DATE: Monday, May 14th, 10 am to 5 pm

LOCATION: Fordham University at Lincoln Center, 113 West 60th Street, New York, NY 10023, Lowenstein Building, 12th floor lounge

RSVP: iiha@fordham.edu

Counterpart International wins Nonprofit PR award for Best Video and/or Podcast Program for a community-run tourism program in rural Guatemala.

PASSA is a participatory method of awareness-raising around safe shelters. Its purpose is to provide communities with tools for improving their living environments, offering a step-by-step method for building safer housing. It was developed by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the British Red Cross, and has been tested in Uganda, Bangladesh and Haiti.

The Climate Change and African Political Stability (CCAPS) program of the University of Texas, in partnership with AidData, released an interactive mapping dashboard of climate change vulnerability and conflict events in Africa,

Joel Charny, Vice President for Humanitarian Practice and Policy, discusses the difficulties of delivering aid to Syria in the face of continued fighting.  

Watch the full interview at PBS News Hour. 

Learn how our Haitian partners are empowering young people to take leadership roles in ongoing earthquake recovery efforts, and how a committed group of youngsters in Wyoming doubled the impact of their spaghetti dinner fundraiser.

President and CEO of InterAction, Sam Worthington states that NGOs unfairly get the brunt of the blame for slow progress in Haiti, NGOs cannot be the only face of recovery.

Samuel Worthington is quoted in this piece about Haiti's recovery on the second anniversary of the Haiti earthquake.

Los Angeles, CA – International Medical Corps’ team in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is preparing to respond if violence breaks out following the presidential elections. The country’s electoral commission has confirmed President Joseph Kabila as the winner.

Sam Worthington quoted in news story published by multiple media outlets including Germany's Greenpeace magazine.

Did you know…
… that together, InterAction members and U.S. corporations manage an estimated $19.4 billion in international development program funds? Together, we represent more than half of the total U.S. private investment in developing countries.*

A recent survey of InterAction member CEOs, presidents and executive directors revealed:

InterAction is an alliance of international NGOs and more than 50 of our members are responding to the crisis in the Horn of Africa, including groups such as Save the Children, World Vision and Catholic Relief Services.

InterAction and 129 NGOs placed an ad in Roll Call magazine this week.  The ad was an open letter to Congress, asking them to oppose the severe cuts to foreign aid proposed in the current budget.  

PhilanTopic wrote a blog after interviewing InterAction's Vice President for Humanitarian Policy and Practice, Joel R. Charny,about the effects 9/11 had on NGOs.

Diocesan Disaster Coordinators, who receive training and support through Episcopal Relief & Development’s US Disaster Program, are playing a key role in disaster preparedness and response, particularly in the wake of Hurricane Irene.

This PowerPoint presentation highlights Global Links' work in Haiti.

Steinberg's remarks are titled, "Delivering Effectivev Development Assistance in a Changing Global Landscape."

During the first day of InterAction's 2011 Forum, InterAction was joined by the UN's Valerie Amos and USAID's Don Steinberg at a media roundtable on the Horn of Africa.

Lions Clubs International Foundation is supporting Lions in the Horn of Africa to provide famine relief by providing a grant of US$15,000 to help with the procurement and distribution of food and other necessities.

InterAction President and CEO Samuel A. Worthington quoted in article.

Famine has been declared in parts of Middle Shabelle, IDP settlements along the Afgooye Corridor, parts of Mogadishu hosting IDPs, Lower

With famine now declared in two regions of Southern Somalia and malnutrition rates at emergency levels in arid and semi-arid regions across the Horn of Africa, nearly 720,000 children are at risk of death without urgent assistance. 

In this hard-hit country, Relief International staff are busy saving lives and sustaining livelihoods by rehabilitating primary health care facilities, training health care professionals and providing essential nutrition services to those who need it most.

Cash, food and water programs will help thousands in desperate need. Agency calls for increased support from the U.S. and the international community.

East Africa is facing the worst drought since the 1950s. The drought has withered crops, killed cattle and led to massive increases in food prices.

Sam Worthington radio interview: Millions of Somalis are mired in a deep humanitarian crisis that is now driving thousands of refugees over the border to Kenya daily.

With the danger of widespread famine in the Horn of Africa increasing daily, Lutheran World Relief is rushing $500,000 for an immediate response to this unfolding humanitarian crisis.

As more than ten million men, women and children face hunger and life-threatening health consequences from the worst drought to hit the Horn of Africa in 60 years, International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) is responding with aid to relieve victims of the worst food shortage crisis in the world today. 

International Medical Corps’ Emergency Response Team (ERT) has deployed to the Dolo Ado refugee camps in the Somali Region of Ethiopia, where the worst drought crisis in 60 years is creating a potential humanitarian crisis.  

With the crisis in Somalia today declared a famine by the FSNAU and FEWSNET, the Somalia NGO Consortium (representing 78 agencies working in Somalia) urgently calls on the international community to act now to respond to this catastrophe.

This year marks the driest period in the Eastern Horn of Africa region since 1995, with the lowest level of rainfall in more than 50 years.
 

The Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC) is rapidly expanding its current drought response to meet a vastly increased need for food and other aid in the Horn of Africa after two failed rainy seasons in the past 12 months.

CHF International is pleased to report that rain has, at long last, fallen in the far eastern regions of Ethiopia.

Female refugees fleeing conflict and hunger in East Africa are facing another threat: rape and sexual violence.

Severe drought in East Africa has left people across the region struggling to survive. 

As the UN declares famine in two regions of Somalia, and warns of others to follow, World Vision is calling on the international community to scale up efforts to seek assurances from the various armed groups regarding safe humanitarian access so it can increase support to the South Central region where millions of children are in urgent need of food and assistance.

An estimated 10 million people in the Horn of Africa are in urgent need of assistance as drought-like conditions threaten to push populations into a devastating nutritional crisis, warns humanitarian organization ACTION AGAINST HUNGER | ACF INTERNATIONAL.

Food insecurity remains at emergency levels across parts of the Horn of Africa, famine has been declared in two regions of Southern Somalia. Humanitarian organizations are struggling to cope with the influx of Somali refugees in Ethiopia and Kenya. Malnutrition and mortality rates are alarmingly high in many parts of the region.

Today’s declaration by the United Nations of famine in Somalia makes official what aid agencies have been seeing for nearly a year – severe drought and the world’s worst food crisis has put 10 million people in desperate need of assistance and donor countries are not doing nearly enough to avert disaster, save lives and protect livelihoods.

Read how atoll permaculture in the Solomon Islands is helping to secure the food supply in spite of rising sea levels, and about the 150-year-strong Eight O’May luncheon that benefits organizations including Episcopal Relief &

The United Nations is expected to officially declare famine in parts of southern Somalia tomorrow (Wednesday, July 20), marking a new phase in a crisis that has affected the East Africa region.

The worst drought in 60 years has hit East Africa, leaving 11 million people malnourished and sick. It’s estimated that 30 to 40 percent of the children are suffering from acute malnutrition. Portland-based Medical Teams International is sending in the first of two teams to help beginning this week.

On Capitol Hill next week, the House Foreign Affairs Committee is holding a markup hearing of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2012 on Wednesday, July 20 at 10:00am in room 2172 of the Rayburn House Office Building. Check for other upcoming hearings in the Update below.

The International Housing Coalition (IHC), a non-profit, education, advocacy and applied research organization officially welcomed Susan Corts Hill as its new president and CEO July 1, 2011.

InterAction News Release: Members of InterAction, the largest alliance of U.S.-based international nongovernmental organizations working abroad, are responding to the massive humanitarian crisis occurring in the Horn of Africa. The UN is estimating that as many as 10 million people are struggling with food and water shortages, acute malnutrition and mass displacement.

Episcopal Relief & Development is supporting disaster-impacted dioceses as they transition from emergency relief to long-term recovery. 

On April 14, 2011, InterAction President and CEO Samuel A. Worthington testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs. His testimony, below, championed the importance and value of the poverty-focused development and humanitarian accounts administered by USAID and the State Department.

This is the product of a two-month collaborative process among InterAction's members to develop analysis and recommendations in three core areas: leadership, coordination and finance. It will be the basis of InterAction's engagement with the U.S. government and with the UN in the coming months on humanitarian reform issues.

New project and sector summary information for InterAction members working in Haiti as of March 2011.

Japan continues to reel from the multiple disasters triggered by last Friday’s massive earthquake near its northeast coast. The media attention following this disaster has brought about a compassionate response from Americans. InterAction has developed guidelines on the most appropriate ways to help those affected by overseas disasters.

New information, as of March 17, 2011, updating the sector and program lists for InterAction members working in Haiti.

As published in the Wall Street Journal on March 17, 2011: InterAction, an umbrella group for U.S. relief agencies active abroad, advises donors to give to agencies with partner organizations in Japan that would be best placed to spend funds wisely. It says there is minimal need at this stage either for donated goods or throngs of foreign volunteers.

Cash allows relief organizations to get exactly what they need quickly without having to worry about transportation, staff time, and warehouse space. 

Our thoughts are with those in Japan and other countries across the Pacific Ocean that have been affected by the devastating earthquake and subsequent tsunami. InterAction member organizations have strong partnerships with civil society groups in Japan that are responding.

International Medical Corps is responding to the situation in Japan and tsunami-warning areas, following an 8.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Japan’s coast, triggering a tsunami that devastated northern parts of the country and put a tsunami warning in effect for much of the Pacific.

Congress is doing its part by preparing to cut the international affairs budget by close to 20 percent, a move that could undermine national security, defy military leaders’ advice and endanger U.S. interests and core values. Worst of all, these cuts would be disastrous for women and children—the majority of the world’s poor.

InterAction, the largest alliance of U.S. international nongovernmental organizations called on Libya to allow humanitarian access into the tumultuous land.

UNICEF report six months after the 2010 floods in Pakistan.

Save the Children's assessment of the psychosocial problems and needs of children in flood affected areas in Pakistan six month after the floods.

Article from the Huffington Post one year after the January 12, 2010 earthquake in Haiti. InterAction's president and CEO, Samuel A. Worthington, was interviewed.

Articleon life in Imperial Beach one year after the earthquake in Haiti on January 12, 2010.

InterAction member Heifer International's one year progress report on work done in Haiti since the January 12, 2010, earthquake.

Article from Scientific American on the health sector in Haiti one year after the January 12, 2010, earthquake, including discussion on NGOs' impact.

One year progress report by InterAction member US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) on their activities in Haiti since the January 12, 2010, earthquake.

Article on web-based news source for Latin America and the Caribbean InfoSurHoy on the pace of reconstruction in Haiti after the January 12, 2010, earthquake in Port-au-Prince. InterAction's president and CEO, Sam Worthington, was one of the experts interviewed for the article.

The World Conference on Disaster Reduction was held by decision of the United Nations General Assembly in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan on 18-22 January 20051. It adopted the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015 (HFA) as a systematic, strategic blueprint to guide national and international efforts to reduce vulnerabilities and risks induced by naturally occurring hazards and human-made processes.

Transcript of a U.S. Department of State Special Briefing on the one-year anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti, from January 7, 2011.

A report released by InterAction member Oxfam on agricultural work to be done in Haiti since the January 12, 2010 earthquake.

InterAction member Catholic Relief Services' one-year report on their work since the earthquake on January 12, 2010, in Haiti.

A March 2010 report from InterAction member Oxfam on re-envisioning Haiti with "equity, fairness, and opportunity" after the January 12, 2010, earthquake.

An article from NPR's website exploring both sides of the debate on the funds NGOs in Haiti have raised since the January 12, 2010, earthquake compared to how much they have spent.

An article from the Associated Press (AP) on some of the hurdles facing Haiti's reconstruction after the January 12, 2010, earthquake.

Agence France Presse (AFP) article in the Montreal Gazette exploring both sides of the debate on NGOs in Haiti.

The Sphere Project is a programme of the Steering Committee for Humanitarian Response (SCHR) and InterAction with VOICE and ICVA. The project was launched in 1997 to develop a set of universal minimum standards in core areas of humanitarian assistance.

Article from the Miami Herald on fundraising for Haiti after the January 12, 2010, earthquake. InterAction's president and CEO, Samuel A. Worthington, was interviewed.

One year progress report from InterAction member United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) after the January 12, 2010, earthquake in Haiti.

One year progress report from InterAction member the American Red Cross after the January 12, 2010, earthquake in Haiti.

InterAction member Oxfam's one year progress report on Haiti since the January 12, 2010, earthquake. 

An article in Forbes on the dangers of using entirely foreign contractors to rebuild Haiti.

InterAction member World Vision's one-year report on the response to the January 12, 2010, earthquake in Haiti.

This report offers international agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the media, the U.S. government, and the public an overview of the humanitarian and development assistance being provided to the people of Pakistan by InterAction member agencies.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton unveiled the final report of the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR). The report provides a blueprint for elevating American "civilian power" to better advance national interests and to be a better partner to the U.S. military.

Haiti is now facing one of the most severe outbreaks of cholera that has been seen in the last century. This outbreak is made more complex by the humanitarian situation which resulted from the 12 January earthquake, which killed an estimated 230,000 people and injured 300,000.

The recent flooding in Pakistan has been a disaster for farmers. Many families lost their crops as well as their homes, seed stores, stables and livestock.

Concern Worldwide has been working in Haiti for 16 years with currently close to 400 staff.

Six months after an earthquake devastated Haiti on January 12, 2010, Handicap International has made a provisional assessment of the situation, which you can find below along with an outline of its plans for the future. The association has a team of 480 people in Haiti, including 70 expatriate staff. It is the association’s largest ever deployment.

On January 12, 2010, an earthquake struck Haiti, devastating the nation’s capital and creating one of the most complex urban disasters in decades. More than 220,000 persons were killed and 330,000 injured. An estimated 3 million men, women and children – one in three Haitians  were affected.

Oxfam had been working in Haiti for 32 years when the quake struck. For the past six months, our programs have scaled up to provide water and sanitation, public health education, and ensuring people have access to food and basic needs through cash-for-work and cash grants programs. We are currently helping over 440,000 people through our relief and recovery programs.

Six months on, the dramatic destruction caused by the 12 January 2010 earthquake in Haiti is still synonymous with unbelievable stress for over three million people1, including 1.6 million living in 1,342 spontaneous settlements, of which 800,000 are estimated to be children.

The IRC launched programs in Haiti in the immediate aftermath of the January 12 earthquake.

JDC, the world’s leading Jewish humanitarian assistance organization, is proud to be using its expertise to bring ongoing relief to the people of Haiti in their time of need. As the process of recovery in Haiti begins, JDC is addressing the physical and psychological rehabilitation needs of those most devastated by the disaster.

Six months after the devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake, life is slowly resuming for families in Haiti, but it is a new post-earthquake life of rebuilding communities and coming to terms with a new “normal.” The new normal includes some being able to return to homes that have been repaired. For others, it means having to find a new home - often with a relative or neighbor.

On an overcast and rainy May 25, CHF completed a payroll in Petit-Goave for 740 laborers in its ongoing cash-for-work program. Workers had spent the past two weeks demolishing crumbled buildings and removing rubble in support of the USAID-funded CLEARS program. At the payroll, CHF paid workers salaries totaling more than US$47,000, accounting for almost US$62 per person.

AMURT’s mission is to help improve the quality of life for the poor and disadvantaged people of the world, and to assist those affected by calamity and conflict. We believe that the best assistance is that which encourages and enables all people to develop themselves.

JUNE 2010 marks 6 months since a magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit the island nation of Haiti…While the recovery process has begun, devastation in Port-au- Prince, and many areas beyond, remains without precedent. As many as 3 million people were affected by the quake, 1 million left homeless, 300,000 injured, and over 220,000 killed.

To continue supporting Haiti after the 7.0 earthquake on January 12, Giving Children Hope is transitioning from an immediate recovery response to a season of long-term reconstruction.  To date, Giving Children Hope has distributed over $7 million worth of life-saving medicines, medical supplies and other relief items.

6 months later, Haitians are still struggling to rebuild their nation after a devastating earthquake hit the country in January.

This report is compiled following a request by the Principals of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC)2 at a meeting on 6 May 2010. The report is written 6 months after the 12 January earthquake in Haiti and is concerned primarily with

Our efforts in Haiti continue as we meet the current rehabilitation needs of the amputees through an amputee clinic being managed at the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in the Central Plateau by Hanger Orthopedics, Christian Medical Mission Board, and other founding members of the Haitian Amputee Coalition, including Physicians for Peace.

The humanitarian response to the earthquake in Haiti represents the most challenging and complex emergency effort Save the Children has ever undertaken. The country’s

January 12, 2010 was a day when the world turned its attention to Haiti. A powerful earthquake rocked the country's capital, Port au Prince, killing an estimated 230,000 people. More than 300,000 had been injured and over one million made homeless. It was the worst earthquake in the region in more than 200 years.

On January 12, 2010, a massive earthquake struck Haiti causing the largest urban disaster in a developing country in decades. The American people responded with a generous outpouring of donations and a desire to help the Haitian people.

In the aftermath of the January earthquake, the massive displacement of over a million people and the profound disruption of every aspect of daily life have greatly exacerbated the protection risks for women and girls in Haiti.

Letter from InterAction's President & CEO Samuel A.

This is a PowerPoint presentation of UNISDR's 2010-2011 World Disaster Reduction Campaign.

 Notes from the "Consultation with the Global NGO Community on Building Back Better in Haiti" which occurred on March 25, 2010 in New York City.  The event was co-hosted by the European Union, InterAction, and the U.N. Office of the Special Envoy to Haiti.  

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in Haiti during the past thirty years have addressed a broad list of critical needs, including healthcare, education, sanitation, micro-loans and agricultural assistance at the community, city or local and regional levels.

The January/February 2010 issue of Monday Developments Magazine.

A progress report on Sri Lanka and providing full diplomatic and financial support for civilians since publication of InterAction’s 2008 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

A progress report on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) since publication of InterAction’s 2008 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

A progress report on Preventing Sexual Violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since publication of InterAction’s 2008 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

A progress report on the Obama administration's foreign assistance efforts since publication of InterAction’s 2008 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

The program of workshops and activities at the 2009 InterAction Annual Forum.

A New Online Course on Gender and Humanitarian Action.

International Medical Corps is expanding its response to the displacement crisis in Pakistan with early recovery activities for Buner District, an area affected by the recent fighting in the Northwest Frontier Province. The organization is the first to help the displaced return to their homes in Buner after the conflict that began on May 3.

In this issue, we explore the role of NGOs in major development initiatives. From Presidential programs to global efforts, we will look at how NGOs have helped to achieve results in some areas and how we can be better engaged in others.