Greater flexibility for efficient and long-term response to displacement

In 2020, ACTED embarked with the European Union Humanitarian Aid department on a three-year Programmatic Partnership (PP) for coordinated action for in camp and out-of-camp settings.

The partnership aims at supporting displaced populations in Syria, Iraq, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Somalia, Burkina Faso, Nigeria and Uganda, nine countries that are experiencing some of the longest and most dramatic humanitarian crises in the world, and where conflict, locust invasions, droughts and floods worsened by climate change as well as epidemics have contributed to mass displacements and loss of livelihoods.

Displaced populations are among the most vulnerable communities, often living in substandard and densely populated settlements, and lacking access to basic services. This intervention provides vital assistance such as water and food, hygiene items and a shelter to more than one million people who have lost everything and enables them to reconnect to a better life and find durable solutions to emerge from the crisis.

This crucial programme came at a time the number of displaced people is the highest ever, with over 100 million displaced worldwide, 80% of whom are hosted by developing countries.

The programme allows a flexible and long-term response to address the needs of displaced populations. The multi-annual versus the usual annual financing modality ensures greater funding predictability and a more efficient response, by allowing to implement a “phased approach”. During phase 1 (set-up phase), we carry out household registration, site planning/layout, site maintenance and improvements, and support governance structures, community groups, and complaints and feedback mechanisms; in phase 2 (reinforce phase), we strengthen local authorities’ and partners’ service provision capacity and scale down site maintenance support, while scaling up community ownership; phase 3 links affected communities with development actors, focusing on training, mentoring and shadowing local authorities or local partners to ensure handover of activities.

The innovative approach of the programme allows for greater flexibility in the humanitarian response to make sure basic needs are met, and supports community governance and local authorities to independently manage displacement sites and camps. The multi-annual funding modality enables greater funding predictability to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches beneficiaries in the most efficient way.