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Emergency Aid

ICCO and Kerk in Actie jointly provide emergency aid when natural disasters strike in the form of floods, droughts, earthquakes, etc. In such circumstances we are not limiting ourselves to direct aid: we also seek to effectuate improvements for the long term.

When there is an earthquake, flooding or a sudden explosion of violence, rapid help is essential. For humanitarian aid, ICCO has a joint emergency unit with Kerk in Actie, the programme for missionary and diaconal work of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands. We are members of the ACT Alliance (Action by Churches Together). In this global consortium, we choose to provide aid through local partner organisations that have access to the victims and the disaster area. ICCO and Kerk in Actie are also members of the Samenwerkende Hulporganisaties (Combined Aid Organisations, SHO), a consortium of Dutch aid agencies. 

Reconstruction in the wake of the tsunami

ICCO and Kerk in Actie provided emergency aid following the 2004 tsunami in South East Asia. Our first priority was crisis relief. People were in urgent need of shelter, food, healthcare and water. Next were the restoration of roads, bridges, schools and clinics. ICCO and Kerk in Actie's aim was to make the post-tsunami situation better than things were before and we managed to achieve that objective in many places.

Forgotten disasters
ICCO also provides emergency aid for ‘forgotten disasters', for example in Birma, Liberia and Congo. A recent example is the extreme drought in the Horn of Africa. Campaigns and donations have helped raise the money to provide emergency aid to people who, as a result of the drought, were left without food supplies and sources income. Together with local organisations and communities, ICCO and Kerk in Actie also invested in long-term food and water facilities.

Prevention and local aid

Prevention is an important component in of ICCO and Kerk in Actie's emergency aid programme. In parts of Central and Latin America, trees are being replanted to prevent the occurrence of mud slides. In addition, there has been a significant increase in the knowledge of disasters and disaster prevention. Local organisations and governments are increasingly capable of providing efficient emergency relief when floods or hurricanes strike.

Cooperation with the ACT Alliance

ICCO and Kerk in Actie frequently join forces with the ACT Alliance, a global alliance of churches and related organisations aimed at eradicating poverty, injustice and the abuse of human rights, as well as saving lives and supporting communities in emergencies. ACT comprises over a hundred churches and church organisations. When disaster strikes, ACT coordinates the emergency relief efforts on behalf of its member organisations. The alliance also works on strengthening the capacity of local partner organisations, so that they will be able to independently provide emergency aid in the future.

Examples

The North and South Kivu provinces in East Congo regularly suffer violent conflicts. ICCO has been present in the region for some time with emergency aid and development programmes. A disadvantage of emergency aid programmes is that they often have to be carried out in a very short time. Emergency aid can contribute to structural development if proper aftercare is provided: establishing water committees and infrastructure maintenance ownership can help to achieve this. Everyone needs water, including new inhabitants and refugees. Cooperation with regards to water management can contribute to peace: people have no choice but to come to an agreement. This aftercare is now given in East Congo. Two platforms were formed in the field of water management (REHA and PEHA, in North and South Kivu). A new phase, started in 2008, is giving more attention to acquiring knowledge and knowledge management than previously. A water-technical consultant assists both platforms in order to identify knowledge and educational needs within the member organisations. ICCO closely cooperates with PROTOS in the East Congo water programme.

Successfull (pag. 88 - ICCO Year Report 2008)

The Tsunami-programme was completed within three years. Thirty million euros were spent and accounted for and overheads were less than 6 %. We are able to prove, despite some negative publicity, that our local partners have done their job well. ICCO & Kerk in Actie caught the eye because of their large number of local partners (we cooperated with over one hundred partners). The challenge for ICCO & Kerk in Actie was that working with various small partners not only provides an opportunity to work closer to the people, but at the same time requires a lot of support, for instance to meet reporting obligations. This SHO Tsunami programme was evaluated extensively and the lessons learnt will be included in new programmes.

Successfull (pag. 106 - ICCO ear Report 2008)