Humanitarian

ACT Alliance is the leading faith-based alliance in humanitarian response, 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 adheres to the Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability and is committed to the Sphere Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response.

Our goals

  • Ensure coordination of ACT Alliance’s humanitarian responses so that they are managed efficiently, delivered in a timely manner and evidenced appropriately.
  • Work with ACT forums and members to strengthen the resilience of disaster affected communities.
  • Support ACT forums and members to collaboratively ensure accountability to disaster affected populations in line with the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) commitments and the Sphere Minimum Standards
  • Support member-led and evidence-based humanitarian advocacy initiatives that amplify the voices of disaster affected communities.
act alliance logo

Key achievements

01

Since launch of the revised ACT Humanitarian Policy, US$82 million was mobilised for ACT’s Humanitarian Appeals in the period 2022 – 2025.

02

ACT Emergency Appeal coverage (the total amount of funds generated versus budget) has risen from 28% to 40% from 2018 to 2025.

03

Pilot Triple Nexus Appeal launched in Iraq & Jordan in 2025 in line with commitment made at the 2024 ACT General Assembly in Yogyakarta.

04

Launch of plan for Expansion of Rapid Response Fund with appointment of dedicated RRF Manager (effective October 2025).

We are active in more than 120 countries worldwide

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.

READ MORE

Policies and Manuals

ACT humanitarian mechanism

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.

EPRP platform

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.


No.
Name
Date | Time
Location

9 January 2015 - The National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) in Assam state of India warned of retaliation when the state police launched an operation against them on 21 December 2014 which resulted in the death of two of their members. The NDFB attacked on 23 December 2014 in three districts of Assam ? Kokrajhar and Sonitpur which resulted in the deaths of 85 people (73 Adivasis and 12 others). The ethnic violence has resulted in the displacement of 72, 675 people who are sheltering in 61 relief camps. Most of the displaced are women and children belonging to the tribal communities in Kokrajhar, Sonitpur, Chirag, Baksa, Bongagaon and Udalguri. In retaliation, three Bodo people in a village near Behali in Sonitpur  district were killed. Both communities have burned houses and damaged properties in different parts of the state. Fresh violence erupted again in Assam in the bordering districts of Kokrajhar (Bhutan border) and Sonitpur (Arunachal Pradesh border) on 26 December. RRFs_1_2015_India_Assam violence_RRF1


No.
Name
Date | Time
Location

Resources

Team

Niall O’Rourke

Head of Humanitarian Affairs

Global

niall.orourke@actalliance.org

Geneva, Switzerland

Caroline Njogu

Humanitarian Programme Coordinator

ACT Alliance

Caroline.Njogu@actalliance.org

Nairobi, Kenya

Sokanta Chanda

Humanitarian Finance & Budget Coordinator

Global

Sokanta.Chanda@actalliance.org

Bangkok, Thailand

Ioakeim Vravas 

Humanitarian Programme & Global MEAL Coordinator

Global

Greece, Europe

Muhammad Waqas

Humanitarian Programme Officer

Asia- Pacific

Waqas@actalliance.org

Bangkok, Thailand

Claire Finas

RRF Manager

Global

Geneva, Swtizerland