SHARING STRUGGLES - SOUTH TO SOUTH

Amber Çakar, Grants and Partnership Manager of the International Blue Crescent Relief and Development Foundation (IBC) speaks to us about the recent earthquakes in Türkiye, the impacts and what is needed now.

Services for children are a key part of IBC's response  ©IBC

We're a Turkish organization founded in 2000, so we've been around for almost 23 years and have been operating in Türkiye,the MENA region, Eastern Europe, and Southeast Asia for the past 22 years. Currently we have ongoing projects in Türkiyeand eight other countries in the region.
As one of the one of the biggest Turkish organisations, we already had project sites and offices in the areas that were worst affected by the earthquakes.

We already had a well-established community centre in Kilis and a sub office in Hatay for coordination for our northwest Syria projects. We also have an office in Azaz and we've had an office in Damascus since 2007,  when we implemented projects for Iraqi refugees.

From the very first hours after the earthquake struck, we had hundreds of community members coming directly to our Kiliscommunity centre. Luckily that building had a strong structure, so we immediately started coordinating some safe spaces for children, for women and organising clothes and blankets and hot meal distribution which continue today. As part of IBC’s response, we have scaled up dramatically on shelter, food, WASH, psychosocial support, child protection, and health assistance

.

We share a lot of the same struggles so we can share our learning and experiences, south to south.

At this stage there are so many needs still, but I think many international audiences don’t realise how much shelter is still needed. People are living in tents or makeshift shelters, in the bitter cold of winter. This is also a protection and privacy issue, especially for women and children. IBC is focusing on container homes as a more appropriate shelter solution in multiple provinces. One month on, shelter remains a very important need. 

From the very beginning our staff have been active in this emergency and it has affected them quite a lot. Luckily all our staff is accounted for but there were colleagues in other organisations that unfortunately, lost their lives. Even though they are also affected, our staff have continued with their best efforts in the emergency response while dealing with personal tragedy, many sleeping in their cars. We have a colleague in Hatay who lost multiple immediate family memberswho was arranging funerals while coordinating projects and donations at the same time.

I know from the NEAR coordination meetings and the other forums that many other organisations have lost colleagues and we share our heartfelt condolences.
This disaster is on such a massive scale that it is going to take a very long time to recover, this is just the beginning.

We are asking the world not to forget about us and not to give up on supporting us, as there are many organisations like us in the field and there are still many ways to offer support. 
One of the challenges we have experienced in this response is coordination and information sharing at scale. This is an area that we really appreciate about NEAR because they gave us a little push to coordinate and created a space to collaborate and share information between Turkish and Syrian local actors responding to this emergency.  We share a lot of the same struggles so we can share our learning and experiences, south to south.

LOCALISATION: AUTHENTIC OR COSMETIC?

Hassan Jenedie, Executive director of Bousla Development and Innovation, and a member of Voices for Displaced Syrians on what the recent earthquakes in Syria and Türkiye have revealed about the state of localisation and what needs to be done.

Hassan Jenedie greeting colleagues in a camp for displaced people    ©Bousla

“Who were the first responders when the earthquakes hit?

We all know the first 72 hours are critical. After that the search is for bodies not survivors. We didn’t see anyone from the UN or INGOs for 10 days.

Local organisations immediately stepped up and responded with search and rescue, shelter, hot meals, protection, and psychosocial care.

This catastrophe has shown us that localisation should be an authentic concept, not a cosmetic one. We can say that in theSyrian context, we have seen some practical steps and some achievements already. 

The new Solidarity Fund managed by the Syrian Networks League with support from NEAR is a good example because it allowed for rapid and effective support to affected communities. This fund is also a tactical step to show solidarity and raise awareness about the importance of localisation. This is a great example of an agile financing mechanism that is driven by local NGOs. All donors should also work towards channeling high-quality funding as directly as possible to local NGOs.

We know that it is impossible for donors to make any lasting impact unless they work with local partners. The INGOs always say they need more time to work on localisation, so we say, ‘OK if we can’t shift the power immediately, let’s start sharing it, then the shift will come.’
Partnership practices need to be more conducive to localisation. To make impact, people who are affected by the crisis must be part of decision. Any partnership relationship must be a two-way process.

We need a development perspective and more flexible mechanisms to support local NGOs and build them up. Instead, we have a funding system that is rigid and not efficient. Making humanitarian action as local as possible as international as necessary will secure these rapid response and agile mechanisms.

”Who were the first responders when the earthquakes hit? 

Even if we are in an emergency, each INGO expects local partners to complete a long and complicated capacity assessment. This is very time consuming, especially as many organisations do not get funding for overheads, and then after all that there is no allocation. The power imbalance of these ‘partnerships’ starts from this beginning point.”. Surely it would be more efficient if all the INGOs and donors have one unified assessment, so we can get on with our work?

We believe in setting a high bar for ourselves in terms of being accountable and effective when we use donor funds. However, we have been working with some organisations for 10 years, yet they still say we need capacity building. If this is the case, they need to look at their own policy and strategy and see how effective it is.

The mistake is when donors focus only on capacity and not capability. Capacity building focuses on the individual, while capability building focuses on strengthening institutional capability building, and letting the local actors lead.

My plea to donors and INGOs and this is that we need them to advocate for locally led development by using their authority, partnerships, and networks to enhance cooperation with national and subnational authorities as well as community leaders and civil society. The recovery phase from the earthquakes will take a minimum of two to four years. This is an opportunity for donors and INGOs to seriously engage in equitable partnerships to make sure every cent donated is used effectively and that we are accountable to affected communities.”

FIGHTING CHOLERA WITH THE CHANGE FUND

A cholera outbreak has had a severe impact in Malawi, with President Chakwera declaring the outbreak a public health emergency in December 2022.

We spoke with MacBain Mkandawire, Director of Youth Net and Counselling (YONECO), a local NGO that applied for and received a Change Fund grant, about the crisis and their response.

A YONECO event to educate children about cholera ©YONECO

“As YONECO we are there to create a safe, healthy and resilient society that respects democratic values. We are committed to empowering youth, women and children as well as promoting good health and human rights.

We use the community mobilisation technique, which focuses on building community capacity, so they can respond to issues facing youth, women and children. We work in a climate crisis area so humanitarian work is part of our mission. We build communities’ capacities to be resilient, and support them to create their own activities, as well as doing a lot of awareness raising.
We run four national hotlines for children, youth and women, focusing on child protection; gender-based violence; drug and substance use; and one assisting with the general issues young people face. We also have places of safety for women and youth who have been abused or victimised.
We also work in the health sector, and by February we could see the cholera case numbers rising.

We decided to apply for a Change Fund grant after an emergency was declared.
Our goal is to look at preventing infection as well as providing treatment and care, so we are mobilising the communities to change their behavior to prevent further cholera outbreaks. 
We have targeted schools as well as the community at household level. We also offered targeted support to the district health facilities, in collaboration with the district health offices.
Once the Change Fund declared the country in crisis according to its criteria, we had 72 hours to submit the concept note and budget. The grant was very quickly approved and soon the resources were being channeled to us. 
 

Speed is of the essence.
I can say this was a totally unique experience with the Change Fund.

I must say that if more emergency funds worked this way we would be able to save a lot more lives.
For example, we applied to another emergency fund two months ago and had to follow many complicated processes to apply.  We are still waiting to hear the result, while all this time the disaster is getting worse. Speed is of the essence. So, I can say this was a totally unique experience with the Change Fund.

I only wish the Change Fund had larger funds to disburse so we could respond to quickly to emergencies on much wider scale, such as during Cyclone Anna last year. At that time, we applied to another fund, but it took so long to get the funds that the community had already been moved out of the relocation camps by the time it arrived. So, then what do we say?

We need this Change Fund model of fast, flexible funding to be rolled out more widely.”

A CRISIS YEAR FOR AFGHANISTAN

The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is acute and deepening every day, but for many it feels the crisis has been forgotten, as media attention shifts to other emergencies. After a particularly bitter winter, marked by skyrocketing malnutrition rates and a ban on women working, local actors are sounding the alarm at the seriousness of the situation. 
 
We spoke to Shafiqullah Wardak, Director of Afghanistan National Urban and Rural Development Organization (ANURDO) about the most serious challenges facing communities and humanitarians trying to deliver aid. 

We have a number of very serious elements that make up this humanitarian crisis.
 
Firstly, there is a hunger crisis, especially in the rural areas where they have seen drought and food prices are very high. This economy is based 70% on agriculture so the impact of the drought has been severe. Malnutrition is a very big problem and every month the graph showing malnutrition cases goes up. Mothers are not getting enough food to feed their children, and one in three children is suffering from malnutrition.
 
Unemployment is a major factor, especially since the ban on women working. We have many widows because there was a war for 20 years, and they have been supporting their families alone. Now with the ban on women working, they have lost their jobs and their only form of income.
 
Education is also in a crisis, now that girls are not allowed to study, and women are not allowed to teach, and girl children can only attend school until the sixth grade. 
 
There is a massive health crisis in the “white areas” where 25% - 35% of people in Afghanistan.
A “white area” has absolutely zero health care available – no nurse, no doctor, no clinic. Nothing. This creates major health problems, especially for women and children. In these areas there are many cases of women dying during childbirth and the graph showing malnutrition among children is increasing day by day.   
 
Also, in most of the provinces, people are being displaced from the remote areas, and the number of IDPs is increasing. They are moving from one province to another or from the rural areas to the centres of the provinces in search of work or jobs.
 

There is a massive health crisis in the “white areas” which have absolutely zero health care available – no nurse, no doctor, no clinic.
Nothing. 

 
As a local NGO, the political situation is creating several challenges for us. 
Due to the situation, we are unable to retain our expert staff, as we are only able to offer very short-term contract. Most expert staff have going to Europe, America, Canada and other countries, so this creates a big skills gap for us.
 
The ban on female staff makes it very difficult to do our work, as women workers have always been involved in selection of beneficiaries, distribution and community engagement. 
 
We also see a big decrease in donor funds: the United Nations and donor countries have not yet announced their aid, and if their problem with the Afghan government is not resolved Afghans will face a major disaster this year.
 
We are calling on donors to support local and national NGOs with direct funding, because we have the access, and we can implement in the “white areas” and the rural areas.
 
This is a crisis year for Afghanistan – please don’t let us fall off the radar!


 

CREATING SAFE SPACES FOR CHILDREN

The psychosocial impacts of the earthquakes in Syria and Türkiye are severe as will continue to make themselves felt and survivors process their shock and loss.
The effects on children, many of whom fled war and displacement in Syria, are profound and they must be supported, writes Mustafa Alokoud, Executive Director of Hope Revival Organization (HRO)

“We cannot forget the first moments of the earthquake when we woke up, panicked and ran onto the streets in the snow to escape the terrifying earthquake. We were very shocked and panicked when we heard the horrific news about Kahramanmaraş and Antakya in Turkey, and Harim and Jandairis in Syria, where we lost many of our friends and their entire families, as well as 80 NGO employees and four UN staff. 
Thank God, none of our employees, volunteers or their families were lost, but more than half of them had their homes damaged while others lost loved ones. 

Health facilities were overcrowded, basic services were out of order, and basic needs such as food, water and electricity were unavailable.
As humanitarian workers we felt very helpless and afraid and slept in parks and streets, cars, a mosques and shelters.

Like the rest of the community, we were affected like them, and we did not know where or how to start. What motivated us was the courage of some of our colleagues and the speed of their response. 

They did as much as they could with their available resources to ensure safety for survivors and providing mental health and psychosocial support services:

• Non-pharmacological psychosocial support through conducting bio-psychosocial assessments, psychological first aid, and individual sessions to help children and their families deal with these traumatic events.

• Providing awareness-raising and individual and group psychoeducation sessions about mental disorders and reactions.

• Referring those beneficiaries in need of pharmacological intervention to psychiatrists or doctors to provide psychopharmacological or any other necessary services.

• Providing structured and unstructured psychological support to children such as the Teaching Recovery Techniques (TRT) and the resilience programs that helps children deal with fear and anxiety.

• Providing specialised training on how to deal with children, for educational counselors in the directorates of Aleppo and Idleb, in cooperation with Chemonics organisation.

• Providing peer support sessions to the organisation’s employees to ensure their wellbeing.

We are safe now and away from walls or ceilings that might fall on us  at any moment 

During one of the children's recreational activities, a little girl living in a temporary shelter said: "We had many beautiful toys, but the earthquake destroyed them all, but what matters now is that we are safe now and away from walls or ceilings that might fall on us suddenly and at any moment". 

If we had enough capacity, we would provide psychosocial support to all affected children and adults because the difficulties and fear they have experienced, and the associated trauma will take time a long time to be addressed. 

BUILDING THE RESILIENCE OF COMMUNITIES IN KENYA

Simon Wachira, Communications Manager at the Pastoralist Community Initiative and Development Assistance (PACIDA) in Kenya, submitted this story on how his organisation is responding to the worst drought in 40 years. PACIDA is a development and humanitarian organisation that empowers pastoralist communities through sustainable community-driven development interventions. 

A woman participates in PACIDA’s sustainable livelihoods programme.

We have never been this stretched as an organisation. The needs are immense and very diverse: food donation; water trucking; nutritional supplements for children and lactating mothers; and livestock feed to save the remaining stock.

Communities are desperately reaching out to us from every corner of the county as we are the most recognisable humanitarian organisation in Marsabit County. 
Virtually every resident has been left exposed to food shortages, livelihoods loss and vulnerability to mental health challenges. 

It is not humanly possible to address every need and it can be frustrating, even to the strongest, when the need is a basic survival resource like drinking water.

The drought comes while residents are yet to recover from other disruptive disasters such as the recent locust invasion and the Covid-19 pandemic.  The Russian-Ukraine war has led to high food and fuel prices and shortages of essential commodities in Kenya, leaving the poor and vulnerable communities severely exposed. 

January 2023 data from the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) puts malnutrition at over 30 per; farmers have lost 80 percent of their herds; 90 percent of open water sources are depleted; there are increasing cases of inter-communal conflicts as drought and desperation rages. 

The PACIDA team distributing emergency relief supplies.

Tiigo School pupils taking part in the “Greening Marsabit” initiative.

We don’t get direct funding from donors. We get funding through partners as well as intermediaries. We would wish to get direct funding as it would allow us to respond more quickly.

Our theory of change is anchored on working with target communities to identify development challenges and design interventions; as well as collaboration with other stakeholders to address these challenges. All PACIDA interventions are based on the Humanitarian-Development-Peace nexus approach.
 
PACIDA was founded in 2008 by local scholars and development practitioners who were concerned about the huge humanitarian needs, communities’ vulnerabilities, and development gaps in arid and semi-arid regions.
 
Registered as an NGO in Kenya, PACIDA’s programmatic interventions consistently target the arid and semi-arid counties of Marsabit, Samburu and Isiolo. The organisation’s emergency interventions have recently also targeted Turkana and West Pokot Counties. The organisation also targets Southern Ethiopia where it is registered to operate. 
 
PACIDA’s work is hinged on five key areas: Sustainable Livelihoods Development; WASH; Education; Peace, Conflict Management & Governance; and Disaster Risk Reduction & Climate Change Adaptation.
 
I do this work out of my conviction and desire to make the world a better place. I am happier when championing the rights and needs of vulnerable people so that they get support.

As a communication expert, it gives me great satisfaction when I tell real people’s stories that enable them to benefit from interventions and support. I am, for instance, encouraged that I have pushed for media coverage of the drought crisis in Kenya and some communities are benefiting from interventions. I am also incredibly happy when I tell stories of change: before and after. It reminds me of the immortal words of Martin Luther King Jr: “Life's most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?
 
For more information about us, please visit www.pacida.org

and follow us on our social media platforms:

Twitter: @PACIDAKenya    Facebook: PACIDA Kenya 
 
 

NEPAL: Earthquake Resilient Infrastructure for Safer Lives.

A shake-table demonstration for Earthquake Safety Day. Image: NSET

By Nisha Shrestha Director, Strategic Planning National Society for Earthquake Technology - Nepal (NSET)
 
Each year, Nepal observes National Earthquake Safety Day on January 15th or 16th (Magh 2 in the Nepali calendar) in commemoration of the devastating earthquake of 1934, one of the most devastating earthquakes in living memory, where more than 8000 people lost their lives.

This year is the 25th National Earthquake Safety Day, observed throughout the country to make the general public aware about the earthquake risk and the available risk reduction measures and preparedness programs. 

Earthquakes are an unavoidable part of Nepal’s future, just as they have been a part of its past, as Nepal lies in a very active seismic zone. Nepal is ranked at 11th position in terms of global risk for earthquake. The recent magnitude 7.8 earthquake of April 25, 2015 was another big one which claimed the lives of about 9,000 people and destroyed hundreds of thousands of private homes.

“The 2015 Gorkha earthquake was a warning for us: a mega-quake is still due in Nepal, and we need to better start preparing for it. Given how disaster-prone we know Nepal is, we must seriously put our efforts and money into reducing the risks,” says NSET’s Executive Director Surya Narayan Shrestha.

Given how disaster-prone we know Nepal is, we must seriously put
our efforts and money into reducing the risks

It is essential to create awareness among the people as well as the policy makers so that steps can be taken to mitigate or reduce the impact of such disasters.  The day also allows for sharing experiences and exchanging good practices to create a common platform for stakeholders to join hands together to improve seismic safety in Nepal. 

Earthquake Safety Day is the culmination of earthquake risk management work implemented in the country in the preceding 12 months and allows taking stock of the achievements and shortcomings. Many public events such as national meetings, symposia, National Meeting, earthquake safety rallies, exhibition, demonstrations, and learning & sharing programs are organised.

The main slogan this year is "Earthquake Resilient Infrastructure for Safer Lives”. 
 

AFGHANISTAN: the devastating effects of the ban on women NGO workers

The ban on women NGO workers in Afghanistan has had devastating effects and these will only worsen in the coming months, as affected people face a bitter winter, food shortages and unemployment.

Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief and Development (ACBAR), which represents 183 NGOs, has warned that that ban will have a direct humanitarian impact on 11 million women and children.

NEAR spoke to women NGO workers affected by the ban about how this will affect not just their work, but also their lives.

·       We have omitted any identifying details for security purposes.

A protest in support of Afghan women

Woman A:

“I work for a women led, volunteer-based organisation with more than 100 women focusing on community mobilisation, hygiene awareness, mental health and psychosocial support, as well as disaster risk reduction.

Since the new regime took power, life for women changed 180 degrees:  we can’t study, can’t work, can’t go to gym, can’t go to the park… almost everything is banned for women. Life is getting worse, because most families in Afghanistan are women headed households and they were the sole breadwinners. The women banned from working now are begging.

 The overall humanitarian situation is worse than before as most of the emergency response programs in which 60% beneficiaries were women have been suspended.

 Most of the female NGO workers were the only breadwinner for their families and now they are at home. Almost all programs that the worst affected families were providing with assistance have been suspended and people are dying from hunger.

Mentally and physically I’m not in a condition to talk to my children or to cook something. We just lost our last hope which was our work for our family and for the people, and there is no way to run away. I sometimes think that it is better we die instead living this life full of torture.”

A protest after women were banned from education in Afghanistan.

 Woman B:

“Our organisation is a not-for-profit woman led organisation, assisting the most vulnerable people in the society - women and children. We currently have operations in the five provinces of Afghanistan, serving more than 50 000 vulnerable people.

Since the change in regime many limitations have been occurred in lives of women. They do not have access to the most basic rights as human beings. They don’t have access to education. They can’t work. They can’t even travel, which causes major economic and social problems.

Women who are the head of their families are now not allowed to work, and they have no way to support their families. Most female students and workers want to leave the country as they have lost their hope in Afghanistan.

This ban on women working in NGOs will result in the limitation of humanitarian assistance and will directly affect the lives of people in need of emergency assistance.

This ban will severely limit our ability to assist affected people, especially women who are most affected as there will be no female staff to render services. This will cause the suspension of most projects and life for affected people will become harder.

I will continue to play my part in this struggle for the rights of women, although it affects us psychologically. But as an active member of society, it is my responsibility to struggle to win our rights. Soon we will see a change.”

The view from Haiti: cholera, fuel shortages and political violence

NEAR spoke with Aldrin Calixte, a member of NEAR and one of the co-founders of Haïti Survie about the humanitarian crisis is Haiti and the growing cholera epidemic. 

Barricaded roads in Haiti during the current crisis.

What is the current situation in Haiti? 

A fuel crisis and insecurity have affected the normal functioning of hospitals and health centres. Since 2 October the country has recorded almost 7 000 cases of cholera which are spreading from region to region. We need to find an urgent solution to allow the resumption of activities at the level of hospitals and the normal distribution of water. If nothing is done, the country risks experiencing a situation similar to the 2010 health crisis linked to cholera. We continue with the limited means at our disposal to raise awareness in the communities where we are working in the fight against the spread of cholera and at the same time Covid-19 

What triggered the current crisis? 

Since 2018, we have experienced a complicated and difficult socio-political context. We couldn't have the elections in November 2021 and our president was assassinated in July 2021. We had several "lockdowns" of the country. 

Over the past few years, there have been several attempts to increase the price of fuel. As everywhere, fuel is a transversal product that affects all of society and the economy, and like in many countries, the government subsidizes fuel prices. 

 A number of national and international development finance institutions (DFIs) such as the World Bank, believe that this creates a shortfall and prevents government from investing or financing other services such as education and health. 

On September 11 there was an increase in fuel prices between 84% and 124% per gallon of gasoline. 

From September 12 to September 22, the country was completely blocked by gangs and the warehouses of local and international organisations were looted. NGOs regularly pre-position humanitarian necessities, to be ready to respond to crises. The warehouses were full of pre-positioned stock to respond to the hurricane season, but many were looted. 

Tell us about the security crisis that is impacting the whole country 

Since June 2021, we have experienced a difficult security situation as gang activity has reached an unprecedented scale. They block the south of Port au Prince - they block trucks, goods, people - and slow down and sometimes stop the flow of goods and services. This has an impact on the whole country and particularly the provinces which depend greatly on these flows. 

What type of activities can you implement under these conditions? 

Since the earthquake in August 2021 in the southwest of the island, we have been working in the Nippes region. In terms of livelihoods, we supported activities in the agriculture and fishing sector, we built permanent shelters for those who lost their homes and micro-finance for women.  

Since the end of August 2022, we are no longer able to continue to support the various activities. We are no longer able to continue because travel is difficult and very expensive – the prices of fuel and raw materials have soared and have sometimes been multiplied by 10. The price of a kilo of rice in the south of the island by example has gone from 120 gourdes to almost 320 gourdes – if we can find any at all. 

Are there national coordination mechanisms for local and national organisations? 

At the central level we have the Le Cadre de Liaison Inter-Organisations (CLIO)  platform, which is a network of a majority of international NGOs but also local NGOs like Haiti Survie. It is essentially a platform for exchanging information to monitor what is happening at the central level and in the provinces. 

At the sub-regional or municipal level, it is the Directorate of Civil Protection that facilitates exchanges. The local actors have a rather weak position, and the meetings are mainly made up of international actors. 

What needs to be done? 

The security situation is due to arms trafficking between Haiti and the United States of America – if this were resolved, it would greatly help to find a solution for the security situation. 

Donor countries need more and better funding for local actors so that they can fully play their role with communities and meet their needs. 

To improve security, it is important that the international community mobilises and asks the government to manage the situation. 

WORLD HUMANITARIAN DAY 2022: FOCUS ON LOCAL LEADERS

Crespo Mubbalya – African Women and Youth Action for Development, Uganda

I work on partnership, advocacy, influencing and resource mobilisation.

AWYAD works in a number of areas such as emergency response, education, nutrition and WASH, but we are best known for our work in protection.

We specialise in interventions on peaceful co-existence between host communities and refugee communities.  This is a very big role that local actors play, because when issues of resource sharing arise between the host communities and refugees, we are always there to foster dialogue.

We respond to cases of violence against women and children to make sure they receive the assistance they need. We also do direct emergency response implementation such as cash transfers and food distribution because we need to ensure people can access food and and cash in a dignified way.

Also, we run projects in a more cost-effective way. Local organisations should have a much bigger role to play in implementation of projects. The role INGOs should take is that of supporting local organisations to meet humanitarian standards and to build capacity.

During the Covid-19 outbreak, the value of local humanitarians really become obvious: all the INGOs told their staff to stay home, but we kept working because the needs of the people had to be met.

Local humanitarian workers are necessary if you want a project to be sustainable, because they remain as reference points in the community.