In June heavy rains in Chalatenango, La Paz and La Libertad territories had caused flooding, landslides, overflowing rivers, collapsed bridges and damaged homes. Start Network member Pro-Vida and their implementing partners Aprodehni and Cordes ran a “WASH for El Salvador” programme funded by the Start Fund to respond.
The Start Network has published a new framework for localisation which aims to provide a practical structure to improve the position of local organisations within international aid. The framework is part of an independent review into localisation of the Start Fund and other Start Network initiatives. Responding to the review, the Start Network has committed to “drive a holistic and transformative approach to localisation”.
In May, Start Network member ALIMA contained an Ebola outbreak in the DRC, with support from the Start Fund. Read ALIMA's account of the response here.
International Medical Corps, with funding from the Start Fund, has been working in Yemen to provide an emergency response to the cholera crisis, providing life-saving support with the goal of averting this entirely preventable outbreak.
The Start Network will soon begin testing blockchain technology in delivering humanitarian finance, through its partnership with Disberse, a start-up social enterprise. This pilot aims to tackle inefficiencies in the delivery of funds by making the distribution of aid fast and completely transparent.
Denmark has launched an emergency relief fund, drawing on the Start Fund’s experience, to allow the country’s grassroots organisations to respond to crises around the world. The Danish Emergency Relief Fund (DERF) is also open to funding for smaller NGOs within countries affected by crisis. Start Network is a partner in the new fund
An outbreak of Lassa fever that poses a risk to nearly a million people in northern Togo has become the focus of the 100th crisis response financed by the Start Fund.
In February, HelpAge International and Christian Aid led a cash-based response to assist flood victims in Malawi through the Start Fund. Here is a take on the story that made its way to one of the country's news sites, Malawi24.
Start Network has launched a new online platform that will allow its members, donors and the public to monitor humanitarian alerts as they happen, follow how money is spent and see how many people have been helped.
The Start Network is setting up a £10 million rapid response fund, which will respond early and fast to under the radar emergencies in Bangladesh.
