ACT News - Page 17 of 102

MENA mainstreams Quality, Accountability and Safeguarding

Workshop participants share their experiences applying Quality, Accountability and Safeguarding to their organisations. PHOTO: ACT

By Rizwan Iqbal and Uma Narayanan

A recent three-day Quality, Accountability and Safeguarding (QAS) mainstreaming workshop brought together senior managers from ACT Middle East and North Africa (MENA) members. Their focus: how to increase the effectiveness of their organisations’ humanitarian assistance and development work. Hosted by the ACT Palestine Forum in Antalya, Turkey, invitations were extended to a range of ACT members, including the Iraq Forum.

ACT provides ongoing support to help members achieve compliance with the full suite of QAS programmes: Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS), the Sphere Standards, Safeguarding and the commitments of the Humanitarian Standards Partnership (HSP). The international CHS and Sphere Standards are mandatory for all ACT members under ACT’s Quality and Accountability Framework. The Humanitarian Standards Partnership (HSP) contains a set of nine standards, one which is Sphere. ACT members are encouraged to use and refer to the HSP tools. Safeguarding is a key aspect of QAS.

The workshop was an opportunity for participants to review accountability from a strategic perspective and examine the standards’ commitments. They explored how to position CHS in their organisation, as support from leadership and the entire organisation is key to the success of QAS mainstreaming. They also had a chance to review and revise their QAS mainstreaming efforts using CHS as the main reference tool. Those who were further along in their QAS mainstreaming journey shared their experiences with others. “In the ACT MENA Forum, we work with each other and not for each other, says Father Meletius Shattahi of ACT Syrian member GOPA-DERD. “We avoid the ‘big brother’ syndrome.”

Participants returned to their organisations with a draft action plan and a holistic view of how to initiate and advance QAS mainstreaming. “The workshop was a platform for staff from the same organisation to have a meaningful conversation on those areas where they were doing well and those areas where they need to work differently,” says Samy Khoury of MECC’S DSPR.

Participants also noted the following challenges in applying QAS commitments:

Commitment One: This stresses the importance of understanding the context and real needs of the affected population, but there is pressure to focus instead on funders’ priorities.
Commitment 2: Access is a major issue in the MENA region. There is room for improvement in advocacy.
Commitment 5: It is mandatory for ACT members to have a Complaints Response Mechanism (CRM) in place. ACT MENA members are at different stages of implementing such a mechanism. The prevailing culture of the organisations and the community is to not raise complaints. Mainstreaming CRM also requires technical and financial resources.
Commitment 8: Most organisations do not have competency-based Human Resources (HR) practices. Not all organisations have a dedicated HR expert to support accountability mainstreaming here.

“Compliance is critical,” says Hakam Awad of HEKS. “But an over-focus on compliance should not compromise the actual delivery and impact of the humanitarian response.”

Rizwan Iqbal is the ACT Alliance Global Accountability and Safeguarding Coordinator. Uma Narayanan is an independent consultant

Philippines: Accountability needed to achieve climate justice

By Nerisse Klaire Kassey Pamaran, National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP)

There is assistance for those affected by typhoons, but organisations cannot meet all the needs created by the climate crisis. Climate justice includes reducing emissions and just climate financing for the most vulnerable countries. PHOTO: NCCP

Anamarie Rivera, a mother of four, had just given birth to her youngest daughter when last September’s Super Typhoon Noru hit her hometown of Jaen, Nueva Ecija in the Philippines. “We went to my sister-in-law’s house when the winds got stronger”, she says. “I was only able to get my kids out … I wasn’t able to save any of my belongings.” Anamarie’s house was made from light materials with a makeshift roof of galvanized iron, a type of housing that is common
in Filipino communities living in poverty.

The typhoon struck several provinces in the northern part of the Philippines, causing widespread damage not only to housing, but to farms and the livelihoods of farming communities. “It completely destroyed our crops,” says Ashley Arante, whose mother worked in the rice fields. “We had a hard time meeting our daily expenses afterwards.”

The stories of Anamarie and Ashley illustrate just two of the struggles endured by millions of Filipinos affected by the climate crisis. Climate change impacts are measured not only by the strength of typhoons, but also by the lasting impact they have on already-vulnerable communities.

In the case of Super Typhoon Noru, aid came from the most rural of local churches through to international agencies. ACT Alliance responded to the immediate needs of typhoon victims through the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP). But given the typhoon’s extensive and lasting damage, organizations can only do so much.

On average, at least twenty typhoons make landfall in the Philippines every year. Five of these will be destructive. This destruction has become such a normal occurrence in marginalized Filipino communities that they are being praised worldwide for their resilience and optimism in otherwise hopeless scenarios.

According to the Global Climate Risk Index 2021, the Philippines is one of the countries that is most vulnerable to the long-term impacts of climate change. The country must address the loss and damage induced by the climate crisis and implement adaptation and mitigation measures to achieve a people-centered, low-carbon future.

The Philippines’ contribution to world greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is minuscule compared to the G20, yet studies show that the country’s emissions increased by 114 percent from 1990 to 2017, largely due to the energy and industry sectors. The Philippines needs to take genuine steps towards climate crisis mitigation. This includes banning practices such as deforestation, illegal mining and logging, and plastic waste pollution, which are known to harm the environment. The country must also address the vulnerabilities of most Filipino people, who live in poverty, and strengthen their adaptation capacities at the local level.

At the global level, the NCCP believes that the climate crisis must be addressed by holding major GHG contributors accountable for the impacts of climate change. The climate crisis is “a consequence of the historical impact of the patterns of consumption and industrialization by what are now the wealthiest and so-called ‘developed’ nations in the world,” they say.

To be accountable, the wealthiest nations must use climate finance, technology transfer, and capacity building to support the most vulnerable countries, such as the Philippines. They must also keep their own carbon footprint in check.

Nerisse Klaire Kassey Pamaran is a youth volunteer with the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP), an ACT member.

Haiti: Increasing production on parched farmland

Meritant Jacques, 49 years old, his wife Sarile Noel, 39, and their children, Farah Joseph,15 and Dayan Joseph, 13 live in Gorgette, a community in Grand Anse, Haiti. Meritant is a farmer and a member of KPG, a World Renew-supported cooperative.

In March 2022, Meritant planted 10 grams of cabbage (the K-K Cross variety) that he received from World Renew. He harvested seven dozen cabbage. One dozen fed his family while the rest were sold in the public market. In total, Meritant earned enough income from cabbage sales to pay for months of schooling for his children.

“Gorgette is often confronted with drought, so I opted to produce more yams than vegetables in the past,” says Meritant. “However, this cabbage variety is drought resistant. I had a rewarding experience growing it on my farm plot.”

Elated by the outcome of the drought-resistant cabbage variety, Meritant will grow them in future on his farm plots. This will complement his yams which normally take almost a year to be ready for harvest.

Meritant thanked World Renew and its donors for the seeds, training and mentoring he received during the growing period. “May God bless World Renew and its donors,” Meritant says.

Read more about the activities in Latin America and the Caribbean in this Bulletin:

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World Renew is a member of ACT Alliance

CSW67: We need transformative courage on the road to equality

The 67th UN Commission on the Status of Women, focusing on gender equality, technology and innovation, has concluded. After over 85 hours of negotiations, member states reached the so-called Agreed Conclusions, and decided on new normative language on gender equality.

The ACT Alliance Gender Justice Programme, our members, advocates and partners, joined forces, mobilised and coordinated to strategically advocate for gender justice and speak up for those voices who could not be represented in New York.

The diversity of our delegation, the National Forums, the Regional Communities of Practices, and the global membership, provided us with a constellation of perspectives and lived contexts that enriched our collective calls for action.

We made sure that our faith and rights-based voice and the experiences we have collected in decades of working in and with communities were brought to the discussion table. For these reasons, we co-hosted three Side Events with governments (Sweden, Mexico, Finland, Liberia, Denmark, and Chile) and UNFPA, two Parallel Events with faith-based actors, a Networking Event with feminist allies (including Fos Feminista, Equality Now), and a Strategy Workshop with 30 faith actors (including LWF, WCC).

Throughout CSW67, we strategized with our members (both in-person and virtually), to analyse draft texts, deliver oral statements, advocate to country missions, participate in bi-lateral meetings and amplify our collective call for gender justice.
Policy frameworks and UN agreements can feel far removed from our daily lives, but these platforms contribute to shaping our rights and realities. It is crucial that we actively participate and speak up. During the discussions at CSW about who has been hurt online, the power that AI has on restricting rights or targeting women and girls in all their diversity, and the importance of access to technology to ensure participation, we are reminded that this year’s theme raises concerns that must be addressed urgently and cannot be side-lined.

The results of the CSW negotiations are crucial to ensure that national and international advocacy efforts can continue and push for transformative change at country and community levels, to address the root causes of gender inequalities.

The following are reflections on the importance of the Agreed Conclusions from our delegates:

“To address the gender digital divide requires Member States to embark on national policy enactments, which mainstream gender and ethics, to counter the risks of having digital inequalities being the new frontier of gender inequality. As we look forward, the intentionality on inclusive language will ensure that digital innovations, including AI, are cognizant of the unique online safety and security needs of women and girls, and their participation in politics, economics and social life.”

Gladys Nairuba, DanChurchAid & ACT Africa Gender Community of Practice, Uganda

“At CSW67, we heard how religion is being used as an argument against gender justice and reproductive health and rights. Some religious actors are claiming traditional values and are allowing themselves to be instrumentalised in a global push back against equality for women and girls in all their diversity. That’s why it’s critical for faith actors, who affirm human rights, to engage in UN processes. We welcome that the Agreed Conclusions, in the context of technology and innovation, recognise that faith-based organisations are critical stakeholders for gender equality. We must continue to mobilise our communities to reclaim religious narratives and counter backlashes on gender justice.”

Rev. Dr. Antje Jackelén, Archbishop Emerita, Church of Sweden

“Women human rights defenders are frequently victims of digital violence in Latin America. Moving forward, we must continue to promote coordinated strategies with various actors to guarantee safe spaces. We will continue to denounce such violence, and work together to ensure women and girls receive necessary support online.”

Laura Chacón González, LWF & ACT LAC Gender Community of Practice, Colombia

The Agreed Conclusions provide a vision and new policy framework when it comes to gendered technology and innovation. For instance, we are particularly encouraged by the inclusion of references to adolescent girls, women’s and girls’ right to privacy and the need to protect personal information as well as the strong emphasis on policy actions for the elimination and prevention of gender-based violence that occurs through or is amplified by the use of technologies. The reference to freedom of opinion and expression is another important element.

However, the push back on rights is something we need to carefully monitor and fight against. We lament the erasure of text that references ‘gender-transformative action/innovation’, ‘women and girls in all their diversity’, ‘intersectional lens’, and ‘Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights’, including ‘comprehensive sexuality education’. References to ‘Multiple and Intersecting Forms of Discrimination’ were also minimised in the Agreed Conclusions, and there was some resistance to recognising girls as rightsholders. This means that young people who are on the frontlines of the digital revolution, and those on the margins of our societies, are further neglected.

Policy frameworks must address the lived realities of women and girls in all their diversity. The change we seek must be transformative and intersectional and we, faith actors must play a vital role in building gender-just societies and provide a fearless voice that calls for transformative courage.

We continue, together, on the road to equality.

Digital divide: who is to fill the gap?

A blog by Palwashay Arbab, Community World Service Asia

Technology is a double-edged sword. This is especially true if we look at gender equality for which, technology is promoted as an enabler. But as much as technology bridges the digital divide, increases access to communication and makes the world a global village, it also contributes to creating gaps and inequalities. As it amplifies the voices of some, it limits the participation of others. As much as it brings people together, it also drives them further apart. As much it gives liberty and freedom, it also creates loneliness and isolation.

Is it the new bitter-sweet symphony, I ask myself? Maybe.

As leading advocates of digital equality, I wonder if the organisers of the UN CSW67 considered the use of technology to ensure the effective inclusion and participation of delegates who face access constraints? It is safe to assume that some of the key players in the fight for gender justice and closer to those suffering from abuse and lack of human rights cannot participate in the commission in New York.

But what is it proposed to ensure that their voices are heard in this pivotal platform where important decisions about them, their life, their rights and their future are made?

Undoubtedly there are various virtual spaces and side events that those interested can participate in. These are great learning spaces. But there needs to be a plan for ensuring the equal access as virtual delegates for those communities that would otherwise go unheard. Yes, most governments are there to represent their people and their issues, but one cannot deny the difference in perspectives that a government representative and a civil society activist or a community member has and like to echo at an important platform like this one.

The digital divide can be conquered and ensuring access and meaningful participation is a way to dominate it. We have a tremendous opportunity to ensure equal and full participation for everyone, in every corner of the world with the use of technology.

Many potential delegates like myself who require a visa to just reach New York, were denied access only because we could not reach the country physically. However, we could participate and contribute if given the chance to participate virtually – as equally as those present at the headquarters. I can still participate in the conversation by writing this blog post.

But then I wonder – what about countries like Afghanistan? My women colleagues have been barred from working. They still do, from home, trying their best to complete all the tasks hidden from view.

Their roles and responsibilities have been changed to ensure working from home is possible and project activities continue. But some things can only be done by women. For instance, only a woman communicator could get a story from an Afghan woman or girl. Only she could ask them about their needs or if the support is meeting their requirement?

Who is to fill that gap?

These are the challenges we need to overcome. And it is their voices we need to hear the most if we truly want to achieve gender justice. It is their story that needs to be told, and they need to be able to tell it.

We cannot let technology and the digital divide leave them behind. We must do more, and we must do better. We must allow it to be an enabler and we must create resources and opportunities for those voices that risk to be otherwise silenced.

Declaración de la ACT Alianza: Hacia una Acción Conjunta: Migración y Desplazamiento en América Latina y el Caribe

Los días 19, 20, 21, 22 y 23 de febrero, en la ciudad de Bogotá, Colombia, tuvo lugar el encuentro: “Hacia una Acción Conjunta: Migración y Desplazamiento en América Latina y el Caribe”, en el cual participaron representantes de los foros provenientes de los 15 países donde la Alianza ACT tiene presencia en la región, junto con miembros de los Estados Unidos, aliados estratégicos, la Secretaría Regional y la coordinadora del Programa de Justicia de Género de la Alianza ACT. Además, el gerente del Programa de Migración y Movilidad Humana acompañó el evento de manera virtual.

Durante el encuentro se lograron unos importantes primeros compromisos para robustecer el accionar conjunto a nivel regional. En este sentido, “como actores religiosos y organizaciones basadas en la fe, reafirmamos nuestra voluntad de actuar como alianza en un marco de cooperación regional con estrategias comunes para el acompañamiento, protección y promoción de derechos de las personas desplazadas, migrantes, refugiadas, solicitantes de asilo y apátridas en América Latina y el Caribe”.

Además, los miembros y aliados coinciden en la preocupación sobre una crisis de carácter regional y continental que pone en riesgo los derechos humanos de las personas en situación de movilidad humana: “Expresamos nuestra preocupación por las crecientes situaciones de violencia y crisis en la región y por las medidas restrictivas en materia de derechos…” llamando a los estados de la región a abstenerse de medidas que pongan en riesgo o vulneren derechos.

“Conscientes de que este es un primer paso, apostamos al robustecimiento de la Alianza ACT para Latinoamérica y el Caribe amplificando las voces de las personas en movilidad y la de nuestros miembros, desarrollando nuestras fortalezas y avanzando hacia el cambio que queremos ver en el mundo”.

Lea el comunicado aquí (SP EN)

More support needed to help communities affected by drought in Northern Kenya

By Pasca Chesach ,Christian Aid Kenya.
Unprecedented fifth consecutive rainfall failure and warmer than usual temperatures in Northern Kenya have accelerated depletion of rangeland and water resources as well as internal livestock movements in search of pastures and water are expected to remain unusually high. Household and livestock watering distances are significantly above average. 98percent of open water sources are depleted. Crisis-emergency food security outcomes are likely to persist due to constrained household income and increased depletion of livelihood assets. With failure of five consecutive rainfall seasons, available pasture is expected to last one month in the pastoral areas of Kenya’s North Horr region.

Caption: Tune Billi in Durte, Marsabit County. Through ACT Appeal Implemented by Christian Aid , her family received cash to help her buy food and other essentials. Credit: Christian Aid/Pasca Chesach

Tune Sharamo Billi 27 years, is a mother of three children aged (3yrs, 6yrs and 12 yrs) and lives with her husband in Durte, Marsabit County. With the ongoing drought she and her family have been struggling to make ends meet and to put food on the table. Together with her husband , they support their extended family in providing their basic needs.
Tune had always been resourceful and hardworking, but the drought and conflict in the region had made it increasingly difficult for her to find enough food for her family. Like many others in the region, Tune relies on her herd to support herself and her family, but the ongoing drought has decimated her herd.

“My husband and I used to have 60 goats and two camels but all of our two camels and 50 of my goats have died because of the drought,” Tune says.
‘There is a day I heard about a cash transfer program by Pastoralist Community Initiative and Development Assistance (PACIDA) that was targeting vulnerable households like mine, but I never thought that I would be eligible for it because I come from a community with 175households, and we all are facing this prolonged drought with no food to eat.’

One day, a community leader approached me and told me that I had been selected to receive cash transfers as part of the program. I was overjoyed and grateful for the opportunity to provide for my family. This was going to make a huge difference in our lives.

Tune who is expecting her fourth child, says that she could go for days without having something to eat. She adds that during one of her clinic visits, the doctor told her that she was anemic and at danger of being malnourished. She says that she was really worried of her health and also especially that of her children (pictured). With the cash transfer, Tune was able to buy food and other essentials for her family.

‘I used the money that I received to buy rice, maize flour, sugar, and beans…I am now able to support my family and my in-laws too. My 12-year daughter is excited to waking up and going to school because she can now get breakfast, and even dinner.’

Tune’s household is among the 555 households who have been supported by ACT Appeal , implemented by Christian Aid -Kenya through their local partner PACIDA. She received close to Ksh.9,000 every month from January and February and is set to receive further cash support in the month of March. The Multipurpose cash transfer enables the family to meet their needs
The Horn of Africa is currently experiencing its fifth failed rainy season in a row. There are still unmet needs as the situation worsens ,with below-average rainfall also predicted for the upcoming March-May rainy season this year and for communities in the region like Tune’s will need ongoing support.

Pasca Chesach is a communication Assistant for Christian Aid Kenya.

Ukraine: one year later

One year ago today Russia invaded Ukraine and unleashed a horrific humanitarian crisis that is still having a heavy toll on the civilian populations of Ukraine. The international conflict forced millions of women, men, girls and boys to run for their lives and seek refuge in neighbouring countries or become internally displaced.

Freezing temperatures, fear and atrocious attacks on civilian infrastructures is what Ukrainian families had to face daily since the beginning of the hostilities. But they have not been left alone.

The international humanitarian community mobilised immediately. ACT Alliance members worked together to bring the so much-needed practical, psychological and spiritual support to the millions of people who had lost everything so abruptly.

An appeal was launched almost immediately and since then we have been at the forefront of humanitarian aid. The extraordinary courage of the Ukrainian people and their resilience is heartwarming but what is also heartwarming is the courage of all the humanitarian workers who delivered and are still delivering aid and hope.

Millions of Ukrainian refugees have been helped, consoled and welcomed everywhere. The way we moved into action together is uplifting. However, we must not forget that many are the crises that are unfolding globally and we should find the courage and resources to mobilise as fast and as strongly as we did in Ukraine.

It is possible and it is necessary.

We have produced a report that summarises all the efforts made to protect and support Ukrainian civilians in the past year. You can download this report below. ACT Alliance is grateful to its members who have been investing their skills, staff, resources and time in helping humanity.

We truly are Hope in Action!

ACT joins 34 other agencies in demanding unfettered access and massive scale-up of humanitarian response in Syria

ACT member MECC (the Middle East Council of Churches) is responding to the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Syria and Turkey on Feb 6, 2023. MECC is providing mattresses and blankets, as well as hot meals, to affected families, and is working to secure additional supplies to meet the needs. Photo: MECC

ACT Alliance is one of 35 national Syrian NGOs and international NGOs to release a statement today calling for “an urgent scaleup in support and for immediate action to be taken to secure humanitarian assistance to the populations affected by the earthquake in Syria.”

The statement notes that only 5% of the affected areas in northwestern Syria (NWS) were reached by humanitarian teams in the early days, leading to potential survivors under the rubble not being reached in 95% of the region.

“Conscious that this tragedy has impacted the whole humanitarian response, we express our deep admiration and support to the humanitarian organizations, volunteers and all humanitarian workers on the ground who are shouldering the response while being affected themselves,” the statement reads. Today, ACT heard that one partner agency is working on the response while over 33% of its staff were directly impacted, with many living in cars or out in the open for fear that their homes will collapse in the more than 500 aftershocks since the massive quake on February 6, 2023.

“The earthquake has brought new suffering, increased the number of people in need, exacerbated existing needs, and hampered the ongoing response. We see new unaccompanied children, collective shelters and existing camps are now full of people with no food, no water, no blankets, no heating options. What is needed is more assistance, more access, and more funding. Redirecting existing resources and funding from other parts of Syria is NOT the solution,” the NGOs state.

The statement concludes, “NGOs call for the international community to stay above politics, put humanitarian principles at the center and move forward an urgent and immediate scaleup of the humanitarian support to relieve the suffering of the affected populations and support those helping them.”

Read the full statement here.

ACT members bringing life-saving aid to Syria

Immediately after the 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck in the early hours of the morning on February 6, ACT members began to conduct rapid needs assessments in Syria and Turkey. They also began to provide life-saving aid including food, medicine, and warm blankets, mattresses and pyjamas to families who lost everything to the devastating quake even as search and rescue efforts continue to free survivors from the rubble.

“People are staying out of their homes,” reports Samer Laham of the Middle East Council of Churches. “They are afraid of aftershocks destroying the buildings that are still standing.”

Sara Savva of The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East- Department of Ecumenical Relations and Development (GOPA-DERD) continues, “Lots of buildings have not yet collapsed, but they are not stable. Families are sleeping in the streets, in cars if they have them, with friends and family, or in shelters.”

As the numbers of people killed, injured and displaced by the earthquake grow, so too does the support from ACT members. As of February 8, seven ACT members are involved in response or are conducting needs assessments. These include:

MECC

MECC reports that 232 sites have been offered as shelters in Aleppo since the quake, including church halls, mosques, schools and municipal halls. MECC is providing mattresses and blankets, as well as hot meals, to affected families, and is working to secure additional supplies to meet the needs.

They report that there is a lack of availability of some key items in Aleppo, so they are being transported from Damascus.

“The key need currently is food baskets,” reports Ghassan Chahine of MECC. “We need canned and pre-made food, as people cannot cook at the moment.”

GOPA-DERD

GOPA-DERD is performing assessments in Aleppo, Hama and Latakia, and has been distributing a variety of items to families in need including winterization kits (blankets, pyjamas and mattresses), ready to eat meals and food kits to those in shelters and to those outside of them as well, kitchen kits to shelters to help them prepare meals for the families living there, battery chargers, hygiene and dignity kits, and medical supplies to hospitals and the shelters.

GOPA-DERD is sending engineering teams to examine buildings to make sure they are safe for people to return to. They are also preparing to provide emergency psychosocial support in the coming weeks.

GOPA-DERD is looking to scale up their response as soon as possible.

Christian Aid

Christian Aid is working in northwest Syria in non-government controlled areas. One of their Syrian partners has started distributing pre-positioned winterization kits in western rural Aleppo and Idleb. Another is distributing child protection and winterization kits, setting up child friendly spaces, and supporting family reunification.

Swiss Church Aid (HEKS)

HEKS is supporting families living in schools and shelters with in-kind support. They are developing a medium to long term intervention which is likely to be focused on providing multi-purpose cash support to affected families. They are performing their assessment from Damascus, working with the Syrian government’s relevant ministries.

FCA

Fin Church Aid is providing winterization kits to 2000 families in shelters in Aleppo, as well as hygiene and dignity kits. They are undertaking assessments in Aleppo and Hama and will continue to develop their response.

Hungarian Interchurch Aid

Hungarian Interchurch Aid, with its local partner Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), is currently developing a response plan providing emergency food and non-food items (NFIs) to the people affected by the earthquake in Aleppo. The implementation will be overseen by HIA’s office in Erbil and supported by the Budapest HQ. HIA has also opened its helpline to collect donations and, depending on the available funds, is planning a medium to long-term intervention.

LWF and DKH

The Lutheran World Federation and Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe are both doing needs assessments with their local partners and developing their response plans, which will be available soon.

Support ACT’s work

The Alert for ACT’s response can be found here. The ACT Syria Forum is revising its 2023 appeal to include the earthquake response, and that document will be available shortly.

To support ACT’s work, please contact Niall O’Rourke, Head of Humanitarian Affairs and George Majaj, Humanitarian Programme Advisor for MENA.