Liberia: Emergency Response to Flood affected Communities in Liberia (LBR 191)
The region of Montserrado, Grand Cape Mount, Margibi, Bomi and Lofa counties in Liberia, have been hit by an extremely heavy downpour causing flash floods, leaving many towns around Monrovia and surrounding counties flooded. As a result, at least 187 homes have been damaged and property destroyed.
The Lutheran Development Service in Liberia working with other local church partners has raised a 12 months $ 462,038 appeal to support to meet the Shelter, WASH, Food Security and other needs of non-displaced flood-affected persons who suffered a loss of assets or livelihoods.
The project will also support to strengthen Community Disaster Preparedness and Build Community Resilience to Flood and Storm Disasters in regions most affected by floods.
LBR191 – Flood Emergency (Appeal).
Vanuatu: Emergency Response to Manaro Volcano Eruption in Penama Province RRF 15/2019
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.
Volcanic Alert remains at Level 2 by the end of 2018 but the possibility of escalation is low. However, the area remains at high risk for flooding, landslides and continued ashfall deposits and volcanic gases. Residents need to restore their livelihoods and repair their shelter and homes in Ambae island. They need support on capital inputs for farming and livestock and assistance in shelter repairs.
Anglican Overseas Aid leads this response together with ACT for Peace and Churches of Christ Overseas Aid with support from ACT Alliance’s Rapid Response Fund.
RRFs Vanuatu Volcanic Eruption
Pakistan: Emergency Response to people affected by the earthquake in Kashmir – RRF 14/2019
The 5.8 magnitude earthquake in Pakistan last 24 September 2019, affected a total of 10,500 families in Mirpur and Bimber Districts of Kashmir. Thirty-nine people died and more than 1,600 injured. In addition to the loss of livelihoods opportunities, the earthquake damaged infrastructure (roads, water supply schemes, power supply etc.), houses and animal shelters especially in the rural areas of these hard-hit districts.
The initial assessments highlight that lack of appropriate shelter for the families whose houses are damaged, unavailability of safe drinking water and essential FI/NFIs, environmental health, and protection of women/girls are among the top needs in the areas.
Community World Service Asia (CWSA) will provide tents to the most vulnerable families with funding from ACT Alliance’s Rapid Response Fund.
RRFs Pakistan Earthquake RRF142019
Bolivia: Emergency Response to Fires affected in Bolivia
In early August, a forest fire started in the department of Santa Cruz in Bolivia, which has increased the sources of accelerated burning. According to the most recent OCHA report (1 Oct. 2019) on the fires, Wildfires continued to rage through South America including Bolivia, experiencing a spate of fires due to lower humidity, strong winds and longstanding agricultural practices of clearing farm land with fire. Authorities in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, report that fires have consumed at least 3.3 million hectares. On 17 August, the Santa Cruz departmental government issued a decree to mobilize human, technical and logistical resources to address the forest fire.
The Government of Bolivia has requested assistance in fighting the fires, which is the current priority for the State, In this area, many of the low-land indigenous populations maintain autonomous and communally owned indigenous lands (known as Native Community Lands. Reactivation of hot spots in some municipalities, particularly those in rural areas, has hindered the ability to control and curb the extension of the fires. In this context, the population faces challenges to engage in their habitual daily actions, cope with the emergency and protect their homes, crops, livestock while aiming to prevent the advance of the fire.
The Evangelical Methodist Church in Bolivia (IEMB), will be responsible for the execution and general implementation of the RRF, in close coordination with the local authorities and leadership respectively.
RRFs_Fires_Bolivia_12_2019
Brazil: Emergency response to fires in the Brazilian Amazon
An unprecedented number of fires have raged throughout Brazil in 2019, intensifying in August. There have been more than 80,000 fires so far this year, the most ever recorded by the country’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE). It’s a nearly 80 percent jump compared to the number of fires the country experienced over the same time period in 2018. More than half of those fires are taking place in the Amazon. Environmentalists have been raising the alarm about deforestation since 2018. Most of the worst affected regions are in the north of the country. Roraima, Acre, Rondônia and Amazonas all saw a large percentage increase in fires when compared with the average across the last four years. In the Brazilian Amazon there is a population of approximately 430,000 indigenous people, distributed in 419 Indigenous Lands, occupying an area of 115,342,101 hectares, 22.9% of the total area’s surface, including people in voluntary isolation, who are now at great risk due to the uncontrolled fires.
CESE an ACT Alliance local member from Brazil in coordination with NGOs and local partners will provide food security, basic equipment for firefighting and will provide accompaniment to indigenous leadership to carry out advocacy actions
RFFs_Fires_Brazilian_Amazon
Occupied Palestinian Territory: Humanitarian Response to the Protracted Crisis – PSE 191
A protracted protection crisis continues in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), which remains largely attributable to Israel’s ongoing occupation (UN OCHA 2019). For the first time, the ACT Appeal for the OPT was developed from a lens that understands the differences between Gaza and the West Bank in terms of humanitarian impact and scale of needs, but with a strong recognition of the shared and broader needs of the Palestinian people. The ACT Palestine Forum was organized using the same analysis, and Forum coordination is proactively managed between Jerusalem and Gaza despite access and mobility issues. This Appeal is an expression of the Forum’s desire to make direct operational links between the two areas and strengthen its existing platform for coordination, learning, and resourcing across the two areas.
PSE191 Appeal – Humanitarian Response to the Protracted Crisis in the OPT
China: Emergency Response to Typhoon Lekima RRF 11/2019
On August 10th Afternoon, Typhoon Lekima land on Zhejiang province—the east part of China. It affected badly in the provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shandong, Anhui, and Fujian. Peak wind gust was 240km/h with as much as 211 mm rainfall, making it the strongest 2019 typhoon to hit the country so far. As of 12 August, Lekima has left 48 dead and 21 missing, affecting nearly 14.02 million people and forcing the relocation of 1.7 million people. Heavy rains and strong gales as well as floods and landslides have caused the collapse of 13,000 houses, damages to 119,000 houses, while 996,000 hectares of corps were affected by the typhoon.
ACT Alliance’s Rapid Respond Fund will support Amity Foundation that will provide hygiene kits to affected households.
RRFs-China Typhoon Lekima – 11 2019
India: Emergency Response to Cyclone Fani in Odisha IND191
Over 16 million people were affected by the very severe Cyclone Fani as it made landfall in Puri District of Odisha State on 3 May. Prior to landfall, nearly 1.2 million people have been evacuated from vulnerable and low-lying areas of at least 11 coastal districts in over 4,000 shelters, including 880 specially designed cyclone centres. Fourteen (14) districts were affected : Angul, Balasore, Bhadrak, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Keonjhar, Khordha, Mayurbhanj, Nayagarh and Puri. According to Government sources, as of 9th of May, 18,388 villages were affected with 64 casualities and 160 injured. Damages include : 508,467 houses, 181,711.4 agricultural land and 88,04,318 livestock affected with casualty of 41,68,298 (of which 41,62,923 are poultry).
Church’s Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA) will implement the response with the support from their local partners.
IND191 Cyclone Fani Appeal
India: Emergency Response to Monsoon Floods in Assam – RRF10/2019
The floods in Assam turned critical in the first week of July 2019. Incessant rains in the state led to overflow of major rivers and tributaries leading to inundation in the catchment areas of river Brahmaputra. The floods caused massive displacement of people and damaged the crops, livestock and properties. This also led to destruction of critical infrastructure and hampering essential services. The current flood scenario has affected 4.3 million populations in 4157 villages under 113 Revenue Circles. Out of the total 33 districts in Assam 30 districts have been badly affected. The total death has risen to 71 in the current flood. As per government data, Barpeta district has been the worst flood-hit area affecting 996,190 people.
Church’s Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA) will provide food packs and shelter items to 3000 vulnerable families in 14 villages of Barpeta District. ACT Alliance’s Rapid Response Fund has approved their budget of USD90,009.
RRFs India Monsoon Floods RRF 10_2019
Bangladesh: Emergency Response to Monsoon Floods in Bangladesh – RRF 09/2019
About 5.3 million people affected with more than 200,000 people displaced and living in temporary shelters. The government has reported that 60 people have died. Livelihood is severely affected as 100,900 hectares of crop has been inundated by the floods. Flooding has cause river erosion, breached dams, unpassable roads and broken rail links. It has also forced to close schools. It has been 12 days that the affected areas have been submerged in water. Flood waters are flowing downstream and new areas in central part of country are being affected. Flood affected people have taken shelter on the embankments in the higher places including flood shelter centres with livestock and other belongings. Flood affected communities are finding it difficult to access food while living in temporary spaces. Their homes have been washed away or destroyed as most of the affected communities live in bamboo or mud houses with straw and corrugated iron sheet roofs.
Christian Commission for Development in Bangladesh (CCDB) will support 4000 vulnerable families affected by floods in the North and Southeast of Bangladesh through food packs that will be enough for five days with a budget of USD60,045 from ACT Alliance’s Rapid Response Fund.
RRFs_Bangladesh_Monsoon Floods_RRF09_2019