Heavy torrential rains during the last few days have caused floods in North-Eastern states of India. The flood situation continues to remain grim in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.  As of the 24th of July, so far 7 people have died and over 600,000 people have been affected in Assam, while over 100 households in Arunachal Pradesh were rendered homeless. The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) reported that over 50,000 people in 130 villages have been affected. About 1,039 villages in 14 districts have been affected by the deluge, with Bongaigaon, Kokrajhar, Laxmipurt, Goalpara and Tinsukia being the worst affected districts. So far, nearly 46,680 hectares of crop area have been inundated by flood water (Indian Express).

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ACT Alliance members Russian Orthodox Church /DECR/RTT (ROC) and Hungarian Interchurch Aid (HIA) plan to continue their humanitarian support to IDPs in Ukraine and refugees in Russia to contribute to the alleviation of their suffering by addressing the most pressing needs in the sectors of Food Security, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Health (Psychosocial support) and Shelter and Non Food Items. The ACT Appeal UKR161 follows on the response to the ACT Appeal UKR152.

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People in the state of Madhya Pradesh in India have been struggling with one of the worst flood situations in their area, due to heavy rainfall for the past few days. Rivers are over flowing, washing away bridges, breaching embankments and marooning villages. The state capital of Bhopal city has also reported extensive water logging. The slum dwellers of the city have been the worst affected. According to media sources (Indian Express), an estimated 35 people have died so far (as of July 21) due to the floods and 9 persons are reported missing. Around 2,487 houses have been completely destroyed while 19,283 houses have been partially damaged.

Preliminary Appeals_Flooding in Madhya Pradesh (India)

Now over a year since Burundi’s current crisis began, more than 140,000 men, women and children remain in refugee camps in Tanzania and are unable to return home. The situation inside Burundi continues to worsen.  A low intensity urban conflict is spreading progressively from Bujumbura to other provinces, resulting in targeted assassinations, torture, harassments and abuses.^[1]  Coupled with an economic collapse brought on by the conflict, this makes it virtually impossible for displaced Burundians to return home safely.

On average 100 refugees from Burundi are still entering  Tanzania every day while 140,448 Burundian refugees are currently living in Nyarugusu, Nduta and Mtendeli camps in Kigoma region. As many informants from UNHCR, INGOs and refugee leaders suggest, a quick solution to the current political crisis in Burundi and the short-term repatriation of refugees are unlikely. The current refugee situation is developing into a protracted crisis that will plausibly last for several years.

Preliminary Appeals_07_2016_Burundian refugee_crisis in Tanzania_TZA161

Since the eruption of the Syrian conflict in 2011, about 4.2 million people have been displaced outside Syria. More than 20,000 Syrian refugees came to Armenia. The vast majority of them are of Armenian descendants from Aleppo. Other minorities such as the Yezidis and the Assyrians have also found refuge in Armenia. Furthermore, there are also approximately 1,000 refugees from Northern-Iraq in Armenia.

Currently, there are approximately 10,000 Syrian refugees registered as vulnerable and in need of humanitarian assistance in Armenia. Moreover, Armenia is among the countries in Europe with the highest per capita ratio of refugees/asylum seekers from Syria (6 Syrian refugees per 1,000 inhabitants). The lack of the governments’ ability to adequately address the needs of refugees in Armenia calls for local and international organizations to provide subsidiary support.

The ACT Armenia forum plans to respond to the refugee crisis and to contribute to the dignity and resilience of refugees in Armenia, through its forum members WCC Armenia Inter-Church Charitable Round Table Foundation (ART), United Methodist Committee on Relief Armenia Mission (UMCOR) and Ecumenical Loan Foundation in Armenia (ECLOF) by addressing the most pressing needs in shelter, livelihoods, psychosocial support and community resilience.

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Iraq has become increasingly unstable since 2013 due to the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), controlling one-third of the country. The oil industry provides more than 90% of government revenue. ISIS imposes a high cost on the economy, and increasing insecurity and financial instability have diminished the prospects for an improving economy and for attracting foreign investment.

The sudden increase in displacement in early June 2016 reveals that the families are willing to take extremely high risks to try to escape, sometimes with grave consequences. Many people are separated from their families due to security screening. The UN estimates that thousands of families remained trapped inside Fallujah center.

Most displaced people from Fallujah are taken to Ameriyat al Fallujah where the government of Iraq and the partners had prepared tents and water, sanitation and hygiene facilities in advance. These camps are now full and overcrowded, thus; there is a need to work for rapidly setup of similar camps in other nearby towns, namely Khalidiyah and Habbaniyah. Al Garma (Karma) district has also witnessed a high influx of IDPs that have fled Fallujah and its surrounding areas. In such situation, meeting humanitarian needs of these civilians should be the foremost important priority.

IRQ151 Appeals -Second Revision- (11 July 2016)

The drought caused by El Niño is one of the most severe in the history of Central America, surpassing in size and impact the situation faced in 2014. Despite mitigation measures, 4.2 million people in the dry corridor have been affected, of which more than 2 million are facing a humanitarian crisis as they are in dire need of immediate food assistance, health care, nutritional support, and recovery of livelihoods, among others.

Appeals_07_2016_ Food Crisis in Central America_CAM161

On June 19, 2016 thousands of very dangerous and destructive Army Worms invaded towns and villages in the District of Zota in Bong County causing destruction of crops , contamination of drinking water and fleeing of residents. According to information gathered, 12 towns have been affected. In these towns and villages, people are unable to carry out their  farming activities due to overwhelming presence of these worms; more specifically, people who have contact with the worms develop abscesses(skin sores). If nothing is done to contain the spread of these worms, it can be expected that food insecurity and malnutrition and skin related complications will result because affected towns and communities will not be able to carry out farming and suffer from skin sores.

The  assessment  team comprised of officers from County Health office, World Health Organization, Ministry of Agriculture and partners  visited five (5)  towns/communities of Kollieta (Zota Clan), Nyansue, Shankpallai, Larwai and Kolonta and saw Army Worms in mass on the leaves of several plants and destruction  on crops belonging to farmers and on trees along the rivers/creeks thus contaminating the drinking water.  Reports from farmers and local authorities of the communities not reached by the assessment team that include Managai, Bellelai, Killingai, Taota, Gbellai, Shiaka-ta and Bepahyea were also affected. In total, 4,323 and eleven (11) out of 16 communities are affected by Army Worm invasion.

ACT Liberia forum through the Lutheran Development Service and Lutheran Church in Liberia are planning to support response efforts through provision of low-impact insecticide spray, distribution of food and provision of safe drinking water to the affected population in the District of Zota in Bong County.

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South Sudan is facing violence since almost 16 months, steaming from a power struggle between the incumbent President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Dr. Riek Machar, which erupted on 15^th December 2013 in Juba when Mr. Kiir accused Mr. Machar of staging a coup. Violence has since prevailed and is often breaking out along ethnic lines between Dinka and Nuer tribes. Besides the ongoing violence in the country, growing food insecurity further affects the people of South Sudan. Political negotiations to settle the conflict continued throughout the year 2014, following negotiations to cease hostilities in January 2015.

Uganda continues to receive new South Sudanese refugees. The refugees are entering mainly through Elegu entry point Adjumani. A total of 206,337 South Sudanese have sought refuge in Uganda, with 132,004 now registered in Adjumani district[1], where the ACT Alliance member Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is concentrating its intervention. LWF has been focusing on the Adjumani District to offer humanitarian assistance to the refugees in the transit center and in the settlements during the 2014  and 2015 ACT appeal. As we continue to receive new refugees, all existing settlements in Adjumani have filled up prompting the UHNCR and Office of Prime Minister to open a new settlement in Latodo effective may 2016. As the signs of peace in South Sudan begin to materialise, as a sign of hope that would allow the refugees to return home in the near future it is important to focus on linking relief  and development (LRRD) by focusing on the promotion of sustainable livelihoods and self-reliance across all sectors of intervention.

Taking this into consideration, LWF will focus on offering relief services to new entrant that will be settled in Latodo and then continue its LRRD efforts in Boroli, Nyumanizi, Ayilo I, Baratuku through the provision of Non-Food Items (NFIs), Livelihoods and Psychosocial support, as well as peace and conflict resolution in 2016 through revision and extension of appeal UGA 151, which is the second and herewith consecutive ACT appeal tackling the support of the South Sudanese refugee population in Uganda.

Appeals_06_2016_ Adjumani Refugees Initiative Project_UGA151_Revision and Extension

A 7.8 earthquake (Richter scale) hit Northern Ecuador at 18:58 local time, Saturday 16 April 2016. The epicenter was 27 kilometers from the small coastal town of Muisne (west of the Province of Esmeraldas), with a depth of 20 kilometers. The worst damage was reported in the village of Pedernales, with a population of 55,000 people which was declared a “disaster zone”. Access has been limited due to damages to infrastructure. The Government declared a “State of Exception” for 6 provinces: Esmeraldas, Manabí, Santa Elena, Guayas, Santo Domingo and Los Ríos. Authorities reports 663 dead (85 per cent in the province of Manabí), 6274 injured, 28,827 in temporary shelters and around half million people directly affected. Many buildings and roads destroyed or damaged. Eight shelters have been established: three in Esmeraldas, three in Babahoyo, two in Guayas, one in Santo Domingo, one in Portoviejo and one in Quito

ACT Alliance will support 2,000 families in the Canton of Muisne, Province of Esmeralda with WASH, Community Based Psychosocial Support, (CBPS) and Non Food Items.

Appeals_Ecuador Earthquake_ECU16