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www.actalliance.org

Rapid Response Fund Payment Request No. 04/2014

Funds Sent To: Armenia Inter-Church Charitable Round Table Foundation (ART)

Amount Sent: 55,000 USD

Date: 7 April 2014

Details of Response

Emergency: Support to Conflict Affected Syrian Families

Date of Emergency: 22 March, 2014

ACT Requesting Member(s): ACT Armenia Forum (ART, UMCOR, ECLOF)

I. NARRATIVE SUMMARY

DETAILS OF THE EMERGENCY

A brutal three-day attack by Al-Qaeda’s Al-Nusra Front and Ansar Al-Sham started in the predominantly Armenian Christian town of Kessab in Syria on 21 March 2014. Kessab is located 59 kilometres north of the port of Latakia and three kilometers away from the Turkish border. According to reports, the rebels looted and occupied homes and stores, tortured and killed people 80 people. The following day Syrian troops reportedly launched a counteroffensive in an attempt to regain the border crossing point. However, on Sunday, 23 March, the extremist groups once again entered the town of Kessab, 22 people were kidnapped and taken to Turkey, with 11 people being unaccounted for. The extremists desecrated three Armenian churches in the town, pillaged local residences, occupied the town and surrounding villages. On Tuesday night, March 25, Armenians of Kessab made an appeal to Armenians across the world for a call to humanity, help and action for saving their lives.1

Some 670 Armenian families, the majority of the population of Kessab, were evacuated by the local Armenian community leadership to safer areas in neighboring Basit and Latakia.2 About 40 families had to stay in Kessab, because of having elderly who were unable to move. An estimated 2,000 residents/400 families (children, adults and the elderly) found refuge in the Armenian Church in Latakia. People left with nothing but the clothes they wear, most of them have not even been able to take documents. The Church support will soon come to its end due to limited resources.

1 http://www.panorama.am/en/society/2014/03/29/v-mesropyan/ 2 http://www.mirrorspectator.com/2014/03/30/kessab-attacked-armenian-population-flees-as-town-is-attacked-by-rebels/#sthash.ni5TGk7U.dpuf RRF 4-2014 Support to Conflict Affected Syrians 2

ACTIONS TO DATE, AND EMERGENCY NEEDS

The implementing partner of ACT Armenia Forum in Latacia, Syria is the Diocese of Damascus of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Holy Etchmiadzin (AAC). 400 displaced families of Kessab, in total 2,000 people are hosted by the Armenian Church in Latakia providing first aid and moral, spiritual support. Some first aid support has been provided by the Red Crescent. Nevertheless, the resources are insufficient as the concentration of the population in church area has generated a serious security, hygiene, water, food and nutrition problems and the affected people are in need of urgent assistance to stabilize their lives. An assessment needs assessment is carried out by the leaders of the Diocese of AAC in Damascus, Ministry of Diaspora in Armenia, local and international media.

The ACT Armenia Forum members had a meeting on 1 April 2014 and discussed different options of responding to the needs of the population. Based on the assessment results, the ACT Armenia Forum is applying to ACT Alliance Rapid Response Fund to support 2,000 displaced and other affected people from Kessab for one month with food packages of 1st use essentials, nutrition, health, water, and hygiene kits. The support will be given to the people most in need regardless of their ethnic, religious, or political affiliation.

PROPOSED EMERGENCY RESPONSE

OVERALL GOAL: The overall goal of the project is to contribute to saving lives of 2,000 displaced and affected people of Kessab, Syria.

OBJECTIVE(S) OF THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE: Ensure food security and nutrition, health, water, hygiene kits and psychosocial support for the affected 2,000 people to stabilize their livelihood and to restore hope.

PROPOSED ASSISTANCE: The work will be implemented by the Diocese of AAC in Damascus and the Church in Latakia. A group of trained clergy will provide both relief and psychosocial support. The humanitarian action will include the following activities:

1. Coordination: ACT Armenia Forum will continue being in close contact with the Armenian Church in Syria, 2. Preparation: Set up an action group (under the supervision of the Primate) for relief activities: An action group of clergy and a distribution point will be established upon the approval of funds in the lead of the primate of the Armenian Church of Damascus. The action group members will be in charge of organization and implementation of the aid distribution as well as other activities in the frames of the project. 3. Purchase of goods: ACT Armenia Forum has planned to provide food, water, hygiene items and medicals to the 2,000 displaced people. The combination of items will cost approximately 25 USD per person. In total one month support to 2,000 people is therefore budgeted at 50,000 USD. 4. Monitoring: ART Emergency officer will monitor the project implementation in Syria. 5. Reporting: The action group will report to ACT Armenia Forum who again will be reporting to ACT Alliance secretariat. The action group members will be responsible for biweekly reporting on the organization and distribution of the aid, providing lists of beneficiaries if possible as many of the displaced were not able even to pick up documents, pictures, financial and narrative reports. 6. Psychosocial support: ACT Armenia Forum members strive to protect, without discrimination, the rights and dignity of the individuals with whom they work in an emergency response. The forum is collaborating with the Armenian Church of Damascus that will provide both material and psychosocial support.

RRF 4-2014 Support to Conflict Affected Syrians 3

TARGET POPULATIONS: Project target populations are the displaced and affected 2,000 residents from Kessab to Lastakia and will be involved in aid distribution process:

Female Male Age range % Total Number of male Number of female 0-18 20 400 168 232 18-60 40 800 380 420 60+ 40 800 332 468 Total number 2,000

IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS: ACT Armenia Forum is planning to carry out the emergency response project in cooperation with the Diocese of Damascus of the Armenian Apostolic Church. ACT Armenia Forum members signed Memorandum of Understanding in 2011 which provides the parameters of the collaboration including the facts that:  The Armenian Apostolic Church is a founding member of ART,  ART cooperates with the Dioceses of AAC since its establishment,  ART has an established network of clergy from all Dioceses and NGOs and is continuously strengthening capacities for acting in emergencies. The Diocese has experience of carrying out social and humanitarian work and ART will maintain regular communication with the staff to provide support and give advice on implementing humanitarian projects.  ART has already cooperated with church partners in emergency projects implementation and also have experience in work with refugees in 2012 and 2013.

COORDINATION: Needs assessment has been made by the Diocese of Damascus of the AAC, arrangements and cooperation will be made by the ACT Armenia Forum and the Church, coordination of the aid distribution and monitoring/reporting will be implemented by the action group under the leadership of the primate of the Diocese of AAC in Syria and a representative of ACT Armenia Forum members.

COMMUNICATIONS: The issue of displaced is in the center of attention of media and the government. Information about further action will be widely disseminated through local and regional media and national TV Channels, on web sites of ACT Armenia Forum members. The latter will be in charge for ensuring communication flow through a) preparing a list of the communications contacts; b) establishing close cooperation and communication with the Syrian Diocese of AAC and support team members; c) providing information to media, journalists, photographer; e) holding meetings between in-country communicators to generate collegiality among member organizations and sharing resources, itineraries and contacts.

PRINCIPLES AND STANDARDS: The Code of Conduct on will be signed before implementing the programme. In addition, relevant staff carrying out the project will be sensitized on ACT policies and quality and accountability standards.

PLANNED IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD: The duration of the project is approximately 2 months from the date of funding receipt. The implementation will evolve in the following steps:  Preparation phase: beneficiary list finalization upon possibility, arrangements for and procurement of food, water and medicals  Distribution of the aid items/packages to 2,000 beneficiaries – 20 days.  Provision of moral, psychological counselling and support – on-going action.  Monitoring and evaluation – on biweekly basis.  Reporting

RRF 4-2014 Support to Conflict Affected Syrians 4

HUMAN RESOURCES AND ADMINISTRATION OF FUNDS: RRF funds will be handed over to the Damascus Diocese of AAC in Syria. Necessary aid items will be purchased and distributed to the displaced people of all nationalities that found shelter in the Armenian Church in Latakia.

Armenia Round Table (ART) is responsible for the administration of the funds and will ensure that funds are spent according to the project plan. Financial expenses will be done in Syria; financial documentation will be translated into Armenian and English by the Diocese of AAC in Syria and sent to ART. Programme and administrative staff of ART will be responsible in management of the project implementation.

MONITORING AND EVALUATION: Monitoring and reporting will be carried out on biweekly basis by the implementing partner – Diocese of Damascus. ART Emergency officer will be in charge of monitoring the project implementation and may join an Armenian delegation visiting Syria regularly. ACT Armenia Forum will be responsible for the evaluation of the results and measures of verification of the implemented project.

REPORTING SCHEDULE (to be completed by ACT SECRETARIAT)

Type of Report Due date Final narrative and financial report 30 June 2014 Audit report 31 July 2014

II. FINANCIAL SUMMARY/BUDGET (To be completed in Excel - one page) BY REQUESTING MEMBER

Unit cost Appeal budget Budget item Type of unit No. of units (USD) (USD)

Direct cost Food Security* (for 2000 people x 1 month) Package 2,000 25 $50,000 Personnel, Admin. & Support Personnel cost (programmme officer, accountant) month 2 1,030 $2,060 Communication and monitoring expenses lumpsum 1 2,940 $2,940 Total expenditure $55,000

*containing: flour, sugar, oil, preserves, and the like, water and medicals, if necessary

ACTION The ACT Secretariat has approved the use of US$ 55,000 towards the budget from its Rapid Response Fund and would be grateful to receive contributions to wholly or partially replenish this payment. Should there be an appeal for this emergency, the RRF payment will be considered as an advance.

For further information please contact: ACT Senior Programme Officer, Josef Pfattner (phone +4122 791 6710) Or ACT Acting Deputy General Secretary and Director of Programmes, Pauliina Parhiala (phone + 41 22 7916069 or mobile phone + 41 79 963 5333)

ACT Web Site address: http://www.actalliance.org