ReliefWeb

The Start Fund enables its humanitarian NGO partners to provide rapid assistance to populations affected by a shock such as a conflict, an epidemic or natural disasters. Recently, three SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL projects have received financial support from the Start Fund.

In Nigeria, in July 2021, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL teams were able to mobilise quickly in the face of the rebounding cholera epidemic in the country. In the north-west, they helped 52,500 people by distributing hygiene kits and building and rehabilitating infrastructure to improve access to water and reduce the risk of future contamination.

In Haiti, also in July 2021 and even before the country was hit by the earthquake in August, there were numerous displacements of people in the Port-au-Prince area as people fled gang violence. Thanks to the Start Fund, our organisation was able to supply three sites for displaced people with drinking water, and to build showers and latrines, allowing almost 4,500 people to have access to these essential services again.

Finally, in the Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado, which is in the grip of a long-running armed insurgency, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL was able to help more than 7,600 newly arrived displaced people in the transit centres of Mueda. Our teams distributed reception kits and provided them with minimal access to drinking water and latrines.

As these examples show, the strength of this financial partner is that it adapts to sudden crises and specific needs. Indeed, it is the NGOs themselves, present on the ground and witnessing the deterioration of a situation, who alert the Start Fund, which then takes the decision to allocate funds according to the information received. This rapid response mechanism --- only a few days between the alert and the start of the project --- allows humanitarian actors to respond to the plight of populations at the moment they need it most.