Going into its third year of severe economic recession, Lebanon faces its worst and hardest depression ever since the end of the Lebanese Civil War that went on for 15 years. Between the Syrian refugee influx crisis, street uprising, COVID-19 pandemic, dangerous depletion of resources, Beirut port explosion on August 4th, 2020, protracted absence of government and overlapping economic, financial and social crises, Lebanon grapples to survive on the edge of collapse. Lebanon has the world’s highest number of refugees per capita. The country hosts around 500,000 Palestinian refugees, 500,000 migrant workers from different nationalities and 1.5 million Syrian refugees of whom about 78 percent lack legal status (UNHCR) and 89% live below the extreme poverty line.

ACT Lebanon forum members Christian Aid, DSPR and MECC will be responding through the this appeal to the crisis by providing assistance more than 25,000 beneficiaries directly affected by the dire situation targeting Shelter/ NFI’s, food assistance, Health, Protection/MHPSS, WASH, Early recovery/livelihood,  Education and Cash assistance  sectors, to ensure that the affected persons’ basic needs are met, with a budget of  1,748,003 USD.

LEB211 Multi-sectoral Humanitarian Response

As the conflict escalated between Israel and Palestinian armed groups in Gaza, airstrikes on Gaza and rocket attacks on Israel continued for eleven consecutive days. Most of the victims were reported to be civilians. According to the Palestinian Ministry of health (as of 25 May), a total of 253 Palestinian people were killed in Gaza, including 66 children and 38 women and 17 elderly people; there were more than 1,900 Palestinians injured, including many children and women. Tens of thousands have been displaced from their homes and many were forced to find shelter in UNRWA schools. On the Israeli side, 12 people in Israel, including one soldier, have been killed and hundreds have been injured.

Despite the ceasefire reached on May 21 between Israel and Palestinian armed groups ending the hostilities, the escalation has exacerbated an already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, generated by nearly 14 years of blockade and internal political divisions.

The Appeal response members, Department of Service to Palestinian Refugees (DSPR) and DCA/NCA Joint Country Program- Palestine will respond to the humanitarian crisis in the oPt  targeting around 10,000 individual with an appeal to raise 1,358,309 USD to address multiple sectors, MHPSS/Protection, Health, Shelter, and Livelihoods.

PSE211 Appeal Final

Nepal is currently in the grips of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The second wave began from mid-April 2021, and daily infection rates have steadily been growing to a daily average of almost 9,000 per day from 300+ per day a month ago. As of 18th May 2021, a total of 5,411 deaths, 472,354 confirmed cases and 114,529 active cases have been recorded. The positivity rate, which is highest globally, is hovering around 45% nationally, with a transmission rate of 1.8 %.

A key factor of this rapid spike has been the emergence of more infectious variant from India, where foot traffic between the two countries is high with 1800 kilometers of open border. Fifty percent of the young people from Western Nepal are seasonal workers in India who have returned to their villages as India’s Covid-19 cases surged. Districts along the border with India such as Banke and Nepalgunj among others have become hotspots for the outbreak, along with Kathmandu.

ACT Nepal Forum members DanChurchAid (DCA), ICCO/Cordaid, and Lutheran World Federation (LWF) are responding to fill the gap of unmet needs of the most vulnerable communities in Nepal with a budget of US$617,372, reaching out to 174,134 households in rural areas to raise awareness on Covid-19 infection prevention and the benefits of vaccination; support to public health institutions and households on prevention and treatment; and livelihood support to people who lost their jobs.

NPL211 Covid Crisis

The Rapid Response Fund (RRF) is a global fund of the ACT Alliance administered by the ACT secretariat. Funds for the RRF are provided by ACT Alliance members and non-members as part of an annual appeal. The fund is designed  to prioritise ACT national members in line with our localisation commitments and in recognition of the distinct advantage these members have in being at the forefront of emergency response in their local contexts.

The RRF is a unique tool for empowering national members and local partners as frontline and first responders at the onset of an emergency. ACT Alliance through its national members has been at the forefront of supporting local responses, often in contexts that may not always attract the attention of the media and donors. In such contexts, the impact of disasters at community level can be profound, and it is in such instances where the relevance and effectiveness of local and national actors and faith-based organisations, as well as ACT Alliance’s reach, is clearly demonstrated.

With the Governing Board’s approval of the new Humanitarian Policy (May 2021), roll-out preparations to operationalise the policy have commenced.   The request for funding for GRRF21 is for USD 2,500,000, with the intention that the 2022 GRRF appeal will be issued in December of this year, as the revised Humanitarian Policy comes into effect in January 2022.  Programme Quality, member capacity and emergency preparedness will be central to our reformed humanitarian mechanism.  The Secretariat proposes to utilise five percent of RRF funds to resource the roll-out of the new Humanitarian Policy and its mechanisms which strengthen the RRF.

GRRF21 Appeal

India’s coronavirus cases continue to rapidly increase despite several states imposing localised lockdowns, curfews, and curbs on movement. Within a month, since the second wave broke out in late March, Covid-19 cases have reached unprecedented levels, with over 400,000 cases per day.

The risk of getting infected with the mutated variant that spreads easily is very high while hospitals are already overwhelmed with overworked staff and low supply of equipment and medicines. In effect, people with mild and asymptomatic cases are often treated and quarantined at home. Attention is focused on urban areas where cases are increasing rapidly that rural areas have been neglected and mostly uninformed about protection and prevention. Migrant communities are still insecure about their jobs where most are still wanting to move back to their home villages.

ACT India Forum is responding to the crisis supporting 16,500 households and 10 hospitals with a budget of USD1,656,781. They will provide cash support and personal protection kits to households; oxygen supplies and paramedical training to hospitals; and raising awareness on gender issues, Covid-19 prevention and mitigation to the communities working with local faith leaders.

IND211 India Covid Crisis

Tropical cyclone Seroja carried heavy rains and strong winds that triggered flash floods and landslides in Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) on Sunday, 4th April 2021. The Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB) reported 138 people died, 61 missing, and up to 1,114 destroyed or damaged houses. Residents lost their homes due to being submerged by water, mud, and soil as well as public facilities and infrastructure damaged by the disaster, such as bridges, roads, and airports being submerged by water. Areas affected were East Flores, Malacca, Lembata, Ngada, Alor, East Sumba, Sabu Raijua, Rote Ndao, Timor Tengah Selatan, Ende, and Kupang City. Access and communication to affected areas have been difficult as roads and communication facilities were damaged.

The response with a budget of USD60,966, will be led by PELKESI, will give assistance to 3,500 affected people (700 households) providing health services, food, shelter materials, and household items. The forum is planning to respond in East Sumba District , Kupang City and Malaka District that were directly affected by the disaster. It also aims to build the capacities of two local churches for humanitarian response.

RRF 08 2021 Indonesia NTT Flash Floods