In the evening of Sunday 12 November 2017, the Governorate of Halabja region, North-East of Iraq experienced an earthquake in the magnitude of approximately 7.2-7.5, according to European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC). The epicentre of this earthquake was located 32kms from the city of Halabja. According to the Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System (GDACS), approximately 1,840,000 people were living within 100km of the epicentre of this earthquake in both Iraq and Iran. Local experts and seismologists in the area see potential occurrence of such shocks in the future as the area has entered into a new level of intensity, and therefore it is likely that future earthquakes will be of a same or higher magnitude.

Since November 2017, there have been nine reported fatalities and over 550 people injured in Iraq as a result of the earthquake, according to the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG). The Darbandikhan areas has been most severely impacted, with most earthquake related injuries reported in Darbandikhan, Halabja, and Garmyan districts. Many houses in the areas of Darbandikhan, Maidan, Qurato and Bamo have been damaged and/or destroyed. According to the KRG, damage to the infrastructure was most severe in Darbandikhan, where landslides blocked the Darbandikhan tunnel. The water and electricity network of Darbandikhan was damaged and required significant repair. The water treatment plant in Halabja was partially damaged and produced clean water at only 50% capacity.

According to the KRG, the situation is stabilised. NGOs in the area are coordinating with each other.  However, an ACT Alliance response is needed as this will help the affected people to stay and re-build their The ACT Alliance intervention came at a point in time when the affected population were still willing to stay in the area and rebuild their livelihoods with some humanitarian support.

Appeals_Iraq_Earthquake IRQ171

Madagascar has been successively hit by cyclones since January 2018. Three cyclones have consecutively struck the island; touching the coast, bringing heavy rains which have caused severe and heavy flooding.

On the morning of Friday 16 March 2018, the region of Analanjirofo, was affected by tropical cyclone ELIAKIM, which came with a maximum wind speed of 100 kph alternated by gusts of 130 kph. According to the National Office of Disaster Risk Management (NODRM), ELIAKIM caused 21 deaths, displaced 15 000 and affected 38 000 people.

This occurred while local communities were still recovering from AVA, the first tropical cyclone, followed by a second storm DUMAZILE.

In the North-Eastern and Eastern part of Madagascar, towns have flooded,  buildings have collapsed, crops have been destroyed, roads damaged and communications knocked down by storm ELIAKIM. Currently, in Analanjirofo Region, there are 12 647 affected persons, with 8 353 displaced in the District of Maroantsetra, Fenerive-Est and Soanierana Ivongo.

According to needs assessments done (information co-related with secondary data), humanitarian gaps are in the sectors of Food, Non Food Items, Shelter, WASH (kits) and protection/psychosocial support. School children are also affected as their school materials and food ratios were damaged.

ACT Forum Madagascar is planning to respond, through ACT Madagascar National members Sampan’Asa momba ny Fampandrosoana FJKM (SAF/FJKM) who will support emergency response in Maroantsetra district, targeting 2 400 HH and SMT/FLM who will intervene in Fenerive-Est and Soanierana Ivongo districts, targeting 2 000 vulnerable families.

Proposed sectors of response by ACT Madagascar members include WASH, Protection/Psycho social support and Food Security.

MADAGASCAR-Emergency Response to Cyclone ELIAKIM – (RRF No. 3)

DRC, a vast country in Central Africa attracts less attention from donors probably due to its protracted nature; but continues to be in a humanitarian crisis. In October 2017, in line with UN Policies, DRC Level 3 emergency was declared as a consequence of the complexity of a conflict crisis. The appeal emergency covers the provinces of Kasai, Tanganyika and South Kivu.

The Kasai Provinces in the Democratic Republic of Congo are currently experiencing violent ethnic/tribal conflicts. These conflicts have been fueled by the violent death of Kamuina Nsap the local tribal chief.  The death of chief Kamuina Nsap and subsequent calls among his followers to avenge his death has caused unrest among the population.

An unprecedented massive population displacement has been reported within and outside 5 provinces of Great Kasai which encompass Kasai namely, Kasai central, Kasai Oriental, Sankuru and Lomami to date.

Last year (June 2017), it was reported that 1.4 million people were forced to flee from their homes, escaping violence. Already more than 33,132 people have been reported to have crossed the border to Angola and neighbouring countries. There is also significant internal displacement by affected communities.

The DRC forum has launched a call for action (Full appeal) in response to the Kasai crisis due to the many emerging challenges in this crisis in DRC contextual scope even after DRC ACT alliance forum released the concept note.

DRC ACT alliance members namely Christian Aid (CA), Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Church of Christ in Congo (ECC) and Bureau Oecumenique d’Appui au Development (BOAD) are preparing a response in the sectors of NFI/Shelter, Nutrition, Psychosocial support, WASH and Food security amounting to $ 2,868,034 for a period of 18 months starting April 2018.

DRC-Emergency Response to Kasai Conflict – COD 181

Early this year, Zambia experienced continuous heavy rains which resulted in floods, causing significant damages and losses.

On Wednesday, 21st February 2018 districts of Petauke and Chama were reported to be flooded. These floods washed away a bridge connecting Lundazi and Chama districts causing heavy traffic delay and the floods also caused destruction of houses, leading to the displacement of community members.

There are presently 2,140 Households affected in Petaule and Chama districts with 377 community members evacuated and over 198 children requiring psychosocial support.

At least 500 affected households require Treated Mosquito Nets and lighting; blankets and clothing. According to reports from Zambia Disaster Management Mitigation Unit (DMMU), the government of the Republic of Zambia has provided tents, treated mosquito nets and clothing to 1,601 affected Households to affect families in only Chama.

Affected households are either staying at a community School or Church.

ACT Zambia Forum shall respond to floods in Chama and Petauke by re-constructing a school building and supporting 2,140 HH with food rations and emergency non – food items.

The ACT Zambia forum national member working on this response in Chama and Petauke is United Church of Zambia (UCZ).The response will continue for three months since floods shall continue to affect communities in Chama district(which is located in a valley).

ZAMBIA-Emergency Response to Storm and Flood affected populations in Zambia RRF 02

Malawi is experiencing the most severe prolonged dry spells and army worm infestation, which are threatening the agricultural production of 3.8 million people. With little or no rain in parts of the country and fall army worms still destroying crop fields, the outlook is alarming which will result in hunger for over 3.8 million people till the next planting season. Even before the prolonged dry spells, Malawi Government had declared a national disaster in December 2017 because of fall army worms.

The President of Malawi has declared this situation a national disaster, as a result the dry spell and the fall army worm infestation attack in December 2017. As a result, there is imminent food shortage in 20 out of 28 districts of Malawi. The following are the sectors that will be addressed by the Malawi ACT Forum

1. Health/Nutrition
2. Early Recovery/Livelihoods
3. Food Security.
4. Protection/Psycho social.

The ACT Malawi forum is planning to respond to the emergency through ACT forum members Churches Action in Relief and Development  (CARD) and Evangelical Lutheran Development Service (ELDS) due to their presence in the affected areas.

The Overall response will target 2,000 affected households (10,000 people) including 5,500 Females, 4,500 Males. These figures include people who will benefit from assistance in more than one sector of intervention.

Malawi-Emergency Response to Drought and Army Worm Infestation – MWI 181 (Concept Note)

In the evening of Wednesday the 24 January 2018, refugees fleeing fighting in South Kivu started streaming in Makamba and Rumonge Provinces aboard boats. Since August 2017, the security and humanitarian situation have significantly deteriorated in South Kivu, more specifically on the axis Sebele ‐Kikonde‐Kazimia, the southern coast of Kazimia (Yungu, Talama) and the coastal communities of Ubwari in the Fizi area. On-going clashes between the army FARDC (Democratic Republic of Congo Armed Forces) and the Mai Yakutumba rebel armed group—claiming to be from the National People’s Coalition for the Sovereignty of Congo (CNSPC)—are behind this deterioration of the situation since January 2018. Thousands of children, women and men have abandoned their homes, in the midst of intensified military operations against Mai-Mai armed groups in South Kivu province. Almost 7,000 people have crossed to neighbouring Burundi and an additional 1,200 to Tanzania. It is believed that many more are displaced inside South Kivu in difficult conditions without shelter or food.

Those refugees seeking to reach Burundi are mainly doing so by crossing Lake Tanganyika on small fishing boats. As of 28 January 2018, according to authorities in Burundi, 8,152 persons have crossed Lake Tanganyika and settled into Burundian provinces of Rumonge and Makamba (this includes 6,934 Congolese and 1,218 returning Burundians). On 29 January 2018, 823 additional persons arrived in Burundi. It is therefore estimated that a total of 9,078 people crossed to Burundi so far.

ACT Burundi Forum is planning to implement a project to provide life-saving assistance to Congolese refugees and host communities in Burundi. The project will reach a total of 6,578 households (3256 male-headed households and 3322 female-headed households). In total, about 32,890 individuals will be reached with food, cash and WASH interventions.

BURUNDI_Emergency Response to DRC Refugees – BDI 181 (Concept Note).

Somalia is in the grip of an intense drought, induced by 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.

Although famine has been prevented due to the scale up of humanitarian assistance, most people are still in crisis and the risk of famine is still very high. Recent assessments from UNOCHA and FSNAU predict a continuation of the drought in 2018 and 2019 with an increase in regions sliding to the next higher ICP phase.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 2018 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 2018 and June 2018. That is more than half the population. ACT Somalia Forum (ASF) members  through Finn Church Aid, Norwegian Church Aid, Lutheran World Federation, Diakonia Sweden and Diakonia Katastrophenhilfe, have been implementing drought emergency response appeal at the onset of the famine declaration( March 2017- February 2018).

The ACT Somalia forum is seeking a revision and extension of the drought response appeal(SOM171) for the period beginning (March 2018- June 2018) due to the prolonged nature of the drought, various assessments by UNOCHA have indicated massive humanitarian needs, secondly due to the over-subscription by one of the requesting members DKH who received more funds than what they had budgeted for hence need for revision and lastly due to late funding that came in at the very end of the implementation period.

Appeals_ Drought Response in Somalia_ SOM 171 Revision.1

Violent clashes between the Government of Sudan and armed groups have caused large scale internal displacement since 2003. Approximately 1.1 million of the IDPs are still found in South and Central Darfur where the Darfur Program is intervening. During 2017, the level of armed confrontations in Darfur has continued to decrease but the situation remains highly volatile; increased criminality, the spread of firearms, inter-tribal fighting, the absence of law enforcement and unleashed militia are still major challenges. While a lack of basic services, infrastructure in addition to insecurity continue to prevent the return of IDPs to their areas of origin, the absence of socio- economic opportunities to rebuild their lives means that even after years of displacement, two thirds of displaced people struggle to fully sustain their food needs by themselves. In addition, the South Sudanese refugees and newly displaced people’s needs for shelter, food and other basic services highlights further the need for continued humanitarian interventions.

Since 2004, ACT Alliance and Caritas Internationalis network agencies have come together, with respectively the Norwegian Church Aid( NCA) and CAFOD acting as lead agencies, to provide a response to this major protracted and forgotten crisis. The Darfur Program reaffirms its commitment to support the people and communities of Darfur and South Sudanese refugees and in line with the Sudan Multi-Year Humanitarian Plan, acknowledges the need for a change in approach and the move towards recovery and longer-term planning. Hence, the program, adopts for the first time a three year appeal aiming at enhancing resilience of people an communities through a long- term commitment, key to a sustainable, meaningful and measurable impact.

The Darfur Programme, with and through its local partners, is planning to reach around 450,000 persons in urgent need of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene( WASH), Primary Healthcare and Nutrition, Emergency Shelter, Livelihoods and Education in South and Central Darfur.

Appeals_ Darfur Programme in Sudan- 2018

Mayon Volcano continues to intensify its hazardous activities. As of 6:00 PM, 5 February, a total of 22,399 families (86,052 persons) were affected in 61 barangays in the municipalities of Bagacay, Camalig, Guinobatan, Ligao City, Daraga, Tabaco City, Malilipot, Santo Domingo (Libog), and Legazpi City in the province of Albay. Of which, 17,137 families (64,895 individuals) are currently in 58 designated evacuation centers (ECs). While, 2,954 families (12,169 persons) are outside ECs. Moreover, a total of PHP 165,541,749.36 worth of damages to agriculture has been incurred affecting more than 10,000 farmers in the province. This consists of agricultural crops of rice, corn, and abaca.

The National Council of Churches in the Philippines, NCCP through Andurog Mayon, and in cooperation with the Bicol Regional Ecumenical Council (BREC), aims to improve the living conditions of disaster affected population in the province of Albay. More specifically, the proposed response will provide immediate relief assistance to 3,446 families of 12,490 persons directly affected by the Mayon volcano eruption in four (4) target municipalities.

RRF_01_2018_Mayon_Philippines