Since the 30th of October, Tropical Storm Pilar (TS Pilar) has caused heavy rains and flash flooding, pouring between 144.5 and 210.0 mm of rain in the first 11 hours of the meteorological phenomenon. It rained the equivalent of the entire month of November. Given these conditions, the likelihood of flash floods in rivers and streams, urban flooding, landslides, and falling rocks and trees is high. As of November, at least three people died while more than 500 others were evacuated.

The government has activated the emergency systems by issuing a nationwide red alert on October 29 and declaring a 15-day national state of emergency. The country has suspended classes nationwide until November 1 for public, private and higher education institutions. The Government of El Salvador has pre-equipped 100 shelters in different areas with the capacity to shelter more than 8,000 people.

In a rapid assessment conducted by the Federation of Agrarian Reform Cooperatives Central Region (FECORACEN), local producers have reported serious impacts on their livelihoods and agricultural production crops. In certain areas of the country, up to 75% of bean crops and up to 50% of corn crops have experienced remarkable damage. Information at local level is almost non-existent and few humanitarian organizations are conducting rapid needs assessments. The members of ACT Alliance are carrying out a detailed damage and needs assessment in the communities most affected by the TS Pilar.

Members of the ACT Forum El Salvador such as Christian Aid, the Christian Association for Education and Development, the Lutheran World Federation, the Salvadoran Lutheran Synod and the CREDHO Association are currently in the field and plan to provide support. Municipalities of San Miguel, Usulután, and Ahuachapán have approached the ACT Forum El Salvador to request humanitarian aid, as well as some government institutions such as the Crecer Juntos Institute. OCHA’s office in El Salvador is coordinating the response in conjunction with NGOs and the National Civil Protection System.

Despite the lack of information from the communities, the government and ACT Forum members have estimated that the more pressing humanitarian needs are related to the sectors of food security and nutrition, WASH, Psychosocial support, especially for children and women, and livelihoods. Cash transfer has also been identified as feasible for this response.

The Salvadoran Lutheran Synod and ALFALIT are seeking to submit an RRF proposal to alleviate the most humanitarian needs based on the Damage and Needs Assessment being currently conducted in the targeted communities. The project foresees providing humanitarian services in the sectors of CASH, CBPS, protection, and WASH to reach 100 families in the 20 most affected municipalities (4,000 people; 2,040 women and 1,960 men). It is estimated that a budget of approximately USD 300,000 is required to develop and provide optimal humanitarian support.

ACT Alert – El Salvador Tropical Storm Pilar 2023

A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck Karnali Province in western Nepal at around 11.47 p.m. local time (UTC 6.02 p.m.) on 3rd November 2023, with over 400 aftershocks occurring thereafter. The quake epicentre was in Ramidanda in Jajarkot District, some 65 kilometers northeast of Surkhet, the capital city of Karnali Province. Tremors have been felt in the adjacent Sudurpashchim and Lumbini provinces as well as other parts of Nepal.

According to the Ministry of Home Affair’s updated information as of 7th November 153 have been killed, 256 injured and significant number of people are displaced in two districts, namely, Jajarkot and Rukum West. The quake has also damaged over 10,000 houses (6,000 completely damaged and 4,000 partially damaged) both public and private including at least 400 schools.

Government has appealed for financial support to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund and has highlighted the extensive damage in Jajarkot and Rukum West including to historic sites and public buildings. Survivors are sheltering in tents, facing cold weather challenges.

As per initial assessments transitional shelter, winterization kits, WASH facilities, and psycho-social support to the most vulnerable, including children, women, elderly, and persons with specific needs, etc are the major needs on the ground.

ACT Nepal Forum members FCA, LWF, FELM and Cordaid/KiA are available on the ground and planning to respond to the emergency.  

ACT Alert -Nepal Earthquake 2023

On October 7, the Government of Israel declared war, after Palestinian armed groups breached the security barrier at several points resulting in significant loss of life while simultaneously lunching barrage of rockets into Israel. The declaration of war has initiated a series of airstrikes on the densely populated Gaza Strip. This offensive has led to the loss of thousands of Palestinian lives, over 50% of them are  women and children, and  over 6 thousand individuals sustaining injuries. The ongoing hostilities have created a dire humanitarian crisis, with homes, schools, medical facilities, and critical infrastructure being extensively damaged or destroyed. 

The impact of this conflict has forced approximately 400,000 of Gaza’s 2.2 million residents to flee their homes, either out of fear for their lives or due to the destruction caused by airstrikes. Many have sought refuge in UNRWA schools and churches even though some of these shelters have also been damaged by airstrikes. The number of those affected by the hostilities is anticipated to rise. The Israeli government on 13 October, has requested the Palestinians to ‘relocate to southern Gaza immediately’ without any guarantee for their safety or their return, this concerns almost 1.2 million people residents in the northern parts of Gaza.  

Furthermore, Israeli authorities have cut off the water supply to Gaza, exacerbating an already severe shortage of potable water. A complete siege ordered by the Israeli government has severed access to electricity, food, and fuel, further aggravating the dire humanitarian situation. Gazans now have access to electricity for only 3-4 hours per day, hindering the functioning of health facilities and the treatment of the injured.  

As a result of the war in Gaza there has been an escalation of tension and this has led to increased violence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, including confrontations, casualties, settler-related violence, and attacks on healthcare, for the seventh consecutive day.

ACT Palestine Forum members DSPR, LWF and ELCJHL are requesting to activate the ACT humanitarian mechanism for an appeal for responding to the urgent needs with special focus on people who have been directly affected by the current conflict.

Alert – Gaza Conflict

On October 7^th around 11 am a 6.3 magnitude of earthquake hit the western Afghanistan Herat province followed by number of aftershocks felt even after two days of the earthquake.

According to the OCHA flash update # 3 and the assessment conducted by CAID in Herat, Afghanistan To date, it is estimated 12,110 people (1,730 families) have been affected by the earthquake across five districts of Herat Province.

The epicentre of the earthquake – Zindajan district – is the worst-affected area with 1,294 deaths, 1,688 injuries and 100 percent of homes destroyed. A further 485 people (191 men and 294 women) are reported to be missing. Six schools are also reported to have been destroyed in the district, along with three early child development centres, and two community-based education classes serving 60 children; eight schools have also been partially damaged. Additionally, 33 unaccompanied minors, 17 unaccompanied elderly, and 53 female-headed households have been identified.

Figures may raise as OCHA and other I-NGOs are conducting a joint assessment in all the earthquake affected areas of Afghanistan. 

ACT member currently working in Afghanistan and extending support to the earthquake affected population in Herat province. The ACT members mobilizing its preposition items and diverting funds to the earthquake to provide immediate urgent assistance to the affected population. 

ACT Alert Afghanistan EQ 

120,000 Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh home are rapidly leaving their native land as the result of hastening of a humanitarian crisis and fear of military attack by Azerbaijan army and blockage of the sole road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia.  As of 10 am on 28 September, the total number of forcibly displaced people is 66,500. The intensity of arrivals is very high; their number is increasing by the hour. People are arriving exhausted physically and mentally after 10 months of blockade, long waiting hours to cross the border with Armenia, in shock of military assault and fear of persecution.

ACT Armenia Forum through the Armenian Round Table will access ACT’s Rapid Response Fund to provide assistance to affected people.

ACT Alert Armenia Influx of Displaced People

Angola has been going through a prolonged drought due to three failed consecutive agriculture seasons in Cunene, Huíla, and Namibe provinces. As a result of the poor rain patterns, farmers have recorded a 40 % crop loss; greatly impacting negatively on household food security, income, and livelihoods.

The drought in Angola falls under one of the most under-reported or forgotten humanitarian crises (CARE– breaking the silence, 2023).In Angola, this is the worst drought in 40 years, and it has been characterized by hunger and rising food prices affecting an estimated 3.8 million people resulting in 114,000 children under the age of five acutely malnourished (UNICEF: HAC 2023 report). The drought is caused by irregular or lack of rains for farming communities as farmers have not harvested sufficient food due to the poor rains over several past seasons. Many have lost their seed stock, and livestock (oxen) that were used for plowing their field have also died.

The situation is predicted to be most critical from August to Oct/Nov 2023. During this period, all food reserves will be depleted, the man-made dams (Chimpakas) will be dry, and basic food prices will be at their peak. According to the Global Network Against Food Crisis (GNAFC) report, Angola is among the countries where the food security situation is forecasted to remain critical due to below-average rainfall, and humanitarian assistance until the next harvest is needed to prevent further deterioration.

The national member of ACT Angola Forum the Council of Churches of Angola (Conselho de Igrejas Cristãs em Angola) CICA is planning to respond to the drought crisis through Rapid Response Funds.

Angola Drought

The situation of the refugees in Lebanon has been exacerbated by a series of disasters ranging from the beginning of an economic crisis, the outbreak of COVID-19, and the devastating 2020 Beirut blast. 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% lack legal status (UNHCR) and 89% live below the extreme poverty line.

The political and economic situation in Lebanon has reached a critical stage, bordering on a large-scale emergency that threatens to push the country into collapse. Lebanon is teetering on the brink of becoming a failed state. As the prices of essential goods continue to surge, and the local currency further depreciates during 2023. The impact is disproportionately severe on vulnerable and impoverished families, particularly women, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities, who are struggling to meet their basic needs in a dignified and safe manner.

Combined with the political deadlock in the country and the inability to reach a common understanding of how the country should proceed, the economic crisis only worsened to extreme lengths. As a result, the Lebanese currency continued to depreciate while inflation increased. Of course, this meant that more people fell into poverty and those already classified as vulnerable are now in a much more difficult position.

ACT Lebanon forum Members (DSPR- JCC, HEKS-EPER and MECC), are getting ready to respond to this crisis with focus on sectors of Health, Education,  Basic needs, Livelihoods and MHPSS.

Alert-Lebanon- Protracted Crisis

Typhoon Doksuri (Egay) started as a low-pressure area and later on became a tropical depression in Southeastern Luzon last July 21, 2023. As it traversed westward over the Philippine Sea, it turned into a typhoon on July 22 and became a Super Typhoon when it approached Northern Luzon on July 25. Various tropical cyclone warning signals ranging from 1 to 4 were raised in several Luzon provinces including Metro Manila with TCWS #5 being declared in the northern Babuyan islands at the peak of the typhoon. The super typhoon’s Alert Note_Typhoon Doksuri on July 26 as it makes two landfalls in the vicinity of Fuga Island in Aparri and Dalupiri Island in Calayan, both in  Cagayan province. It moves West Southwestward at 15 km/h with maximum sustained winds of 175 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 240 km/h. The fifth tropical cyclone to hit the country this year, Doksuri displaced thousands of families who were then evacuated in safer areas, destroyed road and bridges and houses made of light materials.

The super typhoon affected 12 regions of the country. As of July 27, there were 158,076 families or 538,021 individuals affected in 1,686 barangays in Regions 1,2,3, IV-A CALABARZON, IV-B MIMAROPA, Region 5, Region 6, Region 10, Region 12, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) including the National Capital Region. About 8,670 families are staying in 581 evacuation centers in the affected regions. The total number of displaced populations is currently at 12,851 families (29,372 persons). Damaged houses reached to 2,298 with about 2,186 partially damaged. (DSWD-DROMIC 27 July 2023)

There were also 84 municipalities affected by power interruption due to damage electrical posts caused by the strong winds of the super typhoon. Initial estimate from the Department of Agriculture pegged the damage and losses to agriculture to Php53.1 Million.