Launch of the Emergency Response Fund (ERF) for Kenya
The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator (HC) for Kenya, Mr. Aeneas Chuma, has established an Emergency Response Fund (ERF) for Kenya in order to provide timely resources for humanitarian action in Kenya. The ERF will act as a pooled fund for humanitarian assistance activities and will be managed under the leadership of the HC with support from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and with the guidance of representatives from the Inter Agency Standing Committee (IASC). The fund is accessible to both Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and United Nations agencies and is intended to respond to humanitarian needs in three ways: To support life saving rapid response at the onset of a disaster before mainstream responses come on line. b) For strategic gap filling in non-food interventions, geographically or sectorally, within the context of an overall response plan such as the current Emergency Humanitarian Response Plan. c) To provide support to early action activities in order to mitigate emerging needs and to prevent escalations in existing humanitarian situations. As a result of generous donations from Sweden the fund has initial resources of approximately USD 600,000. These funds will be disbursed in a first round of funding which will focus on two current crisis situations in Kenya in line with the early action objectives of the fund: the growing impact of intensifying drought conditions on pastoral communities in arid and semi arid areas; and declining access to food among the most vulnerable in informal urban settlements. As such the Humanitarian Coordinator is seeking proposals that aim to provide: 1. time critical action in the livestock sector among pastoral communities in those areas of Kenya worst affected by drought in order to mitigate declining household food security and preserve livelihoods; 2. assistance to promote household food security and improved nutrition among the most vulnerable in informal urban settlements. Interested organizations with proven capacities in these areas should provide an initial concept note of no more than one page to OCHA by 11 June 2009, including information on the main objectives of the project, target beneficiaries, geographic area of implementation, sector(s) of implementation, main project activities, and indicative budget. Projects should be designed to be implemented within a six month period with a total budget of up to USD 150,000. On approval of the initial concept note, organizations will be requested to complete a standard project application form by 18 June for further consideration. For more information and guidance on eligibility, project criteria and the application process as well as the project application template, please visit the OCHA Kenya website at http://ochaonline.un.org/kenya/blinkEmergencyResponsebrFund2009blink/tabid/5507/language/enUS/Default.aspx. Concept notes and queries should be directed by email to Lucy Dickinson at OCHA (lucy.dickinson@undp.org). Emergency Response Fund, Kenya 27 May 2009 a)