Mozambique cyclone, refugee camps, latest from Venezuela, and helping Christchurch

+ Mozambique's Cyclone causes devastation 

Ten days ago, Cyclone Idai, one of the most devastating storms to hit Africa in decades, made landfall in Mozambique with sustained winds of 120 mph (195 kph), damaging or destroying thousands of structures,

Pictures of the devastation give you an idea of the enormity of the damage (from The Atlantic.)

Cyclone Idai death toll passes 750 with more than 110,000 now in camps.

The country is now struggling with floodwaters, according to Aljazeera's Enoch Muchinjo.

Responses have been scaled up in recent days:

Zimbabwe has also been hit. According to the ABC, at least 154 people have been reported dead, 162 others injured, 136 marooned and 187 missing as of Saturday, according to Zimbabwe's Ministry of Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting.

Globally, the response includes the following organisations:

• Americares has deployed a team to Mozambique to assess health needs and coordinate emergency shipments of medicine and relief supplies for survivors. You can donate to Americares Worldwide Disaster Relief Fund here to support its response to the cyclone.
• CARE has emergency experts in Mozambique assessing the damage while providing search and rescue support around the hard-hit city of Beira. They are working to provide much-needed supplies to the area, including tents, buckets, tarps, blankets and hygiene kits. The organization also has teams on the ground in Zimbabwe and Malawi to assess the needs of the affected communities. You can make a donation here to support their efforts in southern Africa.
• Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres has teams in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi assessing the damage, trying to reach hard-hit communities and working to deliver medical kits as well as water and sanitation supplies to those in need. You can make a general donation here.
• Humanity & Inclusion has 40 staff members on the ground, including a small team in Beira. The group has worked in Mozambique since 1986, tackling issues stemming from the country's 25-year-long civil war with a focus on people with disabilities. Staff members are currently working to clear roads to rural communities cut off from humanitarian aid in the wake of the cyclone. You can make a donation to support their efforts here.
• The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has an emergency response unit in Beira that will provide sanitation for 20,000 people every day. Another emergency response unit is expected to arrive in the coming days and will provide clean water for 15,000 people a day. Two emergency field hospitals are also en route to Mozambique to provide urgently-needed medical care. You can donate to their Mozambique campaign here.
• The International Rescue Committee has launched an emergency response for people displaced by the cyclone in eastern Zimbabwe. The organization has teams on the ground in the hardest-hit areas providing medical care and emergency supplies for the most vulnerable. You can donate to support their efforts here.
• Oxfam has teams assessing the needs of people worst affected in all three nations. You can make a general donation here.
• Save the Children has delivered at least 51 metric tons of humanitarian aid to Mozambique, including tarps, buckets, and tents. The organization is also working to provide displaced families with kits for water purification and hygiene. An estimated 350,000 children in Martinique alone are said to be in dire need of immediate relief. You can donate to support their efforts here.

So far, these CID members either have appeals or are responding to the emergency for Mozambique:

+ How to help in Christchurch

Latest update:

International

*** International Offers of Assistance – If unsure of who to contact, please send these to CID at code@cid.org.nz or +64 21 1970 878, and we will ensure these are forwarded to the appropriate MFAT/ NCMC contact points *** 

NZ Government

Emergency visa Info for families of Christchurch victims – covers information and contact details for family or friends needing to come to New Zealand urgently.
 
ACC Financial Support – ACC is offering financial support to those who have been injured or have lost a loved one in Friday's mosque shootings. You can find details on how to access ACC's financial support on their website.
 
Local Government

Other offers of Assistance – Anyone wanting to offer practical assistance to those affected by Friday’s tragedy can call the Christchurch City Council Contact Centre on 941-8999 (or 0800 800 169) or mailto:info@ccc.govt.nz. Staff will record all offers of assistance and forward them to the appropriate agencies.
 
Canterbury Charity Hospital Trust – The Canterbury Charity Hospital will be providing free counselling sessions for locals in need of support this week. People seeking free counselling from the hospital can make an appointment by calling 03 360 2266 (on week days), 020 4098 0750 (out of hours), or emailing info@charityhospital.org.nz.
 
Mental Wellbeing Support - Canterbury District Health Board has trained counsellors available, so if anyone requires mental wellbeing support or advice they can call or text 1737.
 
Civil Society & Other Services

Immediate Support:

• Lifeline's 24-hour telephone counselling service - 0800 543 354
• Depression Helpline (8 am to 12 midnight) - 0800 111 757
• Youthline - 0800 376 633, free text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz
• Samaritans – 0800 726 666
• Victim Support – 0800 842 846

FIANZ Crisis Response Office in Christchurch – The Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand have set up a crisis centre in Christchurch to offer 24-hour support and information. Please contact 0220786262 (Sultan Eusoff) should you need further information. Please also see the letter from the FIANZ President.
 
Support the Muslim community – Council of Christians and Muslims urges all to reach out to Muslim neighbours, work mates, and friends. The immediate need is to offer love, support, sympathy and space to grieve in the short-term. The longer-term need being to continually build understanding, and addressing inherited prejudice and misunderstandings that separate communities. Please also see the resources from PreemptiveLove.
 
New Zealand Red Cross RFL – New Zealand Police has a MoU withanNew Zealand Red Cross to help restore family links (RFL), or for individuals to indicate they are safe and well, following a disaster or incident such as the Christchurch shootings.  Please contact Restoring Family Links or call 0800 115 019 if you or a colleague is trying to find or reconnect with someone whom might be affected by this event.
 

​+ DONATIONS IN SUPPORT OF V ICTIMS AND FAMILIES

• Donations are still being accepted by the Muslim Association of Taranaki - Humanitarian Appeal Fund which has been set up to assist in the relief efforts for the Muslim Community in Christchurch. TSB Bank: 15-3953-0357272-03 Reference: Christchurch.
• Donation are being accepted by the  Canterbury Muslim Community Trust.   A finance committee has been established to manage the funds. CMCT Bank Account No:  38–9016-0346947-01 Ref:  ChCh Muslims
• Donations are being accepted for The Christchurch Foundation's Our People, Our City Fund at most banks or by bank transfer to the following bank account: The Christchurch Foundation 15-3976-0091104-80. The foundation will work with Muslim communities to distribute the fund.

Al Manar Trust – This trust has launched an emergency appeal for victims to offer help from the community around New Zealand to support the affected families. 
 
NZ Victim Support - The New Zealand Council of Victim Support Groups has also set up a GiveALittle crowdfunding campaign. All donations received to the page will provide support and resources for people, and their family members, impacted by the shootings in Christchurch.
 
NZ Islamic Information Centre - The New Zealand Islamic Information Centre (NZIIC) has established a crowdfunding campaign on Launchgood. All funds raised distributed to the victims and families affected by the Christchurch attack. All proceeds will go towards helping with their immediate, short-term needs.
 
+ FURTHER RESOURCES
·         How to talk to your kids about trauma
·         How to cope after a traumatic event (Arabic) – attached
·         How to support your kids after a traumatic event (Arabic) attached
·         How to talk to children about violence and terrorism
·         How to enhance community resilience following violence and terrorism
·         How to cope with traumatic media
·         How to help with traumatic stress
·         How to maintain workplace mental wellbeing
·         How to maintain personal mental wellbeing
·         How to look after yourself and your family when there’s a crisis 
 
+ OTHER ACTIONS

1. Watch the short film ‘Coffee & Allah’, a story of alienation, connecting and hope by Samoan director Sima Urale. The film was made in 2007, but the story and message strongly resonates especially today.
2. Volunteer to help migrants or former refugees get their driver’s license through the Open Road programme.
3. Support organisations such as Ethnic Women’s Trust and the many Social Enterprises that provide livelihoods for migrants and former refugees.
4. Consider supporting the Action Station petition for urgent action to address significant threats online hate, harassment and abuse is causing to New Zealanders.
5. Further strengthen your support for the Muslim community with these 5 things you can do today, from the organisationPreemptive Love.
6. Download the Human Rights Commission ‘Give Nothing To Racism’ organisational toolkit.
7. Help your friends and family to address casual racism using these guidelines from Amnesty International.
8. Commemorate the 10-year anniversary of NZ’s Neighbourhood Week on 22^nd – 31^st March.
9. Volunteer to support English language training for migrants and former refugees settling in New Zealand.
10. Consider doing Psychological First Aid (PFA) training with the New Zealand Red Cross. PFA provides initial emotional and practical support to someone who has experienced a traumatic event; either a large-scale disaster or a personal traumatic incident.
11. Listen to the award-winning 2017 pod-casts ‘Public Enemy’ about growing up Muslim in Australia and New Zealand, about how policies, elections and xenophobia impacts on lives.

+ What's going on now in Venezuela?

Here is a good podcast to better understand the political and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela.

With thanks to Lowy's Aid Links.

+ Yazidi teens demand freedom for women captured by ISIS

ACFID reported this week on teenagers like Yvette Hasan who talks about her fears for the Yazidi people.

The 15-year old is from Iraq and has been in Australia for three years.

She is part of a group of 100 Yazidis who travelled from Wagga Wagga to draw attention to the plight of the Yazidi people in a rally outside the Australian Parliament House this week.

+ Special Expert opportunity with CID Code of Conduct Committee
 

We are currently looking for a Special Expert to be part of the Code of Conduct Committee (CCC), a CID subcommittee. The aim of the CCC is to provide assurance to CID members, donors, the public and partners that the CID Code is being implemented effectively. 

The key responsibility of the Special Expert is to provide expert advice to the CCC on:

• Accountability - Implementation, monitoring and review of effective accountability mechanisms for civil society organisations.
• Compliance issues - Compliance issues, implementation, monitoring and review of compliance in relation to the Code of Conduct.
• Complaints Mechanisms - Complaints handling and investigation including the development of relevant policies and procedures and non-judicial dispute resolution.

The Special Expert should not be a current employee, volunteer or board member of a CID member organisation.

Please let your networks know about this opportunity, and we would love to hear from a broad range of individuals as possible. 

Please contact Aaron Davy if you require further information, including a copy of the CCC ToR or position description. 

The closing date for CID to receive expressions of interest for the Special Expert is 9th April.

+ Blockchain for development 

Josh Hallwright, program lead for the Australian Humanitarian Partnership for Oxfam Australia, makes the case for Blockchain for development, highlighting the importance of the collaboration between international civil society and the private sector. 

With thanks to Lowy's Aid Links.

+ A great experiment - making refugee camps liveable 

The goal: 'To build a livable city out of a refugee camp, one that might endure even if the refugees can return home someday.'

From Duncan Green's twitter feed, here is an Interesting National Geographic long read on an experiment in Uganda, taking a very different approach to South Sudan refugees.

"A great experiment is underway in Uganda. An industrial skyline of water and cell towers hovers over sturdy mud huts and small farm plots. Schools and health centres are built from brick, slathered in concrete, and fitted with glass windows. Taps run freshwater, and small solar panels power streetlights, as well as radios, blasting music from barbershops, televisions airing soccer matches in community halls, and cell phones snaking from charging stations in shops," writes Nina Strochlic. 

"In camps around the world, refugees live crammed in tents, makeshift shelters, or metal dwellings. They’re restricted by laws that make work and movement outside the camps impossible."

"In Uganda, under one of the world’s most progressive policies, those who’ve fled civil war in South Sudan can live, farm, and work freely."

+ Why elections in Africa matter 

Abdi Latif Dahir and Yomi Kazeem explain why democratic elections in Africa have such a strong impact on the continent’s economy.

With thanks to Lowy's Aid Links.

+ CID Conference and MFAT Partnership Day 2019

Our conference website is live - http://www.cidconference2019.com/

Further information on the event will be added during the year, with updates announced through the CID weekly.  So watch this space!

+ And for some light relief...

A collection of the best aid parodies around. 

+ Digital finance boosts access to basic services

Access to clean water remains a luxury in many parts of the world. About 700 million people lack a clean water source, and it is estimated that 842,000 deaths per year could be prevented by improved access to water — a third of them children, according to CGAP.

"One of the most difficult challenges in expanding access to clean water is helping water utilities become financially resilient in low-income areas, where revenue is generally low and operating costs are high. CGAP is exploring financial solutions that can help put water utilities on the path to sustainability by lowering costs."