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.
As of 2014, 26 out of the 35 deadliest tropical cyclones in world history took place in the Bay of Bengal. Myanmar, Bangladesh and India are all on this cyclone-prone belt, which makes them particularly vulnerable to disaster, yet the areas affected also include major business centres. With their capacities, businesses can thus play a major role in building resilience.
As part of the Transforming Surge Capacity project, seven international humanitarian NGOs have come together to test out collaborative app roaches to surge response in the Asia region. This case study highlights how Islamic Relief, one of the platform partners moving towards more regionalised surge systems, has been able to support inter - agency collaboration in the project, and how it used le arnings and outputs of the project to improve its own surge mechanisms.
Localisation is a foundational and non-negotiable principle within the Start Network. This report presents a ‘baseline assessment’ of where the Start Fund and three DEPP projects currently sits with the‘localisation agenda’.
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 advance of the launch of The Start Fund, Start Network and Localisation, a review into how Start Network programmes are faring on the localisation agenda, Start Network's David Jones discusses the issues around creating a holistic approach to localisation.
More members are using the Start Fund to act early, but we are still a long way from a risk-informed, proactive aid system. Start Network’s Luke Caley reflects on what we’ve learned so far and discusses the potential shape of things to come.
Through Start Evolves, the Start Network has put forward a vision for the future which we think is needed to tackle the humanitarian challenges of the 21st century. We believe the humanitarian sector needs to move to a model that enables more locally appropriate solutions, with funding and decision making held at the local level. Our aim is to create an international ‘network of networks’ with global infrastructure to enable a new way of working. National and regional hubs will be able to run their own programmes and their own funds, they will be globally connected and appropriate to their local contexts.
Start Network’s Sarah Barr reports on the launch of Action Against Hunger’s new report The future of aid: INGOs in 2030, produced by the Inter-Agency Regional Analysts Network (IARAN).
A newly published report recognises there is a significant need for a gender balance in surge practice and much stronger support is needed for the critical role that women play in a humanitarian response.
