ACT Alliance demonstrates its value as the leading faith-based alliance in humanitarian response by working with faith and humanitarian actors at the global, regional, national, and community levels. ACT harnesses the combined strength of its members in delivering humanitarian response at scale and with considerable reach through joint programming approaches.
We commit to an effective ecumenical response that saves lives and maintains dignity, irrespective of race, gender, belief, nationality, ethnicity, or political persuasion. Humanitarian needs define our priorities and the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence guide our actions. We remain committed to strengthening the resilience of affected communities and to being accountable to people and communities affected by a crisis. The ACT Alliance Secretariat is certified against the Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability and is committed to the Sphere Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response.
Emergency Steering Committee successfully established, activated more than 30 times since inception with over US$67 million mobilised since 2022 for ACT’s Humanitarian Appeals.
ACT Emergency Appeal coverage (the total amount of funds generated versus budget) has 02 risen from 28% to 46% from 2018 to 2023.
Systematic approach to appeal management – inception meetings, coordination roundtable
discussions, enhanced monitoring, results frameworks and closing meetings all introduced 03 with a focus on Quality & Accountability.
Extensive consultation with members and forums on locally led response within ACT Alliance 04 has led to a Pledge of Commitments which is being launched at the General Assembly 2024.
Through its national, regional and sub-regional forums ACT Alliance provides humanitarian and emergency preparedness support to local communities helping them during a crisis and to become more resilient.
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The Rapid Response Fund is an innovative funding mechanism designed to put local communities at the centre of decision-making and is recognised as one of few such funding mechanisms across the sector.
The RRF provides valuable opportunities to demonstrate the niche of faith actors in humanitarian response as we work closely with local ACT members and their community networks. On average, the RRF funds 20 emergencies annually and responses are implemented within six months.
The primary mechanism for large scale or global emergencies, including protracted crises: ACT Alliance raises an appeal to its membership with both requesting and funding members co-owning the process. Appeals are open for funding during their entire project period and accessible to both national and international ACT Alliance members.
Consortia represent a new funding mechanism for ACT Alliance. As part of Emergency Preparedness planning, consortiums are established before a disaster strikes and consortium members share a vision and strategic focus. Members self-organise and develop their own financial management models and programme strategies supported by the EPRP process and tools.
Emergency preparedness and response planning is integral to the strengthening of ACT Alliance’s capacity to respond effectively in emergencies through joint programming.
ACT national and regional forums develop emergency preparedness and response plans (EPRPs), working collaboratively to understand potential disaster risks and plan how to respond to emergencies quickly and effectively. Forum EPRPs are accessible by members through an online platform, which can be viewed by other members who may be interested to support them. ACT Forums use specific ACT guidelines and tools to support the process of developing an EPRP which is reviewed regularly.
As part of the holistic and integrated approach to humanitarian response, development and advocacy, ACT’s emergency preparedness and humanitarian response is supported by stronger humanitarian coordination and advocacy with stakeholders and duty bearers.
In the current strategic period our advocacy focuses on three banner commitments to the Grand Bargain at the World Humanitarian Summit where ACT has made significant investments and where member engagement is quite strong: the localisation agenda and the primary role of national/local members and local faith actors; demonstrating the important role of faith actors in humanitarian response; and strengthening of cash-based programming across the humanitarian sector.
The worst flooding since 1998 is scouring the arid landscape of coastal Peru. This Phenomenon has been affecting the country since January 2017. In February, there were damages due to the same reason in other geographical areas affecting 800 people, and an RRF of 59,072 USD was granted by ACT Secretariat to respond to the emergency (RRF04/2017, issued on 17.2.17). The situation in Peru has kept worsening since then. The current situation has exceeded the local capacity to respond, the affected population have increased to 863,000 persons. The ACT Secretariat has approved to add 90,880 USD to the RRF.
Humanitarian needs are wide-ranging. Thus far it is estimated that 29,000 houses and dwellings have been destroyed or collapsed, affecting at least 120,000 people who are in immediate need for alternative shelter and other types of assistance such as water, sanitation and hygiene as well as protection. There is concern that levels of personal hygiene and sanitation are low, increasing risks of disease outbreaks, including acute diarrhoea, dengue and Zika virus. The State of Emergency is in effect in 11 of the country’s 24 departments and one constitutional province, and a Health Emergency has been declared in 8 departments, affecting 655 districts. According to the National Office of Meteorology and Hydrography (SENAMHI, Spanish acronym), the emergency situation is expected to continue until the end of April. In the town of Piura, in Piura region, which is one of the most affected areas
RRFs_Peru_Floods and Mudslides _No. RRF 04/2017 - Rev.1
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Monday 20th February 2017 marked the most historic declaration of famine in parts of South Sudan, affecting mostly Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who are dispersed and the host communities already affected by the on-going conflict. Across South Sudan, more than 3 million people have been forced to flee their homes and nearly 7.5 million people need humanitarian assistance and protection, as a result of multiple and deepening crises, including conflict, inter-communal violence, economic decline, disease, and climatic shocks, which have led to displacement, distress, destitution and death.
South Sudan ACT Forum members CA, DCA, FCA, ICCO-Cooperation, LWF, NCA and PRDA are planning to respond jointly. The key response sectors are Food Security & Livelihoods, Nutrition, WASH and NFIs, as well as Education (EiE) & Psychosocial Support. This intervention will be targeting at least 180,000 severely crisis affected people across South Sudan, with a target of 9,161,771.54 USD.
Appeals_South Sudan_Famine Crisis_SSD171
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On 3 March 2017, Tropical storm Enawo formed in the southern Indian Ocean. The cyclone hit landfall in Madagascar on 7 March at around 10:30 am local time. Enawo is currently equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane. On 8 March, Enawo weakened from an “intense” to a “moderate” tropical storm. The remnants of Intense Tropical Cyclone Enawo exited Madagascar on the morning of 10 March. The storm traversed nearly the length of the island over two days, affecting communities from north to south across Madagascar’s eastern and central regions. The northeastern Sava region has sustained significant damage to housing and agriculture. Antalaha port is inaccessible and more than half of the city’s homes have been destroyed. Farahalana commune is flooded by Lohoko River, with half of all housing under water. In the Analanjirofo region, more than 10,000 people are displaced (IFRC, 8 March 2017). The data collection continues and the floods are generalized through the island. The most recent Sitrep of the National Office for the Management of Risks and Crises (BNGRC) of 15th March 2017 – 06:00 pm gives the following preliminary impacts: 18 dead, 18 disappeared (peoples missing), 250 injured, 424,801 disaster victims, 246,842 displaced persons, 79,071 without shelter identified. ACT Madagascar Forum members, SAF/FJKM and Malagasy Lutheran Church (MLC) in collaboration with the National Office of the Risks and Disasters Management (BNGRC), is planning to respond to assist with:
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Somalia is in the grip of an intense drought, induced by up to 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. 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 2017, 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 2017 and June 2017. 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.
Preliminary forecasts indicate that below average to near average rainfall is expected to prevail across most parts of Somalia during the forthcoming 2017 Gu season (April-June). As a result, only minimal improvements are expected during this time and in some areas further deterioration in food security is possible. This sets the stage for a possible famine in 2017, if the humanitarian assistance does not reach the beneficiaries in time.
ACT Somalia Forum members through NCA, FCA, LWF, Diakonia Sweden and DKH plan to respond by providing Food Assistance, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene facilities and services, Education(school-feeding programs), Health and Nutrition, Cash based interventions, Livestock interventions, as well as Early recovery and Livelihoods support to the affected populations in various Districts in Puntland and Somaliland states.
Appeals_Somalia_ Drought_SOM171
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While Ethiopia continues to pull through from the impact of the El Niño phenomenon-induced drought that left 10.2 million people in need of emergency assistance in 2015/16, the country is facing a new drought, due severe weather conditions - the cumulative effect of the negative Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) and La Niña weather phenomena, causing the failure of the Hageya/Deyr rains (fall rain) in south eastern and eastern parts of the country.
The drought has mainly resulted in severe water shortage and livestock deaths due to lack of pasture and high rate of animal disease. The drought has endangered lives and livelihoods of millions of the pastoralist households in southern and south-eastern lowland areas of the country. It occurred when people and livestock were still suffering from the effects of insufficient March 2016 rains.The Ethiopian Government with its humanitarian partners have issued the Humanitarian Requirement Document (HRD) in mid-January 2017 and declared that a total 5.6 million people are in need of urgent assistance.
A total of USD 948 million has been requested.Members of the ACT Alliance Ethiopia Forum are currently responding to the 2015-16 El Niño-induced drought and are mobilizing additional resources and/or diverting scarce resources to meet urgent needs. CA, EECMY-DASSC, EOC-DICAC, HEKS/EPER, IOCC, LWF and NCA plan to carry out the following proposed preliminary activities: WASH (including provision of drinking water to persons and livestock, provision of water treatment chemicals, maintenance and rehabilitation of water supply infrastructure, as well as hygiene and sanitation promotion), Food Security, Nutrition, Education and Livelihood (including livestock health support and feeding).
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The ZIM161 Appeal has been both revised and extended (for 6 additional months), for the following reasons: i) there are indications of additional funding for the appeal, ii) late receipt of pledged funding for the appeal. iii) an expected peak in the need for food in March-April as people await yields. The proportion of people in need of urgent assistance has increased to 42% of the rural population (ZimVAC, 2016) which is well above the initial projection of 30% used at the planning stage of the appeal. This makes assistance more urgent and critical in the new proposed intervening period of the appeal.
On top of the drought, the crisis started in 2015/16, the incessant rain that Zimbabwe is receiving is already resulting in flash floods that are affecting the logistical movement of grain and foodstuffs. The rains are also disrupting normal agronomic practices such as timely weeding and fertiliser application which might lead to reduced yields. In some areas, the crops have also been affected by armyworm and Agritex reports that in the Matabeleland North Province, 50-70% of the crops have been affected and likely to result in decreased yields.
In Zimbabwe, food security has extremely been compromised by erratic rains in the 2015/16 season. This has put 4.1 million people at risk of starvation during the lean season period of January-March 2017. Highest levels of food insecurity are in the Midlands, Masvingo, Matabeleland South and Matabeleland North provinces. As the 2016/17 lean season approaches no additional assistance has been received from the government, WFP and other aid agencies.
The ACT Zimbabwe forum through DanChurchAid (DCA), Christian Aid (CA) and other local implementing partners have responded to the 2015/16 El Nino induced drought since March 2016. To date, DCA has reached 12 090 and CA 5360 beneficiaries. They will continue contributing to immediate assistance to 27 955 beneficiaries through cash transfer programme to enable households to buy food. Early recovery activities will also be mainstreamed throughout the extension period.
Appeals_Zimbabwe_ Drought in the Midlands, Masvingo, Matabeleland North and South Provinces _ZIM161_Rev.1
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Malawi is experiencing La Nina weather phenomena since onset of the rainy season and many districts have received above normal rainfall triggering flash floods in some of the Districts. Between the 4th and 10th February 2017, heavy rains caused the worst flooding in 4 Traditional Authorities (Ndindi, Pemba, Kambwiri and Maganga) in Salima district. A total of 35,304 people have been affected; of which thousands are displaced and currently dwelling in school blocks. A total 1,827 hectares of agricultural land (crops: maize, rice, cowpeas, cassava and sweet potato) has been washed away together with livestock such as goats and chickens. Household belongings such as food stocks, clothing and kitchen utensils have also been washed away.
To date, no human casualties have been reported however there have been significant reports of injuries caused by the flooding. The displaced population have no food, shelter, sanitary materials, clothing, blankets and kitchen utensils. School children are also affected as their school materials and food rations were damaged.
ACT Alliance Malawi Forum members(Churches Action in Relief and Development (CARD)and Evangelical Lutheran Development Service (ELDS) will respond through Rapid Response Funds mechanism by providing life-saving support to 5,016 affected people in Salima District through provision of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), household Non-Food items (NFIs) and nutrition for under-five malnourished children.
RRFs_Malawi_Floods_No.RRF 05/2017
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The beginning of 2017 entailed arctic cold, which brought a record breaking low temperature and paralyzed some parts of Ukraine, Russia and the whole of Eastern Europe. The temperature in the region dropped to -30°C, resulting in transport collapse and damage to communal infrastructure, disruption of heat and electricity supply, frostbite of hundreds of people and a rapid growth of influenza and other disease rates in many places in Ukraine and Russia. According to official data to date, in Ukraine 40 people have died from the extreme cold conditions and about 900 have sought medical help; and in Russia several thousand people were affected.
The frosts damaged heat systems and led to disruptions of heat supplies. Harsh weather has led to a drop of temperature in the places where Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and non-displaced conflict affected population live in Ukraine, as well as for Ukrainian refugees in Russia. This is especially true in villages in Ukraine, where houses almost never have proper insulation, which means that the temperature inside houses can be around +7 to +9°C. According to the meteorological forecast, Ukraine and Russia expect new bursts of cold weather in February, with temperatures that can plunge down to -20°C.
RRFs_Ukraine and Russia_Cold Snap_No.RRF 03/2017
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Exceptionally harsh winter conditions from the beginning of January 2017, with temperatures at times going down to -30 degrees Celsius, have already claimed lives across Europe - among them refugees from various countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia. The cold wave started already at the beginning of January peaking end of last week and building up to a small – scale emergency. Meteorologists forecast new freezing waves in Serbia, with lots of snow and freezing rain. It is estimated that this winter will be one of the coldest in the last 50 years. Among cold snap affected people are already highly vulnerable refugees/migrants in Serbia.
As a reminder, in May 2015, an influx of refugees/migrants started to pass through Serbia. Very quickly, more than 5,000 persons were entering the territory of Serbia on a daily basis, transiting towards Western and North Europe. However, the closure of national borders along the Balkan route in early 2016 left refugees/migrants stranded in Serbia.
RRFs_Serbia_Winterization support_No.RRF 02/2017
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The 2017 Darfur Programme (DP) Appeal marks the 14th anniversary of the joint Caritas Internationalis (CI) and ACT Alliance (ACT) collaboration which commenced in 2004.
As has been mentioned in previous Appeals, the DP has been able to engage with and respond to the protracted humanitarian crisis that has continued to engulf the country. It has been about 13 years since families have had to leave their homes, their livelihoods and their land. To date, the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has, in the 2016 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) estimated that the ongoing conflict has left around 2 million Darfuri IDPs in need of humanitarian assistance and support. This does not include the impacts stemming from the conflict which broke out in the Jebel Marra (JM) region, in January 2016 which has displaced an additional 82,000 people throughout Darfur (OCHA Humanitarian Snapshot, September 2016).
The Sudanization process continues to be underway throughout the country. While no sign has been made that this government level strategy will come into full force in the year ahead, the DP continues to forge ahead; engagement and support - at all stakeholder levels - will continue, status quo, into 2017 should Sudanization become a clear reality.In line with NCAs revised country strategy and the context of Sudan (particularly Darfur), the DP will be making a solid effort to support its target communities through building ownership of NCA projects to ensure sustainability and long-term support.This will be done through an integrated and holistic approach; looking to all sectors of the DP to work and support one another instead of in sectoral silos. Examples of proven effectiveness can be seen through the efforts of the Ta’adoud project which NCA is an integral part of.
Appeals_Sudan_ Darfur Programme _ SDN 171
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The arctic conditions from the beginning of January 2017 have already claimed lives across Europe. Conditions remain tough and constitute a small-scale, local emergency in south-eastern Romania. The severe winter weather hit Romania a week ago, when it started snowing heavily and temperatures dropped consecutively to -25 degrees Celsius.
The cold snap claimed the lives of many elderly people dying of hypothermia. 40,000 are affected by the weather and cut off by the blizzards in the South and East of Romania and in need of some form of humanitarian assistance. People have been trapped inside their houses leaving many with no access to food and medicine. Furthermore, affected people have no access to safe and sufficient amount of drinking water.
ACT member AIDRom plans to carry out winterization activities in the sectors of Food Security, WASH and NFI for a period of 2 months through the ACT Rapid Response Fund requiring 34,161 USD.
RRFs_Romania_Cold Snap_No.RRF 01/2017
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Powerful Typhoon Nock-Ten or known locally as Nina, packing a maximum sustained winds of 185 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 255 kph, entered the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on December 23. It brought heavy rain and fierce winds. The typhoon made eight landfall-from Bato, Catanduanes; Sagnay, Camarines Sur; San Andres Quezon; Torillos, Marinduque; Verde Island, Batangas; Tingloy Island, Batangas; Calatagan, Batangas; Lubang Island, Occidental Mindoro. Typhoon Nock-Ten is expected to leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Wednesday, December 28. It affected at least 384 barangays (villages) in the four regions of Bicol (Region V), MIMAROPA (Region IV-B), CALABARZON (Region IV-A) and Eastern Visayas (Region VIII).
RRFs_Philippines_ Typhoon Nock-ten_No.RRF 11/2016
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On Thursday, the 30th of June, several cloudbursts caused heavy rainfalls – recorded over 100mm within two hours – which subsequently lead to flooding and landslides in Uttarakhand which were responsible for killing at least 30 people in Pithoragarh and Chamoli districts. Several people are missing and feared to have been washed away in a crisis that brought back memories of the deadly floods in 2013 which claimed nearly 6,000 lives. According to officials from the District Disaster Mitigation and Management Center, in Pithoragarh, eight people were killed due to landslides while in Chamoli, there are five people have died. The incessant rains have halted movement on the Thal-Munsyari road and the Rishikesh-Badrinath National Highway while in Chamoli, the Alaknanda river has surpassed its danger mark. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a yellow code warning for next few days, indicating an alert for the same. It has forecasted that heavy to very heavy rainfall is very likely in isolated places. As per the Meteorological department's benchmarks, this means that there will be rainfall in the range of 60mm-120mm. The alert has been issued for the districts of Nainital, Udhamsingh Nagar, Champawat, Almora, Dehdraun, Uttarkashi, Pauri, Haridwar and Tehri for the next 72 hours. So far, 10 dead bodies have been recovered, while about 17 people are still buried under the debris. In four villages of Chamoli district, six people were killed, while three others are missing. Alerts_15_2016_India_Flooding and Landslides
Now more than a year since Burundi’s current crisis began, more than 140,000 women, children and men 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 in 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. Alerts_07_2016_Scale Up Burundian refugee crisis in Tanzania
On June 19, 2016, life has become unbearable for people in Zota District in Bong County as thousands of very dangerous and destructive insects called army worms invaded towns and villages resulting in the destruction of crops, contaminating drinking water and causing residents to flee. So far, according to information gathered, 12 towns have been affected. Agricultural activities have ceased in these towns, as the people are unable to carry out their farming activities due to the 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 will result because the affected towns and communities will not be able to carry out farming activities this year. Alerts_06_2016_Liberia_Worm Invasion
Since the eruption of the ongoing Syrian conflict millions of people were forced out of Syria. More than 20,000 Syrian refugees came to Armenia. The vast majority of them are of Armenian descendants (the figure announced by the Minister of Foreign Affairs E. Nalbandyan in the EU meeting). UNHCR, Armenia1 gives the figure of 16,623 refugees, asylum-seekers and persons in a refugee-like situation by country of origin reported. Arrivals are ongoing. Only in 2015 and 2016, 3500 people (450 families) fled from Syria to Armenia. Some people come without any documents and means for survival. Alerts_11_2016_Syrian Refugee Crisis in Armenia
On Saturday 21st May 2016, Cyclonic Storm Roanu struck 15 coastal districts of Bangladesh. The death toll in 7 districts was 24 persons. High tidal surge breached embankments in some locations and submerged agricultural land and standing crops. High winds destroyed traditional low cost homes of poor and vulnerable families living inside and outside the embankments. Fully affected families were 29,168 and partially affected 110,684. 500,000 families were moved to cyclone shelters and schools for safety by government, Red Crescent and NGO staff and Volunteers. They have now returned back to their homes. Further heavy rainfall is expected that will aggravate the present situation. Alerts_10_2016_Bangladesh Cyclone
Central America is experiencing the worst drought in decades. Drought is affecting food security for a second consecutive year. More than 4.2 million people are food insecure, severe acute malnutrition in some areas is reported to be as high as 8% and need humanitarian assistance after suffering major losses due to prolonged drought conditions. Predictive models show that El Niño intensity is diminishing in Central America and the Caribbean. It will probably reach neutral conditions (neither El Niño or La Niña) by mid-2016. Alerts_09_2016_El niño Central_America
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration on September 30, 2015 announced that a mature “strong” El Niño has prevailed in the Pacific Ocean affecting the Philippines. 14 provinces in Luzon and 12 provinces in Visayas experience dry spell, while drought is expected to be experienced by 6 provinces in Luzon, 3 provinces in Visayas, and 23 provinces in Mindanao. As of February 2016, the drought has already caused P5.32 billion worth of damages to the agriculture sector alone. The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has reported that at least 100,000 fisher folk are also affected by drought through fish kills and red tide. Alerts_08_Philippines Drought
The plight of Palestinians continues, the combination of the three recent wars among the previous 6 years, insecurity, political instability, political divisions, tight blockade, economic hardships and increasing poverty in the Gaza Strip continues to have a negative impact on the health, wellbeing and economic situation of Palestinians. The blockade policy enforced in 2007 has greatly impeded economic development in the Gaza Strip. The fragile humanitarian situation prevailing in the Gaza Strip following the summer 2014 war on Gaza in which more than 13,000 people were killed and/or injured deteriorated further since the end of the war. A key driver of deterioration is the slow progress in the reconstruction of homes, infrastructure and assets destroyed during the hostilities, compounded by limited available resources and efforts to restore the destroyed livelihood opportunities, as well as the devastating impact of the exposure to conflict-related violence in Gaza on the psychosocial well-being of children, adolescents and families. Alerts_07_ME PSE 2016
Last Friday April 15, at 16.30, a tornado hit the village of Dolores, Dpt. Soriano, 15 km. from the Uruguay River, in south western Uruguay, without warning. Dolores has a population of approximately 20,000. The tornado, considered as an F3, cut through the middle of the town travelling from West to Northeast, destroying everything in its path for 800 m. A third of this city`s population has been affected. Until now, we have registered 4 deaths, 12 persons disappeared, and more than 500 wounded, mostly children. A primary school, the secondary school and the local Hospital are seriously damaged, as well as near 1,000 houses and other buildings. Many of the damaged buildings are still at risk of collapsing. People have been taken in by neighbours and family, others in improvised shelters set up by local authorities. It continues to rain, causing some flooding, making it difficult to save personal belongings from damaged buildings. If the rain doesn`t stop, there will be health problems in addition to the existing housing problems. Alerts_06_Tornado Uruguay
An earthquake of magnitude 7.8 on the Richter scale struck on Saturday night, on the northern coast of Ecuador, with the epicentre 27 kilometres southeast of the coastal town of Muisne and 170 kilometres northwest of Quito the capital city (U.S. Geological Survey). The earthquake occurred as the result of shallow thrust faulting on or near the plate boundary between the Nazca and Pacific plates. It is the most powerful earthquake to hit the region in 36 years. The death toll from the quake has risen to more than 246, Ecuador's Vice President Jorge Glas said Sunday evening on Ecuador TV. At least 2,527 people were injured, he said. Alerts_05_Ecuador Earthquake
Heavy fighting erupted between Armenian and Azerbaijan forces on 2 April along the southern, south-eastern and north-eastern parts of the Line of Contact in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone. This is the largest fighting since the ceasefire agreement of 1994. Official sources from the government of Armenia state that 18 soldiers and 3 civilians (among them a 12 year old school boy) have died and 35 are injured (including 2 children) as a result of the fighting. Unofficial sources estimated this number to be higher. Seriously wounded soldiers are being moved to Armenia. The fighting was most prominent near the villages of Agdere (Martakert), Khojavend (Martouni) and Hadrut (Hadrout). As a result, a total of 14,400 people are affected. According to ACT Alliance member, the Armenian Inter-Church Charitable Round Table Foundation (ART), the majority of the population in the affected territories have been evacuated to the regional centres. AlertS_12_2016_Nagorno-Karabakh-conflict
Chad ranks 185 out of 188 on the Human Development Index and takes the 6th position on the Fragile State Index[1]. In this precarious context, Chad hosts millions of vulnerable people, displaced by violence and conflict in neighbouring countries. Boko Haram attacks in Nigeria, Northern Cameroon and within Chad now exacerbate the challenges of humanitarian response. In addition to floods, droughts and pests, negatively influence agricultural activities, displacement has caused food insecurity and threatened the livelihoods of over 3.4 million people – refugees, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Chadian host communities living nearby the refugee camps. OCHA’s Humanitarian Response Plan for 2016 indicates that 3.9 million people in Chad are directly affected by the four major crises in Chad and the surrounding countries[1]. Chad currently hosts more than 505,370 refugees (377,480 Sudanese, 100,000 CAR and 27,890 from other countries)[2] The ACT Alliance members in Chad sees the urgency to provide immediate life-saving assistance, but also aims to continue building resilient communities that are more self-reliant to meet their livelihood as well as their psychosocial needs. A precondition for sustainable solutions to long-term displacement in Chad is to support peaceful coexistence between long-term displaced populations and their host communities and sustainable use of natural resources (livelihood development). This will reduce tensions and provide mutual benefit for national development, peace and stability in the region. The ACT Alliance does not expect a large return of refugees from Chad to Sudan or CAR. Darfur, Sudan remains a complex crisis and CAR continues to experience insecurity and violence following elections in 2015. Sustainable solutions to long-term displacement in these protracted crises are needed. Chad Alerts 04_2016
Head of Humanitarian Affairs
Global
niall.orourke@actalliance.org
Geneva, Switzerland
Regional Humanitarian Officer
Africa
Caroline.Njogu@actalliance.org
Nairobi, Kenya
Humanitarian Operations Manager
Global
Cyra.Bullecer@actalliance.org
Bangkok, Thailand
Humanitarian Programme Advisor
MENA
Amman, Jordan
Humanitarian Programme Officer
Latin America and the Caribbean
Bogota, Colombia
Finance Coordinator
Global
marjorie.schmidt@actalliance.org
Geneva, Switzerland
