Tens of thousands of people are trying to escape the city of Goma, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after authorities issued an evacuation order warning that Mt Nyiragongo volcano could erupt again. In the afternoon of Saturday the 22^nd of May 2021, the town of Goma and its surroundings in North Kivu Province, experienced a sudden eruption of Nyiragongo volcano. Mount Nyiragongo is one of the world's more active volcanoes but there were concerns that its activity had not been properly observed by the Goma Volcano Observatory. At least 32 persons are feared dead, 40,000 people are currently internally displaced in DRC while 7,000 persons have fled to Rwanda as refugees.  Access to basic health and education services in Goma is disrupted due to destroyed roads; electricity, and water supply networks. There is a likelihood of an outbreak of water-borne disease, many are still injured/ suffering burns, while others are suffering from psychosocial stress. ACT DRC national members BOAD and Eelco are working on a Rapid Respond fund request to respond to the life-threatening needs of displaced persons. CWS and Christian Aid are working on a regional appeal to respond to the needs of the internally displaced persons in DRC and refugees in Rwanda. DRC_ Volcanic Eruption.

As of 17 May 2021, a total of 198 Palestinian people were killed in Gaza, including 58 children and 35 women, and 1,300 people injured, including 313 children and 206 women according to the Palestinian Ministry of health. On the Israeli side, 10 people in Israel, including one soldier, have been killed and hundreds have been injured as a result of the escalating conflict between Israel and the Hamas. More than 47 education facilities, 132 buildings (commercial and residential), 316 housing units have been severely damaged, and rendered uninhabitable, about 206 housing units have suffered major damage, and 6,268 housing units have sustained minor damages leaving over 2,500 people homeless and more than 42,000 IDPs. This conflict came amidst and on top of the pandemic crisis and it’s economic predicament that will surly exacerbates the already fragile health and economic situation in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip. The ACT Palestine Forum is planning on submitting an appeal to ensure that the affected persons’ basic needs are met with regards to Shelter/ NFI’s, food assistance, Health, Protection/MHPSS, CASH and WASH including the response to COVID-19. Alert- Conflict in Palestine

Second wave of COVID-19 in Nepal started from mid-April 2021 and the daily infection rate has intensely increased to almost 10,000 person per day from 300+ person per day within a month. There is no signal of slowing down of infection rate despite localized (district based) lockdowns called by the Government on 29th April 2021. Currently 72 districts (out of 77 districts) are under full lockdown situation. Nepal's Prime Minister has already called for international assistance to help them with this crisis. There is high influx of COVID-19 patients in national and provincial capitals and district headquarters, where large numbers of active cases are isolated in their own houses. The hospitals in district/provincial centres are already running out of oxygen, medicines, and medical supplies, and it is expected to further worsen and go out of control if the condition of in-house isolated case deteriorates and need of medical assistance increases. Nepal has limited production of medicines and medical supplies and largely depends on Indian production, and the supply from India market is totally disturbed as India is also affected by COVID-19. ACT Nepal forum plans to raise an appeal and aims to start it response in the coming weeks with a plan to reach at least 200,000 households in provinces 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. The initial intervention will focus on supporting the health centres on emergency health support materials and equipment, communicating to the communities on COVID-19 prevention and control, increase access to health and hygiene facilities including COVID vaccine preparedness initiatives. Community based psychosocial service (CBPSS) will be mainstreamed in its intervention. ACT response will also support government and community run heath institutions to render quality and efficient health services to the infected cases. Cash based intervention (CBI) will be undertaken where feasible and applicable. Alert Nepal Covid Crisis    

India’s total number of COVID-19 cases has dramatically risen to over 18 million as of 29 April, with more than 300,000 cases reported for seven straight days and with no immediate signs of slowing down. These have been the highest numbers of reported cases and deaths since the pandemic started, and medical experts believe that the numbers are even higher with many cases not reported from rural areas. The reported national fatality rate is at 1.11%, with medical supplies running out especially oxygen, and that people have been resorting to the black market. Hospitals and crematoriums alike are overwhelmed, and hotels and railway coaches are being converted into critical care facilities to make up for the shortage of hospital beds. It is predicted that after Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state in India, will emerge as the next COVID-19 hotspot in the country. The state may report over 1.9 million daily cases by the end of April. Maharashtra and Gujarat in the west, Haryana in the north, and Madhya Pradesh in central India are all facing an oxygen shortage. In the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, some hospitals have put "oxygen out of stock" boards outside, and in the state capital Lucknow, hospitals are asking patients to move elsewhere. ACT India Forum has convened and agreed to raise an appeal, and the initial intervention will be to support people that are sick at home or quarantined with cash to buy their medicines and other emergency needs. Implementing members will also focus on communicating to the communities about infection prevention and control including information on vaccines, and they will be working with churches and other faith leaders to this end. A Global Coordination Call is being organized by the ACT Secretariat on Monday, 03 May 2021 to understand the needs and coordinate a timely and efficient ACT response.   Alert India Covid-19 Crisis  

On Sunday morning, April 4, 2021, flash floods and landslides caused significant damage in 11 districts of East Nusa Tenggara: Flores Timur, Malaka, Lembata, Ngada, Alor, East Sumba, Sabu Raijua, Rote Ndao, South Timor Tengah, Ende, and Kupang city. In Timor-Leste, over 76 percent of the affected population are in Dili, the country's capital. Indonesia National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB) reported around 55 casualties and 24 people missing in Indonesia and several areas are still submerged by floods and mud. UN agencies reported about 12,980 people were affected in both Indonesia and Timor-Leste. Seven other municipalities were affected in Timor-Leste with 21 reported casualties. A total of 256 people were evacuated in the East Flores area. Seventeen houses were washed away, and 60 houses were submerged in mud, with five bridges became inaccessible in three affected villages. In East Sumba District, 54 households or 165 people were displaced, while another 109 households or 475 people were affected by the flood, and 19 villages were affected. In Malaka District, 22 villages are inundated by flash floods, and yet so far still no further information for any victims that has been recorded, but most of the community is still flooded. ACT Indonesia Forum (ACTIF), through Indonesia Christian Association for Health Services (ICAHS/PELKESI) and YAKKUM Emergency Unit (YEU), plan to respond in East Nusa Tenggara through ACT Alliance’s Rapid Response Fund (RRF). PELKESI is supported by their local partners, CD Bethesda, GKS Synod, and Lindimara Hospital.  They are conducting their rapid assessment and plans to provide health services, shelter materials, food, drinking water, and protection services. YEU has started distributing materials to provide soup kitchens in Flores in collaboration with the local church, GMIT Synod. Church World Service is responding in Dili, Timor-Leste using their own funds initially distributing hygiene kits and household cleaning items to help the affected residents. ALERT Indonesia and Timor Leste Flash Floods

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 protests, COVID-19 pandemic, dangerous depletion of resources, Beirut port explosion on August 4th, 2020, protracted absence of a functional cabinet and overlapping economic, financial and social crises, Lebanon grapples to survive on the edge of collapse. The ACT Lebanon Forum is planning on submitting a funding proposal to ACT Secretariat to ensure that the affected persons’ basic needs are met with regards  targeting Shelter/ NFI’s, food assistance, Health, Protection/MHPSS, WASH including the response to COVID-19, Early recovery/livelihood,  Education and CASH assistance  sectors. Lebanon Crisis- Alert

Since the year 2021 began, people in South Sudan continued to suffer with high humanitarian needs. Protracted conflict and negative impact of floods, COVID-19 and desert locusts has contributed to an extended and complex humanitarian crisis. The complex humanitarian situation reveals that over 8.3 million about one- third of the total population in South Sudan are estimated to need humanitarian assistance in 2021 according to the findings reflected in the Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO,2021). The ACT  South Sudan forum is planning an a response to provide sufficient food, adequate nutrition, safe shelter & NFIs, livelihood activities, safe drinking water, sanitation & hygiene infrastructure, GBV/ protection and education services to  the crisis affected people. Alert-South Sudan Complex Humanitarian Crisis

The southern part of Madagascar has been affected by famine, caused by three years of consecutive drought. The affected region has experienced poor harvests due to lack of rain and the effects of thunderstorms, which have destroyed farm crops. The effects of the famine are exacerbated by the effects of COVID-19 that has caused a lack of jobs and a closure of markets. Many households are surviving on exceptionally low incomes due to loss of livelihoods and many are migrating in search of food and work consequently, school dropouts are common. ACT Local member SAF/FJKM are monitoring the situation and coordinating regional response efforts. Madagascar_Famine

In the afternoon of Saturday the 23rd January 2021, the province of Sofala in Mozambique, was hit by a tropical storm ELOISE. Several parts of central Mozambique have been flooded after Cyclone Eloise struck near the port city of Beira with wind speeds of up to 160km/h. Water levels were already high, even before the tropical cyclone made landfall, causing several rivers in the region to burst their banks. More than 1,000 houses have been destroyed and another 3,000 badly damaged. It is reported that more than 160,000 people are already directly affected in Beira according to Mozambique's National Institute for Disaster Management and Reduction. Preliminary reports also indicate that nearly 7,000 people have been displaced and more than 5,000 houses have been destroyed, damaged, or flooded, in Buzi, Dondo and Nhamatanda, according to the preliminary data from the Government. These numbers could rise in the days ahead as the full extent of the damage becomes known. Cyclone Eloise is heading towards Zimbabwe and bringing heavy rainfall to the far north of South Africa, and eastern Botswana. ACT Mozambique Forum member CEDES are conducting assessments in the affected regions. Mozambique_Tropical Storm Eloise

In the afternoon of Saturday the 23rd January 2021, the province of Sofala in Mozambique, was hit by a tropical storm ELOISE. Several parts of central Mozambique have been flooded after Cyclone Eloise struck near the port city of Beira with wind speeds of up to 160km/h. Water levels were already high, even before the tropical cyclone made landfall, causing several rivers in the region to burst their banks. More than 1,000 houses have been destroyed and another 3,000 badly damaged. It is reported that more than 160,000 people are already directly affected in Beira according to Mozambique's National Institute for Disaster Management and Reduction. Preliminary reports also indicate that nearly 7,000 people have been displaced and more than 5,000 houses have been destroyed, damaged, or flooded, in Buzi, Dondo and Nhamatanda, according to the preliminary data from the Government. These numbers could rise in the days ahead as the full extent of the damage becomes known. Cyclone Eloise is heading towards Zimbabwe and bringing heavy rainfall to the far north of South Africa, and eastern Botswana. ACT Mozambique Forum member CEDES are conducting assessments in the affected regions. Mozambique_Tropical Storm Eloise

In the evening of Tuesday 19^th January 2021, at 7.30 p.m. local time, the region of SAVA in Madagascar, was affected by an intense tropical cyclone from the Indian Ocean named ELOISE (Meteorological department Madagascar). Tropical cyclone Eloise came with winds reaching up to 100 Km/hour, touching  the south of Antalaha district. The cyclone has also brought heavy rains of 100mm over 24 hours to several districts in the North West coast of Madagascar. Homes have been damaged and agriculture land destroyed leaving a high possibility of landslides. The intense tropical storm is foreseen to pass the Region of Analanjirofo, Sofia, Boeny and Melaky. The dire situation is further compounded for the cyclone affected people with vulnerabilities and those belonging to a lower cast. Affected households are living with limited food stocks. ACT Madagascar forum member SAF/FJKM (The Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar) is ready to respond, by providing basic immediate needs to the  affected persons in the coming weeks. Madagascar_Cyclone Eloise

In the evening of Tuesday 19^th January 2021, at 7.30 p.m. local time, the region of SAVA in Madagascar, was affected by an intense tropical cyclone from the Indian Ocean named ELOISE (Meteorological department Madagascar). Tropical cyclone Eloise came with winds reaching up to 100 Km/hour, touching  the south of Antalaha district. The cyclone has also brought heavy rains of 100mm over 24 hours to several districts in the North West coast of Madagascar. Homes have been damaged and agriculture land destroyed leaving a high possibility of landslides. The intense tropical storm is foreseen to pass the Region of Analanjirofo, Sofia, Boeny and Melaky. The dire situation is further compounded for the cyclone affected people with vulnerabilities and those belonging to a lower cast. Affected households are living with limited food stocks. ACT Madagascar forum member SAF/FJKM (The Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar) is ready to respond, by providing basic immediate needs to the  affected persons in the coming weeks. Madagascar_Cyclone Eloise