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.
Emergency Steering Committee successfully established, activated more than 30 times since inception with over US$67 million mobilised since 2022 for ACT’s Humanitarian Appeals.
ACT Emergency Appeal coverage (the total amount of funds generated versus budget) has 02 risen from 28% to 46% from 2018 to 2023.
Systematic approach to appeal management – inception meetings, coordination roundtable
discussions, enhanced monitoring, results frameworks and closing meetings all introduced 03 with a focus on Quality & Accountability.
Extensive consultation with members and forums on locally led response within ACT Alliance 04 has led to a Pledge of Commitments which is being launched at the General Assembly 2024.
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.
Tropical storm “Nate” formed on Thursday the 5th of October in the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua. The storm caused heavy rains and landslides throughout several countries in Central America. In Costa Rica, landslides caused significant damage to roads and villages, cutting off some areas. According to the National Emergency Commission more than 11,517 persons are in 178 shelters around the nation after having to leave their homes because of flooding and the risk of unstable ground giving way. More than a dozen main roads were closed, while others were only partially open. In the province of Guanacaste, which has been particularly hard-hit by the heavy rains, many roads were impassable to all but four-wheel-drive vehicles and horses.
A highway that connects the south of the country was washed away in Casa Mata. At least 5,000 residents fled to emergency shelters there, according to the Associated Press. As much of the Costa Rica returns to normal, many communities are still isolated, others without water, and destruction caused by rains continues to be tallied and dealt with. The National Emergency Commission (CNE) on October 9, updated the status of different parts of the country. Much of Guanacaste and Puntarenas, on the country’s Pacific side, remain under red alert, and others have returned to low or no alert as rains have returned to normal rainy season levels.
The Costa Rican government declared a state of emergency, and President Luis Guillermo Solís appealed to the international community for support. The annual rainy season is currently underway in Central America; a five-month period typically ending in December in which the risk of flooding and mudslides are heightened. This year, some areas in the region, including Costa Rica, have gotten up to 50 percent more rain than average for the months of September and October.
ACT Costa Rica Forum through it local member Lutheran Church of Costa Rica (ILCO) in coordination with implementing partners CSF and ACTUAR are planning to respond to this crisis by providing Shelter/NFI s, Food security, WASH and Livelihoods. Over 1105 households and 5525 individuals will be benefited by this intervention. The ACT Costa Rica Forum is requesting 164,546.04 USD to run the activities.
The first revision of the IRQ161 appeal is hereby issued, as requested by the ACT Iraq Forum.
This revision is based on the evolving humanitarian situation as the fight against Islamic State is coming to the end, and the liberation allows hundreds of people to return to their homes. Significant barriers inhibit return movements, such as the destruction of property and lack of security and access to basic services, while the conflict between the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region may trigger new displacements. The humanitarian situation keeps evolving in all parts of Iraq, including the current areas of activity of requesting members.
Christian Aid expressed a need to adjust their original proposed activities to allow for responding to WASH activities in more critical areas across Iraq, one of the greatest needs identified in relation to the Mosul response. To reflect this, additional budget lines have been included for hygiene kits, hygiene promotion, and critical health messaging.
Tropical storm “Nate” formed on Thursday the 5th of October off the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua. The storm caused heavy rains and landslides throughout several countries in Central America. According to the report of SINAPRED (National System for Disaster Prevention), 73 municipalities from 11 departments were affected by heavy rains and winds (Chontales, Madriz, Boaco, Rio San Juan, Nueva Segovia, Triangulo Minero, Carazo, Rivas, Granada and the North Caribbean.). There are varying degrees damage throughout the 124 neighbourhoods and communities. 8236 houses were reported to have incurred some type of damage, of which 33 are totally destroyed; moreover, 6185 houses were flooded, and 27 remain at risk. 425 people were evacuated to solidarity homes. The Nicaraguan authorities have registered 16 fatalities as direct result of the storm. The government of Nicaragua has provided food supplies for more than 1600 affected households. The Ministry of Health has deployed 56 medical brigades composed of 544 health workers to the affected areas. Protection measures are being taken for vulnerable people in affected villages.
Data collected by the National System for Disaster Prevention in the affected communities indicates, that tropical storm Nate has critically damaged main livelihoods and food stocks. The population affected by Tropical Storm Nate in Nicaragua are in dire need of food, shelter, health services, access to safe water and restoration of livelihood. For this response the requesting member has identified gaps in food security. The Council of Protestant Churches of Nicaragua (CEPAD) is the requesting member for this response in coordination with Interchurch Center for Theological and Social Studies (CIEETS), to attend 700 households with food security. ACT Secretariat have approved 58,676.00 USD towards the budget from its Rapid Response Funds to attend the emergency.
Bangladesh, one of the world’s poorest nations, has seen a massive influx of Rohingya people fleeing violence and persecution in Myanmar. As of 21 Oct 2017, at least 815,000 Rohingyas are estimated to be sheltering in Bangladesh. Violence which began on 25 August has triggered a massive and swift influx and resulted in a critical humanitarian emergency. 603,000 new arrivals are reported, according to IOM Needs and Population Monitoring, UNHCR and other field reports. Population movements within Cox’s Bazar remain fluid, with increasing concentration in Ukhia, where the Government has allocated 3,000 acres for a new camp. Over half of the new arrivals are living in spontaneous settlements with little access to aid.
As this is a cross-border crisis which impacts Myanmar and Bangladesh, a coordinated and complementary humanitarian response among ACT Alliance members in the countries is necessary. Consequently, ACT Bangladesh Forum (Christian Aid, DanChurchAid, Diakonia, ICCO Cooperation) will assist over 60,000 households and 112,600 individuals in Bangladesh by providing Shelter/NFI s, Food Security, Protection/Psychosocial, Health/ Nutrition, WASH, and advocacy programs. The ACT Bangladesh Forum is requesting for 3,578,740 USD to run the activities. Any indication of funding or other support is encouraged to be made in the name of the ACT Bangladesh Forum, and allocations will be made according to agreed mechanisms among requesting members.
While ACT Myanmar Forum members (Christian Aid and LWF) will respond to this crisis in Myanmar by providing Shelter/NFI s, Food Security, Protection/Psychosocial, Early Recovery/ Livelihoods, Unconditional Cash ,Education, and Advocacy programs. Over 21,000 households and 15,000 individuals will be benefited by this intervention.
In Liberia, since the beginning of this year, there have been constant storms and floods resulting in significant damages and losses. On Tuesday, August 31st, it was reported on the National Radio Station (ELBC Super Morning Show) that a heavy storm had occurred in Bong County (Central Liberia) which caused the destruction of houses thereby leading to the displacement of hundreds of local community dwellers.
There are presently 5,244 people who are affected and 118 houses destroyed in Suakoko Town. 560 persons are without shelters, according to reports received from the National Disaster Committee based Gbarnga, Bong County.Other impacts of the storm and floods include the destruction of school buildings, offices, etc. Other parts of the country including Grand Cape Mount County and Margibi County have also been affected by heavy flooding which subsequently damaged individual houses. As the rainy season is at its peak in Liberia, more storms and potential flooding are expected.
The ACT Liberia Forum through Lutheran Development Services is planning to support the affected communities through the provision of food, non-food items and safe drinking water to restore their dignity and livelihoods.
The conflict in Rakhine started in 2012 and displaced about 140,000 individuals. During the period 2015-16, about 25,000 IDPs were resettled near their original home by the government. On 9 October 2016 an armed group attack on border guards in Northern Rakhine and the retaliation by the Myanmar army caused severe unrest and affected the lives of thousands of people especially in Northern Rakhine. The violence intensified further on 25 August 2017. According to the Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG) of the UN, 500,000 people are reported to have crossed the border since 25 August 2017.
As this is a cross-border crisis which impacts Myanmar and Bangladesh, a coordinated and complementary humanitarian response among ACT Alliance members in the countries is necessary. Consequently, ACT Myanmar Forum members (Christian Aid and LWF) will respond to this crisis in Myanmar by providing Shelter/NFI s, Food Security, Protection/Psychosocial, Early Recovery/ Livelihoods, Unconditional Cash ,Education, and Advocacy programs. The ACT Myanmar Forum is now requesting for 1,512,360 USD to run the program. Over 21,000 households and 15,000 individuals will be benefited by this intervention. Any indication of funding or other support is encouraged to be made in the name of the ACT Myanmar Forum, and allocations will be made according to agreed mechanisms among requesting members. ACT Bangladesh Forum (Christian Aid, DanChurchAid, Diakonia Sweden, ICCO Cooperation) will assist over 6,600 households or 39,600 individuals in Bangladesh.
On September 6th, 2017, Hurricane Irma, a category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 295 km/hour, became one of the most powerful hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic. This highly destructive hurricane approached the eastern coast of Cuba (in Guantánamo) on Thursday, September 7th. Hurricane Irma battered the entire north coast for 4 days. At 8:00 p.m. on Monday, September 11th, the hurricane finally left Cuban territory leaving a huge amount of devastation in its wake. Approximately 2,000,000 persons were evacuated from their homes and sought refuge with their relatives, neighbors, in emergency shelters or in local churches. Tidal surges measuring up to 9 meters in height came crashing down on the coastline. 10 human casualties were reported as direct result of the hurricane. Irma has caused considerable environmental, economic and social damage throughout the country; more specifically, there is inadequate supply of safe water for human consumption; significant loss of coastal dunes, forests, fruit trees, as well as seed granaries, banana and other crops; total or partial destruction of houses, health and educational centers, markets, bridges and access roads to those communities. Widespread flooding promoted unsanitary conditions which have resulted in health issues. Many communities remain without electricity and telecommunications, due to extensive infrastructural damage to the national network. The tourism industry, the main source of income for the Cuban economy, was seriously impacted, due to the destruction of hotel infrastructure. All this has seriously affected the psychosocial well-being of vulnerable groups, especially elderly persons, children, teenagers, youth, women, persons with disability and persons with chronic illnesses.
The Cuba Council of Churches (CIC) an ACT Alliance local member in the Cuban Forum are supporting the Hurricane affected households to have sufficient food, access to safe water and sanitation, Psychosocial support, shelter rehabilitation, and livelihoods recovery. Over 20,000 households in 75 communities will be benefited by this intervention, the requested budget for this intervention is 1, 395,795.00 USD.
The volcanic activity from seismicity of Mt. Agung in Karangasem Regency, Bali Province, has kept increasing over the last weeks. On 22 September 2017 at 20.30 WITA, the status was raised from orange alert (level 3) to red alert (level 4, the highest), by the Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (CVGHM). The high volcanic activity has put some districts in a state of emergency with any potential eruption in the future. National and provincial authorities reported the significant increase of volcanic activity and by 23 September 2017, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) deployed initial team to assess and set up the command post. On 5 October 2017, the total numbers of IDPs at 427 points in 9 districts is 146,797.
Yakkum Emergency Unit (YEU), a national member from the ACT Indonesia Forum is the ACT requesting member for this response, and had identify the following sectors as priorities: Shelter, non-food items, Health/ Nutrition, and WASH. Although, YEU is requesting for USD 59,998 but considering the current funding level of the global RRF pot at ACT Alliance Secretariat, ACT Secretariat has approved the use of USD 40,000 to the ACT Indonesia Forum in implementing the activities under this RRF. However, YEU remains positioned to receive additional contributions especially if a huge eruption occurs. .
Bangladesh, one of the world’s poorest nations, has seen a massive influx of Rohingya people fleeing violence in Myanmar in the last 4 weeks. The extent and implications remain uncertain. Close to half-a-million (429,000) Rohingya refugees have fled to Bangladesh since Aug 25, escaping violent attacks carried out by Myanmar troops and Buddhist vigilantes. There is very high fluidity and internal mobility, the majority of arrivals are still on the move, with more than 15,000 people coming in everyday.
As this is a cross-border crisis which impacts Myanmar and Bangladesh, a coordinated and complementary humanitarian response among ACT Alliance members in the countries is necessary. Consequently, ACTBangladesh Forum (Christian Aid, DanChurchAid, Diakonia Sweden, ICCO Cooperation) will assist over 6,600 households or 39,600 individuals in Bangladesh by providing Shelter/NFI s, Food Security, Protection/Psychosocial, Early Recovery/ Livelihoods, Unconditional Cash, Health/ Nutrition, and WASHprograms. The ACT Bangladesh Forum is requesting for 3,541,249 USD to run the activities. Any indication of funding or other support is encouraged to be made in the name of the ACT Bangladesh Forum, and allocations will be made according to agreed mechanisms among requesting members.
While in Myanmar side, ACT Myanmar Forum members (Christian Aid and LWF) will respond to this crisis by providing Shelter/NFI s, Food Security, Protection/Psychosocial, Early Recovery/ Livelihoods, Unconditional Cash and Community Resilience programs to over19,000 households and 12,500 individuals.
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
Four countries (Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad) in the Lake Chad region are affected by the on-going, Boko Haram conflict. As the needs continue to increase, this slow-onset “forgotten” crisis is urgently requiring attention to save lives and maintain human dignity. Approximately 21 million people live in the conflict-affected areas, of which 2.6 million are displaced and in dire need of support. The conflict has had devastating effects on the region; visible not only through the widespread destruction of homes, livelihoods, infrastructure and large-scale displacements, but also in the conflict-induced trauma and fear in the affected communities. The situation in the region is deteriorating as humanitarian funding is decreasing as result of donor fatigue and States are unable to provide adequate services to the affected communities.
The ACT forum members in Nigeria (Christian Aid and Norwegian Church Aid), Chad( Lutheran World Federation) and Cameroon( Lutheran World Federation) are planning to respond to the crisis through the ACT Appeal by providing support to in Food Security, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Protection/ Gender Based Violence, Early recovery and Livelihoods restoration, Peace and Psychosocial Support sectors to the conflict affected population in the Lake Chad Region. The overall appeal target budget is US$2.6Million.
The conflict in Rakhine started in 2012 and displaced about 140,000 individuals. During the period 2015-16, about 25,000 IDPs were resettled near their original home by the government. On 9 October 2016 an armed group attack on border guards in Northern Rakhine and the retaliation by the Myanmar army caused severe unrest and affected the lives of thousands of people especially in Northern Rakhine. The violence intensified further on 25 August 2017. According to the Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG) of the UN, 427,000 people are reported to have crossed the border since 25 August.
As this is a cross-border crisis which impacts Myanmar and Bangladesh, a coordinated and complementary humanitarian response among ACT Alliance members in the countries is necessary. Consequently, ACT Myanmar Forum members (Christian Aid and LWF) will respond to this crisis in Myanmar by providing Shelter/NFI s, Food Security, Protection/Psychosocial, Early Recovery/ Livelihoods, Unconditional Cash and Community Resilience programs. The ACT Myanmar Forum is now requesting for 1,500,000 USD to run the program. Over 19,000 households and 12,500 individuals will be benefited by this intervention. Any indication of funding or other support is encouraged to be made in the name of the ACT Myanmar Forum, and allocations will be made according to agreed mechanisms among requesting members.
ACT Bangladesh Forum (Christian Aid, DanChurchAid, Diakonia Sweden, ICCO Cooperation) will assist over 6,600 households or 39,600 individuals in Bangladesh. ACT Secretariat will share the detailed Concept Note (Emergency Assistance to the Rohingya Community) from ACT Bangladesh Forum in the next email.
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
Hurricane Irma, a category 5 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 295 km/hour, one of the most powerful hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic, made landfall in Haiti´s northern coastline on September 7, 2017. The eye of the storm passed north of Haiti, yet heavy rains, winds and flooding have cause significant damages in the Nord-Est, Nord-Ouest, Nord, Artibonite and Centre departments, damaging homes, fruit trees, flooding crops such as rice, banana, corn, sweet potato, cassava, and peanut and killing livestock. On the night of the hurricane, 12,539 persons were evacuated to 81 shelters. To date, 6,494 persons remain in the 21 centers. One life was lost and a person was recorded missing in the Centre Department, while 17 people were injured in the Nord, Nord-Ouest and Ouest departments. Flooding of rivers caused partial flooding in 22 communes in the departments of Artibonite, Centre, Nord, Nord-Est, Nord-Ouest and Ouest. 4,903 houses were flooded, 2,646 houses were badly damaged, while 466 houses were severely destroyed. Significant losses were also recorded in the agricultural sector in the departments of Centre, Nord-Est and Nord-Ouest. In the commune of Bassin-Bleu, a church was reported to have been completely destroyed. The Institute of Social Welfare and Research and its partners supported 1,661 children from orphanages in the Nord and the Ouest, of whom 1,226 were moved to other non-flooding homes; In the Sud Department, approximately 300 people, the total population of the Dumont neighborhood, were moved to a temporary shelter in Port-Salut. They have returned home since the warning has been lifted.
SCH, a national member from the Haiti ACT Forum is the ACT requesting member for this response, and had identify the following sectors as priorities: Food Security, non-food items and WASH. The ACT Secretariat has approved the use of USD 79,314.00 towards the budget from its Rapid Response Fund.
Intense rains have caused severe flooding and landslides in 24 of Peru’s 25 regions. More than 800 cities in 12 regions have been declared in a state of emergency. It is the worst flooding in two decades, and more storms are expected. According to the National Emergency Operations Center, 99,475 Peruvians had lost everything since the beginning of the year, while 626,928 had suffered less serious damage to their homes. The Amazon River is almost at flooding point. Water levels are expected to rise in the coming days leading to possible flooding in Maynas province, in the Loreto region. The ACT Alliance Peru forum members are planning to respond. The key response sectors are WASH, NFIs, Shelter & Psychosocial Support. Alerts_11_2017_floods_and_mudslides_in_Peru
On 3 March 2017, Tropical storm Enawo formed in the southern Indian Ocean. The cyclone hit landfall in Madagascar on 7 March at around 10:30 am local time. Enawo is currently equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane and is a dangerous phenomenon representing a real threat to the inhabitants of the north-east coast of Madagascar. On March 8, Enawo weakened from an “intense” to a “moderate” tropical storm. The remnants of Intense Tropical Cyclone Enawo exited Madagascar on the morning of Friday 10 March 2017. The storm traversed nearly the length of the island over two days, affecting communities from north to south across Madagascar’s eastern and central regions(IFRC, 8 March 2017). As at 12 March, the National Office for the Management of Risks and Crises (BNGRC) reported 295,950 people to have been affected by the cyclone, including 84,660 who remain displaced. The number of deaths due to the storm has risen to 50 with 20 people missing and 195 injured. The initial technical evaluation of the assessment conducted by the BNGRC and participating agencies suggests that humanitarian activities should be prioritized in Maroantsetra, where approximately 40 per cent of the population has been displaced by flooding; in Antalaha, where the cyclone made landfall and where significant damage due to high winds as well as the rain-fed rapid rise in water levels; and in the capital, Antananarivo, where 27,104 people have been displaced by flooding, flood waters have in the past proven to persist longer than in other areas. (Government/UNHCT, 12 March 2017). ACT Madagascar Forum members, Eglise de Jésus-Christ à Madagascar - Dépt pour le Development (SAF/FJKM and Malagasy Lutheran Church (MLC) in collaboration with the National Office of the Risks and Disasters Management (BNGRC), is planning to respond to life-saving situation by providing Food distribution, NFIs, Potable Water and Cash Distribution to the affected populations through ACT Alliance Rapid Response Funds mechanism. Alerts_03_2017_ Tropical Cyclone Enawo in Madagascar
Across South Sudan, more than 3 million people have been forced to flee their homes and nearly 7.5 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection (OCHA, Humanitarian Response Plan 2017) as a result of multiple and deepening crises, including conflict, inter-communal violence, economic decline, disease, and climatic shocks, which have led to displacement, distress, destitution and death. Monday 20 February, 2017 marked the most historic declaration of famine in parts of South Sudan, affecting mostly Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who are dispersed and the host communities already affected by the on-going conflict. According to Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) phase 3 and above report of 2017, the number of people who are already food insecure are 4.9 million (42%), out of which 100,000 are facing famine conditions. The highest proportions of populations in Crisis, Emergency and Catastrophe are observed in Unity and Northern Bahr el Ghazal (61%) and people currently facing famine or risk of famine are in Leer, Mayendit, Koch and Panyijiar in former Unity state. Conflict and insecurity are the main drivers of this acute food insecurity compounded by the coming lean season and resulting in devastating effects on livelihoods and the nutrition situation. Acute malnutrition is also a major public health emergency in the country. South Sudan ACT Forum members- Christian Aid, DCA, DKH, FCA, ICCO –Cooperation, LWF, MCC, NCA and PRDA are planning to respond jointly through an ACT Appeal. The key response sectors are Food Security, Nutrition, WASH, NFIs, Emergency Health, Protection & Psychosocial Support, seeds and tools. This intervention will be targeting at least 250,000 severely crisis affected population across South Sudan. Alerts_09_2017_ Famine Crisis Response In South Sudan.
Somalia is in the grip of an intense drought, induced by up to four consecutive seasons of poor rainfall. In the worst affected areas, poor rainfall and lack of water has wiped out crops and killed livestock, while communities are being forced to sell their assets, and borrow food and money to survive. Since mid-2015, drought conditions have been expanding with impact worsening over time. The drought situation is compounded by protracted conflict which is causing displacements, seasonal climatic shocks as a result of most extreme El Niño phenomenon in 50 years, and disease outbreaks. The latest food security and nutrition analysis from the FAO-managed Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU) and the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWSNET) issued on 2 February 2017, reveals that the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance has increased from 5 million in September 2016 to 6.2 million between February 2017 and June 2017. That is more than half the population. The situation for children is especially grave. Some 363,000 acutely malnourished children are in need of critical nutrition support, including life-saving treatment for more than 71,000 severely malnourished children. ACT Somalia Forum members through NCA, FCA, LWF, Diakonia Sweden and DKH plan to respond by providing Water, Sanitation and Hygiene facilities and services, Education(school-feeding programs), Health and Nutrition, Cash based interventions, Livestock interventions, as well as Early recovery and Livelihoods support to the affected populations in various Districts in Puntland and Somaliland states. Alerts_08_2017_ Drought Emergency Response in Somalia.
Kenya’s President, Uhuru Kenyatta, declared on 9th February 2017 the on-going drought in Kenya as being a national disaster. The drought has affected 23 out of 47 counties that are all in a state of emergency. The drought situation in Kenya is predicted to last until July 2017. The late start of rains, between the months of October and November, which were unusually brief and inadequate is the immediate cause of the current drought. The drought has had devastating affects causing persistent and widespread deficit of water, food and vegetation for livestock and humans. The numbers of affected population currently stands at 2.7 million people as of February, 2017. Most affected persons are from pastoral communities residing in Arid and Semi-Arid Northern Kenya counties. Already, livestock mortality rates are at 5%. The drought has also affected crop producing regions with a predicted crop failure in coming months. ACT Alliance Kenya Forum members through Finn Church Aid, Lutheran World Federation, Church World Service and National Council of Churches of in Kenya plans to respond by providing support to the affected communities in form of water facilities, food assistance, livestock and early recovery initiatives and education. Alerts_07_2017_Drought Emergency in Kenya.
Malawi is experiencing La Nina weather phenomena since onset of the rainy season and many Districts have received normal to above normal rainfall triggering flash floods in some of the Districts. Between 4th and 10th February 2017 heavy rains caused the worst flooding in Salima District in four Traditional Authorities of Ndindi, Pemba, Kambwiri and Maganga. A total of 35,304 people have been affected. 7,216 people have been displaced and are homeless and are dwelling in school blocks. A total 1,827 hectares of land under crops such as maize, rice, cowpeas, cassava and sweet potatoes have been washed away together with livestock such as goats and chicken. Household belongings such as food, clothing and kitchen utensils have also been washed away. No death cases have been reported so far but scores have been injured. The displaced population have no food, shelter, sanitary materials, clothing, blankets and kitchen utensils. ACT Malawi Forum is planning to respond through its members Churches Action in Relief and Development (CARD) and Evangelical Lutheran Development Service (ELDS) through a Rapid Respond Fund (RRF) in Salima District through provision of Non-Food Items(NFIs) and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene facilities. Alerts_06_2017 Floods Emergency in Malawi
After the El Niño weather phenomenon that severely affected Ethiopia and left 10.2 million people in need of emergency assistance in 2015/16, Ethiopia is once again subject to severe weather conditions causing the failure of the Hageya/Deyr rains (fall rain) in the southern and eastern rainfall belt. The severe water shortages resulting from negative Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) induced drought have caused high numbers of livestock deaths due to lack of pasture and high rate of disease. The Ethiopian Government with its humanitarian partners have issued the Humanitarian Requirement Document (HRD) in mid-January 2017 and declared that a total 5.6 million people are in need of urgent assistance. A total of USD 948 million has been requested. The proposed preliminary activities are categorized as life-saving activities such as: the provision of drinking water for people and livestock, provision of water treatment chemicals, the rehabilitation of water supply infrastructure, NFI support, hygiene and sanitation, animal feed, veterinary services, destocking, nutrition, health and protection. Members of the ACT Alliance Ethiopia Forum (AAEF) are currently responding to the 2015-16 El Niño-induced-drought and are preparing to mobilise additional resources to meet urgent needs of the current drought phenomena. Alerts_05_ 2017 Drought Response in Ethiopia
Since January 14th 2017, there has been moderate to strong rainfall in the provinces of the Ica region in Peru. The incessant heavy rainfall has subsequently provoked floods and landslides, causing damages to houses, educational facilities, agriculture, and infrastructure such as roads. So far, there are 13,904 affected persons, 57 collapsed houses, and 3580 damaged houses. The National Government has declared the State of Emergency. Furthermore, the rainy season is expected to last until April, so more floods and landslides are likely to occur.
According to the need assessment, the following sectors have been identified as a priority: Shelters, Non Food items and WASH. The Peru ACT Forum is assessing further the situation for determining which kind of humanitarian assistance intervention is required.
In January 2017 arctic cold, which brought a record breaking low temperature, paralyzed Russia, Ukraine and the whole Eastern Europe. The temperature in the region dropped to -30°C, resulting in transport collapse and damage to communal infrastructure, disruption of heat and electricity supply, frostbite of hundreds of people and a rapid growth of flu and other diseases rate in many places. Harsh weather has led to a drop of temperature in the places where Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and refugees found shelter and which were constructed not for low temperatures. The frosts damaged heat systems and led to disruptions of heat supply. According to the meteorological forecast, Ukraine and Russia expect new bursts of cold weather in February, with temperatures that can plunge down to -20°C. Alerts_03_2017_Support to cold snap affected people from East Ukraine
Exceptionally harsh winter conditions from the beginning of January 2017, with temperatures at time going down to -30 degrees Celsius, have already claimed lives across Europe - among them refugees from various countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia. The cold wave started already beginning of January peaking end of last week and building up to a small – scale emergency. Meteorologist forecast new freezing waves in Serbia, with lots of snow and freezing rain. It is estimated that this winter will be one of the coldest in the last 50 years. Among cold snap affected people are already highly vulnerable refugees/migrants in Serbia, who are in need of winterization support. Alerts_02_2017_Winterization support to refugees_migrants in Serbia
The arctic conditions from the beginning of January 2017 have already claimed lives across Europe. Conditions remain tough and constitute a small-scale, local emergency in south-eastern Romania. The severe winter weather hit Romania a week ago, when it started snowing heavily and temperatures dropped consecutively to -25 degrees Celsius. However, the crisis has reached a critical level only in the past 24 hours, hence the release of the alert at this time. Snowfall, combined with powerful winds caused the situation to deteriorate resulting in real danger for many rural communities. The cold snap claimed lives of many elderly people dying of hypothermia. 40,000 are affected by the weather and cut off by the blizzards in the South and East of Romania and in need of some form of humanitarian assistance. People have been trapped for more than a week inside their houses leaving many with no access to food, water and medicine. Authorities are also warning of flooding, when the snow thaws and breaches dams and meteorologists predict that it will continue to snow in the South and East of Romania during the next week. ACT Alliance member AIDRom, is on standby to reach affected areas to carry out a rapid needs assessment and plans to distribute food parcels, water and NFIs through the ACT Alliance Rapid Response Fund. Alerts_01_2017_Support to cold snap affected people
Super Typhoon Nock-ten or known locally as Nina reached maximum sustained winds of 185 kilometres per hour and gusts of up to 255 kilometres as it made landfall, weather officials and radio reports stated. The typhoon has weakened but is still equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane , sustaining winds of up to 140 kilometres per hour as it moved towards the heavily populated provinces of Batangas and Cavite, south of Manila. Nock-ten had made its first landfall in Bato, Catanduanes at 6:30 PM local time on Sunday, December 25. At least 218,000 flee to evacuation shelters as it made its first landfall over Catanduanes province, on the Bicol peninsula, which was on the highest storm alert for its arrival. Its second landfall in Sagñay, Camarines Sur was at around 9:30 pm, December 25. It brought heavy rain and fierce winds to Bicol. The typhoon is forecasted to have 5 landfalls before it goes out of the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) by 28 December. Based on the profile created by UNOCHA, the 50 km radius of the typhoon track covers 14 provinces. An estimated 38 Million people (19.5 M women/ 19.4 M men) or 7.5 M households may be affected. It is not clear how long it will take for initial damage assessments, with electricity and phone coverage likely to be knocked out for some time. alerts_37_2016_typhonn_nock_ten_philippines
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
Humanitarian Programme Officer
Latin America and the Caribbean
Bogota, Colombia
Finance Coordinator
Global
marjorie.schmidt@actalliance.org
Geneva, Switzerland
