According to UNOCHA humanitarian bulletin (Dec 2018), over 4.2 m people will need humanitarian assistance and protection services in Somalia in 2019. The humanitarian situation in Somalia is wanting and continues to be affected by climatic shocks, protracted conflict (as a result of Al-Shabab attacks) and face other issues resulting in massive internal displacement and human suffering.

ACT Somalia Forum members namely Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), Diakonia Sweden and Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH) have submitted a joint 18 months appeal aimed at enabling affected communities establish sustainable livelihoods, improve access to safe water/WASH facilities and enable affected communities improve their coping mechanisms and resilience. In addition, the project will support school children to access quality education as a long-term resilience strategy of supporting diversified livelihoods.

SOM191 appeal budget is US$ 5,032,687 and the balance requested by members is US$ 4,972,987.

SOMALIA – Strengthening Resilience for Crisis-affected Displaced, Returnee and Host community populations in Somalia (SOM 191)

On January 25, 2019 a dam broke in the State of Minas Gerais, releasing more than 12 billion liters of mineral debris broke, with tailings from iron mining. The waters and mudslides  immediately reached the Municipality of Brumadinho and Parque da Cachoeira reserve, and more than 220 km along the course of the Paraopeba River. According to assessment data provided by KOINONIA, ACT Ecumenical Forum Brazil (FEACT Brazil) member with other local partners, the disaster had the following impact:

• 760 pour families affected directly (3,800 persons)
• 5400 families evacuated from households (27,000 persons) from Brumadinho
• 84 fatalities
• 189 persons rescue
• 305 missing persons
• 250 damaged houses
• 25 totally destroyed houses.

So far there are no humanitarian organizations active in the region. The federal and state governments requested support only for the rescue and burial of bodies with the Army of Israel and  and firemen of other States of Brazil. The Government of the State of Minas Gerais has decreed a state of humanitarian environmental calamity, which is officially the opening for  external humanitarian aid.

KOINONIA is responsible for project implementation. Office staff, as well as local partners and volunteers from the communities will be involved in organizing implementation in the communities and facilitating a participatory approach in the implementation.  KOINONIA and its local partners will involve local leadership in the response. There is a team of facilitators, promoters and local leaders who will ensure the proper implementation of the humanitarian response, establishing operational committees for an adequate management of the aid.

The ACT Secretariat has approved the use of $149,604 USD from its Rapid Response Fund, Koinonia will provide Psychosocial support, WASH and food security to 750 affected families.

RRFs_Mudslides_Brumadinho

Around 97% of of the people in the island of Ambae have been displaced by the Volcanic eruption that started in 18th March 2018.  As of December 2018, the government still considered Ambae as high risk and have not allowed its residents to return to their homes.  The area remains at risk for flooding, landslides, continued ashfall deposits and volcanic gases.  The government’s response has been focused on Maewo but some of Ambae’s residents have moved to the nearby Espirito Santo.  This response will be focused on providing humanitarian assistance to approximately 8,700 people in Espirito Santo, mostly living in temporary shelters in and around host communities.

Appeals Emergency Response to Manaro Volcano Eruption in Penama Province – Vanuatu – VUT191

The humanitarian crisis in Iraq remains one of the largest and most volatile in the world, with a complex reality, rapidly changing vulnerabilities, and serious economic problems. However, despite the defeat of ISIS over a year ago, 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 ISIS. The conflict altered the balance of power and split the country into those areas held by ISIS, the autonomous Kurdish areas and those controlled by the federal government. The recapture of Mosul marked the beginning of the end of the war, but Iraq remains divided. The military successes of the Iraqi army do not preclude the emergence of tensions in other areas with religious or ethnic minority groups controlling certain regions. Beyond the conflict itself, Iraq is going through a period of acute political instability, which increased after the parliamentary elections in 2018, and the struggle to form a government after the elections. The livelihood and economic opportunities of the Ninewa region have essentially been destroyed or at the very least significantly crippled. The displacement is a result of the offensive to retake Mosul and the efforts to push ISIS out of Hawijah. 1,548,108 individuals (as of 31 August 2018) have been able to return home as the liberation in the province has progressed.  ISIS’s 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 psychological abuse and loss of livelihood. People lost their homes and stayed in temporary camps for years. Displacements coupled with challenges in ensuring physical protection have made the life difficult. In addition, affected people also lost their means of earning and livelihood. Prior to the conflict, the economic status of the people was low which got aggravated during the conflict. As reported by many agencies including UN, livelihood opportunities remain very limited with concern over inter-ethnic conflicts and protection issues. According to study conducted by Welfhungerlife in 2017 the Poverty rates in Northern Iraq have doubled after years of continual conflict and economic stagnation. Unemployment has tripled in many communities. Many government employees have experienced pay cuts or delays in their payments. A 40% decline in agricultural production has forced hundreds of thousands of people to migrate to urban areas for jobs and support.

Appeals_Iraq_Support to IDPs, Refugees, Returnees and Host Communities-IRQ191

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 16^th 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 16^th 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