communities remain less than 50% funded. (3RP June 2018) Therefore, SYR191 appeal remains a high priority for ACT members who are active in the region to be able to support refugees, internally displaced people as well as the host communities impacted by the crisis. As part of the revision of the ACT Alliance Humanitarian Response Mechanism, a “Call for Action” is essentially the same as an “Alert”, but it applies to Complex emergencies only (category 3 in the ACT Revised Humanitarian Mechanism). For further information on the Revised Humanitarian Response Mechanism, please refer to its online toolkit: https://actlearn.org/course/view.php?id=236 Call-4-Action_Syria_Humanitarian Crisis
The current crisis in Iraq began in June 2014, when militants of the Islamic State Iraq and Syria (ISIS) seized control of over one third of Iraq’s territory within a few weeks. Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), the Kurdish Peshmerga and various armed groups engaged in the fight against ISIS, and finally recaptured Ramadi in February 2016, Hit in April 2016, Fallujah in June 2016, Mosul in July 2017, Tal Afar in August 2017 and Hawija in October 2017. The Government of Iraq announced the defeat of ISIS and regained full territorial control on 9 December 2017. With the major military operations coming to end, many people are now able to return to their homes, and previously experienced large-scale displacements are likely to be over by 2018. However, smaller scale movements are still expected resulting from the tension between the government of Iraq and the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG), triggered by the referendum on Kurdish independence of 25 September 2017. According to upcoming Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) estimates, 8.7 million people will require some form of humanitarian assistance in 2018. The humanitarian crisis in Iraq remains one of the largest and most volatile in the world, with a complex reality and rapidly changing vulnerabilities and serious economic problems. However, with the defeat of ISIS there is now a high chance of a protracted crisis with decreasing attention, while there is still great need for help in order to break the cycle that led to the current events. The Iraqi security situation became extremely acute with the conquest of part of the country by Islamic State (ISIS). This conflict altered the balance of power and split the country into those areas held by IS, the autonomous Kurdish areas and those controlled by the federal government. According to the latest data, in Nineveh province, 598,578 individuals are currently displaced (as of 31 August 2018) as a result of the offensive to retake Mosul and the efforts to push ISIS fighters out of Hawijah. 1,548,108 individuals (as of 31 August 2018) have been able to return home as liberation in the province has progressed. ISIS seizure of territory in Nineveh Province, Iraq’s most ethnically and religiously diverse area, resulted in some of the worst atrocities attributed to the terrorist group, including significant inter-ethnic violence. The ongoing ethnic and religious tension, violence and crimes made almost all non-Arab or non-Muslim families reluctant to return, and those who did return are at risk of facing segregation and isolation. The price paid by the people of Mosul is incredibly high with loss of lives, infrastructure, assets, physical and psychological abuse and loss of livelihood. People lost their homes and stayed in temporary camps for years. In addition, affected people also lost their means of earning and livelihood. Prior to the conflict, the economic status of the people were low which got aggravated during the conflict. As reported by many agencies including UN that livelihood opportunities remain very limited with concern over inter-ethnic conflicts and protection issues. As part of the revision of the ACT Alliance Humanitarian Response Mechanism, a “Call for Action” is essentially the same as an “Alert”, but it applies to Complex emergencies only (category 3 in the ACT Revised Humanitarian Mechanism). For further information on the Revised Humanitarian Response Mechanism, please refer to its online toolkit: https://actlearn.org/course/view.php?id=236 Call-4-Action_Iraq_Humanitarian Crisis
On the morning of Monday 10 September 2018, the district of Dsegh (Lori) and Arapi, Voskehask and Harij (Shirak) in mountainous regions in Armenia, sudden heavy rainfalls and hailstorms swept away 130ha of crop in Dsegh, 185,8 ha - Arapi, 28,2ha- Voskehask, and 64,29ha - Harij villages. The dwellers lost 70 – 80% of their crop. Local authorities have declared these regions in state of emergency due to the damages caused by the natural hazard and asked national and international organizations for support to the affected population. The Ministry of Territorial Administration and Development asked the Armenia Round Table Foundation for humanitarian assistance to help the affected communities. According to the official information from the Ministry the damage consists of 300 affected communities in 9 regions out of 10. More than 7000 ha of wheat, barley and grain, fruit, vegetables/orchards, and vineyards were damaged of which the damage in agriculture is valued at 8,7 billion AMD that is about 18,125,000 USD. Besides in 135 communities houses and structures are damaged. The hailstones and storm were so heavy that they broke the roofs and windows, the water down poured inside the houses. Alerts_Hailstorms in Armenia
On 1st August 2018, an outbreak of Ebola virus was confirmed in Mabalako Health Zone in Mangina village situated in Beni Territory, North Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The official declaration of the epidemic by the National Ministry of Health initiated a response from WHO and other organizations from the health sector to attempt to stop the further spread of the disease and treat the affected. Unfortunately, these attempts have not been totally successful as Ebola continues to spread to several locations within the Beni territory region and Ituri Province according to WHO report of 30 October 2018, 244 persons have contracted Ebola and 144 deaths have occurred. ACT DRC national /local Forum members that have jointly applied for a Rapid Response Fund in response to Ebola emergency are BOAD, Eglise Evangelique Lutherienne au Congo (EELC) and Church of Christ in Congo (CCC). Other ACT DRC members namely Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Norwegian Church Aid, Christian AID (CA), BOAD, Salvation Army, Eglise Evangelique Lutherienne du Congo (EELC) and Church of Christ in Congo (CCC) will jointly apply for an appeal in response to Ebola epidemic. DRC ACT Forum members will plan to ensure Ebola epidemic affected persons’ basic needs are met and proper sensitization and other appropriate health measures aiming at putting the epidemic under control are in place. The various proposals plan to provide support related to sensitization of Ebola to the whole community, community leaders will be trained and hygiene practices will be promoted by setting up hand washing kits in schools; churches and market places. Psycho social support to affected families (especially those who have lost close relatives) will also be provided. Alerts_Ebola Emergency in DRC
In the afternoon of Thursday the 11 October 2018, the mountainous eastern district of Bududa in Uganda was hit by a series of landslides which also caused massive flooding following torrential heavy rains. As a result, 5 villages have been washed away in the district of Bududa and confirmed reports indicate that 40 bodies have been found. Rescue teams have been deployed to search for missing persons. The landslide in Bududa triggered boulders (huge rocks) to fall into River Suume which rolled to Bukalasi health Centre; in the process washing away buildings/structures; injuring many people and causing much damage. In addition, the boulders blocked the river channel; causing the river to burst its banks and cause flooding to occur in the nearby trading centre. Bududa district which lies on the foothills of Mount Elgon, at the Uganda and Kenya border is a high risk area for landslides. The landslides have put Bududa district in a state of crisis. The persons affected by the landslide find themselves in a desperate situation, with many unmet vital humanitarian needs such as access to food, shelter, need for health care as an effect of water borne diseases, and other basic essentials. The emergency response in Uganda is currently being coordinated by Office of the Prime Minister. The government of Uganda immediately deployed a rescue and recovery team in the area and are currently working with the District Disaster Management Committee to carry out loss and damage assessments. The Government of Uganda is making a contribution of Uganda Shillings 500,000 to the families of the deceased. ACT Alliance member of Uganda forum, Church of Uganda has been working in Uganda since 1979 and is now helping/planning to help people affected by the landslide under its department (household and community transformation directorate). Church of Uganda has been a member of ACT Uganda Forum since ACT Uganda Forum was formed in 2010 and is submitting a funding proposal to support the affected in the areas of food, non-food and psycho-social support. Alerts_Uganda_Landslide
Heavy rains from two low pressure systems along Central America and the Caribbean affected Central American countries since October 4 , resulting in flash floods and mudslides across western Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica and the coast of Guatemala. As of early Monday, October 8 , at least 13 deaths have been reported (6 in Honduras, 4 in Nicaragua, 2 in El Salvador, 1 in Costa Rica) and thousands of people have been evacuated. Additionally the tropical storm Michael heading to US gulf coast is embedded on the north side of a large area of surface low pressure called a Central American Gyre, which is straddling Central America. The counter-clockwise flow of air around this low has brought a moist flow of Pacific air inland over Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Nicaragua, bringing 48-hour rainfall amounts in excess of 10” to portions of those nations. This low-pressure system will continue to bring heavy rains to portions of the Pacific coasts of El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Honduras through Monday, bringing dangerous flash flooding and mudslides. In Honduras, the worst hit areas have been Francisco Morazán (home to the capital Tegucigalpa), Valle, and Choluteca, where some areas remained cut off as of late Sunday, schools will be closed nationwide on Monday. In El Salvador, at least two people were killed, including one who drowned Arambala and one killed by a fallen tree in Ahuachapán, further rain is forecast through October 9. At least one person was killed in Costa Rica. As of Sunday evening, the meteorological authorities were warning of ongoing flooding in Guanacaste and Puntarenas, as well as the continued risk of landslides in the Cordillera de Tilarán, Pacífico Sur, and Cerro de la Muerte areas. In Honduras, 7 013 people have been affected, 3 019 people have been evacuated and 2 746 people are housed in temporary shelters. In Nicaragua, 13 000 people are affected and 2 880 are in shelters, while in Costa Rica, 125 190 people are affected and 2 793 people are located in 28 shelters. Alerts are still in effect in Central America due to ongoing precipitation up to 300-400 mm: Honduras (Red Alert in 3 departments), Costa Rica (Red Alert in 3 districts of Puntarenas), Nicaragua (Yellow Alert at national level), El Salvador (Yellow Alert in 31 municipalities), and Guatemala (Yellow national institutional alert). ACT Alliance members work in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, in the five countries currently the national forums are monitoring the development of low pressure system and are in contact with the authorities and other NGOs in preparation to respond. Alerts_Floods_Landslides_CA
In the evening of Friday the 28 September 2018, the city of Palu and Donggala in Central Sulawesi, was hit by a magnitude 7.4 earthquake with the epicentre at 10 km deep located 27 km away from Donggala City. It is at the Palu-Koro active fault in Central Sulawesi. The earthquake triggered tsunami along coastal areas in Palu and also in Donggala. Aftershocks are still felt with the latest 5.5 magnitude on 29 September 2018 at 04:24 am (local time). Initial report from the BNPB (National Disaster Management Agency) says that dozens buildings collapsed in Palu and Donggala. Early Sunday (30 September 2018), Indonesian Disaster Management Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho put the death toll at 405 , but the number is expected to rise. At least 540 have been injured, and 29 are listed as missing. Rescue efforts are underway with the national support being ready to be deployed. People are advised to be on alert and remain outside of their homes for fear of the powerful aftershocks. Electricity and most telecommunication providers are still cut off. The airport in Palu released the formal closure of the airport operation until 29 September 2018 at 07:20 pm due to damage of air traffic controller system. Thus, any relief deployment will be through alternative land and air transports (other airport routes). It is expected that the local authority will declare the state of emergency as soon as possible. Alerts Earthquake in Central Sulawesi
On the morning of Tuesday the 4th September 2018, the city of Harare in Zimbabwe, was hit by an outbreak of cholera. The Government of Zimbabwe declared a state of emergency after cholera and typhoid spread fast hitting the capital city, infecting 7,000 and killing 28 people in 2 weeks in a high-density area. The emergency response is being coordinated by Ministry of Health and Child Welfare. The disease has affected high-density suburbs in Harare and the situation is compounded by the fact that affected suburbs have open sewage, uncollected garbage and affected persons continue to expose themselves through unsafe hygiene practices. Even though Zimbabwe central and local government has insufficient medication to support the affected, Zimbabwe Government has since established treatment centres to quarantine infected persons. World Health Organization has reported that this cholera strain has proven to be resistant to first line of antibiotics, further compounding the problem. ACT Zimbabwe Forum which has been in existence since 2000 is now planning to help people affected by the epidemic. ACT Zimbabwe forum is planning to submit a funding proposal to improve access to safe water, provide hand sanitizers, support water purification, garbage clearing and provide educative information to ensure that the epidemic affected persons’ basic needs are met with regards to WASH. To ensure that the humanitarian response is well coordinated and complementary, Zimbabwe ACT forum will take part in meetings with all relevant sector stakeholders (clusters and working groups) and establish an open line of communication with crisis affected persons and communities to ensure a humanitarian response based on participation and feedback. The plan is to support 70,000 persons in the coming months. Zimbabwe_Cholera emergency
After a good start of the 2018 rainy season in April, a reduction in the quantity and distribution of rains has been observed and is likely to impact basic grains crops in Central America´s Dry Corridor. Specific areas in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras have reported more than 25 days without rain, yields reduction and crop losses, particularly affecting subsistence farmers.
Typically, there is little to no rainfall in August, which is called the canícula in Spanish. However, since the canícula arrived much earlier than usual this year, crops losses have been significantly higher in the affected areas due to the sustained drought conditions.
El Salvador’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) confirmed that the drought has affected approximately 57,000 hectares of land, of which around 22,000 hectares of cropland has been destroyed, resulting in the loss of 2.7 million quintals of corn and USD$37 million in damages. The Salvadorian Chamber of Small and Medium Agricultural Producers (CAMPO) estimates that the corn crop losses to date are even higher at 4.1 million quintals and that they could surpass 6 million quintals if the drought continues since 2.3 million quintals are at risk. The drought has affected 77,322 agricultural families in El Salvador.
The General Direction for Civil protection declared a red alert for 143 municipalities in the central and eastern parts of the country on 24 July 2018 to provide humanitarian assistance to the affected families. According to the last COF (Climate outlook forecast for Central America), below average precipitation and an early end as well as irregular rains during the Postrera (second sowing season) campaign could affect the harvest of the basic grains, especially for subsistence farmers.
Alerts_El_Salvador_DroughtThe absence of significant rainfall in the last two to three seasons have triggered drought emergency in the southern part of Sindh Province in Pakistan. As per Sindh drought assessment conducted by FAO and EU in 2017, 100% of the area of Tharparkar was facing severe water scarcity. The district of Umerkot was facing severe water scarcity in 83.8% of it’s area and moderate water scarcity in the other 16.2%. As of 2018, the situation has become worse due to continuing lack of rainfall in the monsoon season. The national average for rainfall has been -24.4% below average with the Sindh region suffering most, receiving rainfall -69.5% below average. According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), most of the districts in the province did not receive any rainfall in the month of August. This situation is leading to adverse effects on agricultural and domestic needs of the local communities in the area, further exacerbating the prevalent problems of poverty and child malnutrition. In the district of Tharparkar alone, nine infants have been reported dead during the month of August, while a total of 375 children have died due to malnutrition in 2018. Alerts Drought in Pakistan
Super Typhoon Mangkhut (local name “Ompong”) is forecast to make landfall in northern Philippines at 2:00 AM on 15 September 2018. Its path is likely to affect the same regions hit by Tropical Storm Barijat just recently. Mangkhut has maximum sustained winds of up to 205 km/h, gustiness of 255 km/h and moving west at 30km/h. It has a radius of 500 km and possibly affecting about 8 million people based on population census of the most affected regions. UN OCHA estimates 1.9 million people are along the direct typhoon path with about 60,000 vulnerable households, including indigenous peoples communities. Most critical regions likely to be affected by landslides and floods are Apayao, Batanes, Babuyan Islands, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, and Isabela. Southwest monsoon rains will further worsen the impact. With forecast rainfall of 150-250mm in Northern Luzon, this may cause flooding in the main affected regions, including peripheral areas as far as Metro Manila. Shelter and livelihoods, especially rice and corn farms, will likely be damaged. Clean potable water will also be needed. The National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) is on Red Alert and its local units have conducted their Pre-Disaster Risk Assessment. NDRRMC has also activated its National Response Cluster. Alert Super Typhoon in The Philippines
On 27th of December 2017, the region of Paoua in the Central African Republic (CAR) was affected by fighting between armed groups, which signaled the start of a prolonged slow-onset crisis in this particular region. At least 78,000 People from the villages of Bah-Bessar, Mia-Pendé, Nana-Barya and Banhin Ouham Pende were forced to flee their homes in search of refuge and protection mostly fleeing to the city of Paoua. Due to hosting IDPs over an extended period, the residents of Paoua city (the host population of around 40,000 people) have increasingly exhausted family resources are also now in need of support. In June 2018, as fighting continued to decrease, IDPs from the city of Paoua (68,670), started returning to their villages, only to find burnt down homes, schools and destroyed livelihoods. Because of this desperation, many prefer to return to the city of Paoua to seek humanitarian assistance or other means of support and continue to live as IDPs in the city of Paoua. There is necessity to save lives and alleviate suffering of people including children and women affected by the conflict in Paoua city and the villages in Ouham Pendé prefecture. The ACT CAR Forum, which was officially established in 2018, is issuing this Call for Action to raise support and respond to the plight of IDPs, returnees and host communities in Ouham Pende; more specifically IDPs in Paoua city who would wish to resettle back to their villages. This initiative by the CAR Forum is seen as a crucial initial undertaking to strengthen how ACT Forum members work collaborate in responding to what has become a complex emergency. ACT Alliance CAR Forum is monitoring the situation and emergency teams are ready/preparing to respond according to the results of a contextual analysis and rapid needs assessment. CAR _Emergency Response to IDPS in Paoua City (Call For Action).
Head of Humanitarian Affairs
Global
niall.orourke@actalliance.org
Geneva, Switzerland
Regional Humanitarian Officer
Africa
Caroline.Njogu@actalliance.org
Nairobi, Kenya
Humanitarian Operations Manager
Global
Cyra.Bullecer@actalliance.org
Bangkok, Thailand
Humanitarian Programme Advisor
MENA
Amman, Jordan
