The eighth Start Fund response is now under way after NGO staff in Kathmandhu awarded £99,807 to two agencies. The funded agencies, Handicap International and Plan, will begin implementing their projects within the next 6 days in the hope of reaching 12,833 vulnerable people.
On Monday the Start Fund was alerted following the recent flooding in Nepal, which escalated between the 15th and 19th August due to heavy rainfall. The alert note described how “the western part of Nepal was affected by a large number of localised flash floods affecting a total of 28,656 families in 4 districts,” and that "specific needs of vulnerable groups are not addressed by the immediate response, and that their situation is not given special consideration in recovery plans." The ongoing rainfall means that further escalation is a continuing concern.
The Allocation Committee met on Tuesday and released an envelope of £100,000 after discussing the information presented in the alert note and briefing note from ACAPS. Their decision was motivated by their specific concern around the unmet needs of vulnerable groups, recommending that priority be given to projects addressing these needs.
Yesterday a national peer-review project selection committee was convened in Kathmandhu. The group reviewed four proposals and felt that the projects proposed by Plan and Handicap International would effectively target excluded groups. Together their proposals will meet the needs of target populations with the distribution of shelter & hygiene kits, cash transfers and Non-Food Items, and by constructing safe spaces for children.
The committee recommended that the two organisations selected for award should meet at project implementation onset to coordinate with each other, as well as with other responses ongoing on the project locations.