Britain announces key partners to deliver vital supplies to Vanuatu victims

20 Mar 2015 04:55 PM

5 organisations will receive funding from the UK's Rapid Response Facility to deliver lifesaving aid to those hit hardest by Cyclone Pam.

Following activation of the UK’s Rapid Response Facility (RRF) on Saturday 14 March, 5 trusted partners will now receive funding as part of the Britain’s response to the crisis.

Almost £1 million will be shared between MapAction, Care International UK, World Vision, Oxfam International and Save the Children UK.

It is expected UK funding via the RRF will:

• provide up to 25,000 people with shelter support including dignified temporary shelter and assistance to re-build their houses using measures to build-back-safer and withstand future cyclones;
• provide up to 20,000 people with increased access to essential items including hygiene and kitchen kits;
• enable up to 20,000 individuals to get access to WASH activities - clean water, sanitation facilities, and hygiene promotion materials and messaging in order to better manage public health risks; and
• protect up to 1000 children living in evacuation centres from all forms of violence and exploitation, and ensure they have access to age and culturally appropriate information.

A full needs assessment is currently being carried out by the governments of the affected countries alongside the United Nations. Our RRF partners will be able to adapt their activity as and where necessary to give people the help they need most.

The Rapid Response Facility (RRF) was established in March 2012. It is a network of pre-approved specialist aid organisations and private businesses who can rapidly deliver emergency medical, water and sanitation assistance to affected people.

Timeline

• On Saturday 14 March, following a request from the government of Vanuatu, Britain made up to £1 million available to UN organisations and international aid agencies in the region. The UK will also send an additional £1 million through DFID’s Rapid Response Facility.
• On Tuesday 17 March Britain confirmed the allocation of £500,000 from its £2 million emergency support to the International Federation of the Red Cross Emergency App
• On Thursday 19 March British emergency supplies arrived in Vanuatu on board the Royal Air Force C-17 following its departure from RAF Brize Norton earlier in the week
• Further information on the RRF is available here: https://www.gov.uk/humanitarian-response-funding