DRC,
North Kivu: SOLIDARITES launches a humanitarian operation
for 135,000 people in danger in Kiwanja, Rutshuru and Tongo,
and makes an APPEAL FOR AID
26 November 2008
Wednesday 26 November: the emergency humanitarian aid organisation SOLIDARITES is today launching a large-scale operation to provide aid for 135,000 people in an area which has been shattered by armed conflict.
For Marine, our head of mission in North Kivu, this operation is vital for the population of this area where cholera is endemic and which has become completely isolated by military clashes over the past few weeks. The population living in the Tongo area, who are among those targeted by the operation, have been forced to flee the fighting and the majority of them have suffered from systematic looting by routed soldiers.
This operation will take place over 10 days at three sites, and will mobilize 120 to 130 people including 50 expatriate and Congolese employees, 22 vehicles and 32 lorries, as part of our « Rapid Response Mechanism – RRM » program. The security situation is still volatile, and our objective is to carry out the following hand to hand distributions for impoverished families, who are surrounded by the various frontlines:
- emergency kits for 35,725 people in Tongo containing blankets, mats, clothes, cooking utensils, water containers, soap and mosquito nets ;
- hygiene kits for 93,925 people living in Kiwanja and Rutshuru containing 2 flexible water containers, 3 bars of soap and 2 blankets. The distribution of these kits - in parallel with work on the Rutshuru water network and the construction of 300 emergency latrines to provide vulnerable families with access to drinking water and sanitation – seeks to ensure optimal sanitary conditions to fight cholera which is rife in the area.
Our teams’ objective is to attempt to reach the most vulnerable populations, whatever it may take. For this purpose, we are in direct contact with local authorities and various armed groups in order to negotiate access to the area.
SOLIDARITES has been present in this region for 8 years, and our rapid response program, which is carried out in partnership with Unicef (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund) and in coordination with other humanitarian organisations via l’Unocha (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs), has provided aid for 587,545 people in North Kivu province during the last 12 months (in addition to the 126,243 people who received aid in Ituri). 459,900 people received essential commodities, 81,900 of whom received protein-enriched biscuits (BP 5); 276,500 people were given emergency access to drinking water; 88,800 people were provided with long-term access to drinking water through the installation of 22 springs and the rehabilitation of 8 water supply networks; emergency latrines and showers were provided for 117,800 people to improve their sanitary conditions. Emergency education activities were carried out for 14,207 pupils and 281 teachers when security conditions permitted, to reduce the impact of the conflict on the children’s schooling.
SOLIDARITES, which has 3 regional missions in DRC (North Kivu, Ituri, Katanga), staffed by 58 expatriate volunteers and around 800 Congolese employees, makes an APPEAL FOR AID for the population of North Kivu in order for:
- the warring parties to respect civilian populations and allow humanitarian access;
- international organisations and donors to provide their essential support so that aid may continue following this emergency operation;
- the media to broadcast our APPEAL to the general public. We are available to provide them with information both in Paris and in the field.
Press contact: Constance Decorde - 01 80 21 05 91 - cdecorde@solidarites.org
To find out more about SOLIDARITES: www.solidarites.org- 50 rue Klock 92110 Clichy-la-Garenne
Tel: 01 80 21 05 62 / Fax: 01 80 21 05 99 - siren 389 515 180
SOLIDARITES:
our teams are present on all fronts
of the humanitarian emergency in East DR Congo
27 October 2008
Since August 28, renewed armed conflict in East DR Congo (North Kivu
province) between the national army (FARDC) and general Laurent Nkunda’s
rebel forces (the National Congress for the People’s Defense or
CNDP) has caused the displacement of 110,000 people. According to figures
issued by the Population Movements Commission and the UN Office for
the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Goma, 218,600 people
have now been on the move for over a year, and are totally exhausted
by this continuous upheaval…
This new round of fighting is undermining the peace agreement signed
in January 2008. The clashes are mainly concentrated in Rutshuru and
Masisi territories, around the areas which were previously under CNDP
control. Over the last few days, there have been confrontations in the
Tongo, Ntamugenga, and Mweso areas, and finally on the banks of Lake
Bitonga. Displaced civilian populations are dispersed among numerous
sites and need emergency food aid (food distributions), access to drinking
water and basic hygiene facilities.
Despite difficult access (main roads blocked by armed combat), SOLIDARITES,
an international humanitarian aid organisation which has been working
in East DR Congo since 2000, has been providing aid to over 18,760 families
(around 93,800 people in total) since this new outbreak of violence.
This aid is made possible by our RRM (Rapid Response Mechanism) programme,
in partnership with UNICEF.
SOLIDARITES’ main activities are the provision of water as well
as sanitation assistance, in areas where overpopulation due to the upsurge
of violence results in higher risks of epidemics, as is the case in
Rutshuru where 60 new cases of cholera are recorded on average every
week. SOLIDARITES and Oxfam GB are currently supplying up to 140,000
litres of water per day to over 15,000 people in the Kanyabayonga area,
on the border between the Grand Nord and Petit Nord Kivu regions.
SOLIDARITES is also providing relief for destitute populations in the
form of essential commodities (soap, blankets, cooking utensils, mats,
tarpaulins for shelter, etc.). SOLIDARITES goes out to meet populations
who have often travelled dozens of kilometres, to provide them with
protein bars and water. We recently decided to do this when hundreds
of people, who had fled armed conflict between Ugandan LRA rebels (Lord’s
Resistance Army) and the FARDC in Ituri district (Irumu territory),
arrived in a state of exhaustion after walking for days, and sought
refuge near the towns of Dungu and Erengeti (Haut Uele district),
SOLIDARITES’ Rapid Response teams are present on all fronts of
the humanitarian emergency in East DR Congo. In North Kivu, our teams
are capable of simultaneously carrying out 5 needs assessments and 5
relief operations at 5 different sites.
Needs are very acute and it is difficult to reach vulnerable populations.
The international humanitarian response is insufficient, since more
population displacements are likely and armed conflict continues on
the ground. In less than one month, the number of displaced persons
has more than doubled. The situation is still extremely volatile, and
we are very concerned about the fate of populations fleeing the violence.
Press contact: Constance Decorde - 01 80 21 05 91 –
cdecorde@solidarites.org
To find out more about SOLIDARITES: www.solidarites.org
SOLIDARITES - 50 rue Klock 92110 Clichy-la-Garenne
Tel : 01 80 21 05 62 - Fax : 01 80 21 05 99 - siren 389 515 180
World Food
Day: SOLIDARITES fights hunger with innovative solutions
15 October 2008
This Thursday 16 October is World Food Day. With the financial crisis
at the forefront of our minds, we must not forget that this crisis further
exacerbates the extremely fragile situation of the poorest on our planet,
and the soaring food prices which have affected them for over a year.
The international price of wheat has increased 80% in 2008, the price
of rice has doubled and the cost of one meal has increased on average
by 40% in just one year.
According to the FAO, 925 million people suffer from hunger today.
Every 5 seconds, a child dies of hunger somewhere in the world. It is
estimated that this figure, which has never been so high, will increase
by at least 100 million over the next year. When conflicts or natural
disasters are combined with chronic destitution, lack of safe drinking
water and a rise in the price of basic commodities, food insecurity
takes hold very quickly, as is the case in Afghanistan, Darfur or Somalia.
In response to this global humanitarian emergency, SOLIDARITES, an
international humanitarian organisation which has been active for 28
years, implements appropriate local solutions in countries where the
majority of the population survives on less than one dollar a day, the
majority of which is dedicated to buying food. Our action includes distributions
of emergency food aid and the revival of agricultural activities, especially
family agriculture and food-producing crops.
Another innovative solution carried out by SOLIDARITES is the development
of agricultural activities in urban areas. For example, in the Kibera
shanty town in Nairobi, Kenya, which is home to between 700 000 and
one million people, 6000 families are now cultivating onions, tomatoes
and cabbages, staple products of the Kenyan diet, in small garden plots
or in plastic sacks filled with earth and gravel. On average, the income
of each of these households has increased by one dollar (USD) a day,
whilst in Kibera the average rent is around 6 dollars per month!
Hunger is not inevitable. Means and solutions exist. The deaths of
millions of innocent victims constitute a continuing global crisis which
demands the immediate implementation of these means and solutions.
To find out more about SOLIDARITES’ action in response to the
global food crisis, please visit our website: www.solidarites.org
Press contact: Alain BOINET – 06 82 59
29 07 and 01 80 21 05 96
To find out more about SOLIDARITES: www.solidarites.org
SOLIDARITES - 50 rue Klock - 92110 Clichy la-Garenne - Tel (reception):
01 80 21 05 05 / Fax: 01 80 21 05 99
Email: info@solidarites.org - siren 389 515 180
Afghanistan: the threat of an endless war
and the paralysis of humanitarian aid
3 September 2008
The assassination of 4 humanitarian workers on August 13th, the deaths of 10 French soldiers in their line of duty on August 18th, and the US air strike error which killed 90 Afghan civilians on August 22nd, are signs of the horrendous situation in Afghanistan today.
We are most concerned that as a direct result of increasing violence, there has been a decrease in humanitarian aid for vulnerable populations in a growing number of areas, and that humanitarian action is carried out under the increasing threat of hostage takings and even bloodshed.
Around thirty humanitarian workers have already been killed in the course of their activities in 2008, the majority of whom were Afghans. At the same time, the country is facing a severe food crisis.
Wheat prices have doubled, drought is affecting harvests in the North of the country, half of the population survives on less than two dollars a day, 35% of Afghans do not have enough to eat, and families spend around 85% of their income on food, in a country where one in four children still do not live to see their fifth birthday, one in eleven women die during pregnancy and life expectancy is just 42 years.
Today, humanitarian aid is under threat in Afghanistan, both in terms of assistance for populations in danger, and in terms of the essential principles of independent and impartial aid in response to emergency needs. The insurgents are confusing us with NATO, which in turn would like to include us in its strategy.
SOLIDARITES, together with other NGOs, places particular emphasis on the vital distinction between humanitarian workers and military servicemen, on the urgent need for more direct, effective aid for those most in need, and on priority aid for farmers who feed the population. In the same way, we recommend that governance be decentralised and that local and traditional authorities be recognised, respecting social and religious frameworks.
Today, after having worked in Afghanistan for 28 years, we believe that if the international community and the Afghan authorities do not change their strategic government, there is a danger that the war will continue indefinitely and that humanitarian aid will become more and more paralysed. A military solution is limited in the absence of a political solution to attain peace.
Press contact: Alain Boinet – 06 82 59 29 07 and 01 80 21 05 62
See our report on Afghanistan: www.solidarites.org
SOLIDARITES - 50 rue Klock 92110 Clichy-la-Garenne – Tel: 01 80 21 05 62 / Fax: 01 80 21 05 99
Email: assistdir@solidarites.org – siren 389 515 180
The
Paris Conference on Afghanistan cannot be a disappointment
June 10, 2008
The international conference which will take place in Paris on June
12th is faced with a major challenge. 7 years after the international
community first intervened in Afghanistan, the battle has not yet really
been won. For the past 30 years, the rare opportunities for peace have
all been lost, and no-one has achieved a lasting victory.
SOLIDARITES, an intenational humanitarian organisation which has been
present in Afghanistan for 28 years, is both greatly concerned and very
hopeful.
We are faced with a real paradox. Remarkable progress contrasts with
major difficulties.
This progress includes institutional reform, the media, education,
healthcare, telecommunications, the road network, and the National Solidarity
Programme. The difficulties if not setbacks include growing insecurity,
drugs, corruption, extreme poverty, the food crisis, and lack of confidence
in the future.
Many divisions threaten the country: between the North and the South,
the Taliban stronghold, between Kabul, major towns and rural areas,
between the very rich and the very poor.
These difficulties and setbacks threaten the whole of the current political
process, and also hamper humanitarian aid, reconstruction and development
activities, which are vital for one of the poorest populations in the
world.
We call upon the organisers of the International Conference in Paris
and upon Bernard Kouchner, the French Minister of Foreign and European
Affairs, and invite them to devise a new stragegy to respond to the
challenges, risks and issues which face the Afghan population.
Today, priority aid must be provided for the population in the areas
where they live. Local communities, as well as social and religious
bodies, must be involved in local government. In the face of the impending
food crisis, farmers must be the number one priority, since they provide
food for the population. Confidence must be restored.
The international community must commit substantial funds for Afghanistan.
In liaison with the Afghan authorities, the coordination and coherence
of relief efforts must be significantly improved, as well as good management
and efficient use of financial resources.
It would be a mistake to carry on as if everything was alright. Although
there are many reasons to justify increasing the foreign military presence,
this strategy also has its limits. An exclusively military solution
seems to lead to a dead end, in the absence of a political solution,
which must necessarily include broad reconciliation, national unity
and a stronger State.
The International Conference in Paris cannot be a disappointment. It
must be a major strategic turning-point. Once the final declarations
have been announced, they must be rapidly transformed into tangible
action in the field, with regular follow-up. The major challenge is
after all to win peace.
Press contact: Alain Boinet – 06 82 59 29 07 and 01 80 21 05 62
To find out more about SOLIDARITES: www.solidarites.org
SOLIDARITES - 50 rue Klock 92110 Clichy-la-Garenne – Tel : 01
80 21 05 62 / Fax : 01 80 21 05 99
Email : assistdir@solidarites.org – siren 389 515 180
SOLIDARITES
: food crisis in Afghanistan
21 May 2008
Afghanistan, one of the poorest countries in the world and scarred
by decades of war, is again facing renewed violence after a relatively
calm period, and is currently suffering from an extremely serious food
crisis. This food crisis in Afghanistan, within the international food
crisis, poses the threat of rapidly turning into a major humanitarian
emergency.
SOLIDARITES, an international humanitarian aid organisation which has
been present in Afghanistan for 28 years, has made an alarming report:
in Kabul, the price of one kilo of wheat, which is an essential staple
food for the city’s 4 million inhabitants, abruptly increased
from 21 to 42 afghanis per kilo in February and March of this year (exchange
rate in May 2008: 77 afghanis = 1 €uro). Other staple food prices
also rose dramatically: oil (+ 16%) and rice (+ 30%). As a result, the
purchasing power of unskilled day labourers (160-190 afghanis per day,
or between 2 and 2.5 €uros!) has fallen by 40%!
Although this situation may differ from one region to another, Afghanistan
is nevertheless severely affected by falling agricultural production,
rising prices and scarce imports from neighbouring countries, which
are also suffering from the food crisis. As an example, the monthly
salary of many civil servants is around 2500 to 3000 afghanis, or between
32 and 40 €uros!
On June 12th, an International Conference on Afghanistan organised
by France, Afghanistan and the United Nations will take place, in the
presence of 80 delegations. It is urgent that the severity of the food
crisis in Afghanistan be acknowledged, and that the actions required
to respond to this situation be set in motion right away.
To this end and in preparation for this Conference, SOLIDARITES and
the majority of French NGOs have organised a symposium on May 22nd in
Paris, to prepare an analysis of the situation as well as recommendations
based upon our 28 years of experience in this country.
In particular, SOLIDARITES makes the following recommendations:
- A higher level of direct aid for the poorest among the Afghan population,
with priority aid for farmers who feed the population.
- Making the humanitarian needs of the population a priority, and placing
them at the heart of reconstruction and development in Afghanistan,
involving local communities in this process, fighting corruption and
seeking a political solution which reconciles the majority of Afghans
and enables lasting peace.
- Finally, we hope that the French government will significantly increase
its humanitarian aid for reconstruction and development.
SOLIDARITES is available to answer journalists’ questions and
to offer eyewitness accounts of the food emergency in Afghanistan. Moreover,
we have just published a 24 page report which covers the situation in
Afghanistan, our agricultural, drinking water and sanitation programmes,
our humanitarian action over the last 28 years and our recommendations
for the future. This report is available on our website: www.solidarites.org.
Press contact: Alain Boinet - O6.82.59.29.07 and O1 80 21 05 96
To find our more about SOLIDARITES: www.solidarites.org
SOLIDARITES - 50 rue Klock 92110 Clichy la-Garenne – Tel (reception):
01 80 21 05 05 / Fax: 01 80 21 05 99
Email: direction@solidarites.org – siren 389 515 180
«
Water is the first priority » declares Bernard Kouchner
during his meeting with SOLIDARITES
25 March 2008
SOLIDARITES has delivered a petition and a report to the French Minister
of Foreign and European Affairs, Bernard Kouchner, and has invited him
to launch an initiative to make universal access to water and sanitation
an international priority.
A delegation from the international humanitarian aid organisation SOLIDARITES
met with the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bernard Kouchner, on
Thursday 20th March on the occasion of World Water Day. This delegation
delivered a petition which has already been signed by 51,464 people,
together with a report on the current situation and our proposals.
During this meeting, Alain Boinet, managing director and founder of
SOLIDARITES, emphasized that unsafe water is the primary cause of death
(1) in the world, and that it is urgent that this situation should become
an international priority in order to reduce the number of victims,
currently 8 million deaths every year.
We believe that this situation is not inevitable, since every day lives
are saved in the countries where we and other humanitarian organisations
are working (in Darfur, DRC, Afghanistan, …) and where we carry
out projects to provide access to drinking water and sanitation. However,
although these projects are essential, they are not enough.
It is for this reason that SOLIDARITES believes that financial mobilisation
is necessary to raise the 10 billion dollars which are required every
year to meet the United Nations Millenium Development Goals (currently
less than half this amount is available).
We have also put forward a suggestion to the Minister that international
governance be made more efficient, through the creation of a World Water
Agency, since over 22 United Nations agencies are currently involved
in water issues to a greater or a lesser extent.
Finally, we have proposed that an annual water report be published,
detailing needs, priorities, objectives, commitments and results, which
would lead to greater coherence, synergy and efficiency.
SOLIDARITES was pleased to hear the remarks made by the Minister of
Foreign and European Affairs, and in particular his declaration that
water is a priority, from a human, public health and development point
of view. He added that it is undoubtedly « the first priority
».
Moreover, Bernard Kouchner envisages putting forward and studying an
initiative during the French Presidency of the European Union for the
second semester of this year.
This sort of initiative could form part of the preparations for the
5th World Water Summit which will take place in Istanbul, Turkey in
March 2009, on the occasion of World Water Day. SOLIDARITES will take
part, so that the subject of drinking water and sanitation in emergency
and reconstruction situations can at last be addressed.
(1) « L’Eau » (Water). Michel Camdessus. Robert Laffont.
2004.
Press contacts: Alain Boinet 06 82
59 29 07 or Sophie Ghaleb 01.80.21.05.61 - direction@solidarites.org
For more information on SOLIDARITES, please
visit our website www.solidarites.org as well as our water campaign website www.votregouttedeau.org where it is possible to sign our petition.
SOLIDARITES - 50 rue Klock - 92110 Clichy la-Garenne
Tel (reception): 01 80 21 05 05 - Fax: 01 80 21 05 99
Email: direction@solidarites.org – siren 389 515 180
8 million
deaths every year, that’s enough!
March 10, 2008
Every year, 8 million people die from diseases caused by unsafe water
and lack of hygiene. It is the leading cause of death in the world.
Cholera, typhoid, hepatitis,… these water-borne diseases are
silent killers on a massive scale, particularly in countries where there
are humanitarian crises. Diarrhoea, which is easily cured here, kills
1.8 million children every year.
The media reports every day on the smallest terrorist attack in Afghanistan,
in the Palestinian territories, in Iraq and elsewhere. The media covers
"celebrities" every day. Why doesn’t the media tell
us about water which kills so many innocent people, to help to raise
awareness and to trigger essential government decisions ?
SOLIDARITES, an international humanitarian aid organisation, battles
against this calamity every day in fifteen countries, with our team
of water and sanitation specialists, hydraulic engineers and logistics
engineers, and with support from our head office and our partners.
Today, 1.2 billion people still do not have access to drinking water
and 2.6 billion do not have access to basic standards of hygiene. We
are all concerned by this challenge. SOLIDARITES’ work is essential,
but it is not enough. It is for this reason that we have launched a
petition, which has already been signed by 50,000 people, and which
is to be sent to political decision-makers.
On March 22, World Water Day, we will present the 50,000 signatories
of our petition to Bernard Kouchner, Minister for Foreign Affairs, along
with our "Report on unsafe water, the leading cause of death in
the world".
For journalists who are interested and will be receiving our "Report"
in the next few days, we propose interviews with SOLIDARITES hydraulic
engineers or with our Managing Director, royalty free photos which illustrate
the current situation, and television images which were recently filmed
in Darfur.
Press contacts: Alain Boinet O6 82 59 29 O7 or Sophie Ghaleb
O1.80.21.O5.61 direction@solidarites.org
For more information on SOLIDARITES, please
visit our website www.solidarites.org,
as well as the website for this campaign www.votregouttedeau.org where it is possible to sign our petition.
SOLIDARITES
: the humanitarian situation in eastern DR Congo and access to
populations in need must be top of the agenda at the peace conference
in Goma
4 January 2008
On the eve of the "Conference on peace, security and the development
of Northern and Southern Kivu" which opens on Sunday 6th January
in Goma, DR Congo, the international humanitarian aid organisation SOLIDARITES
reminds participants about the horrendous consequences of the armed
conflict on the civilian population in this area, as well as increasingly
difficult humanitarian access to this population for the NGOs who seek
to provide aid.
Humanitarian access to displaced populations in North Kivu has deteriorated
to an extremely serious extent, especially in the Rutshuru and Masisi
areas and along the Goma – Rutshuru route, where SOLIDARITES teams
and vehicles have been involved in incidents (threatened at gunpoint
by armed individuals) over the last few weeks. This has made the humanitarian
situation even worse among those fleeing the fighting which broke out
in August 2007 between the Congolese armed forces and insurgents loyal
to Laurent Nkunda. Over the last three months, at least 6 incidents
have taken place involving clearly identified humanitarian personnel
and vehicles…
Marine Lepage, emergency programmes coordinator for SOLIDARITES in
Goma explains, "the humanitarian situation for civilians is deplorable,
their living conditions are horrendous in a perpetually violent environment
: the greatest problems are access to water, food and sanitation."
She adds, "this is indeed a forgotten humanitarian crisis (4 million
deaths since 1996 according to figures quoted regularly by international
observers), despite the shock waves following the Rwandan genocide in
1994." This crisis is not visible enough since innocent civilians
are not being killed by armed conflict, but are victims of the consequences
of this conflict. Permanent, large-scale population migrations limit
access to farmable land and sufficient sources of drinking water whilst
the absence of hygiene facilities creates a favourable environment for
epidemics to spread.
In addition to this frightful situation, host populations are also victims
of malnutrition and general pauperization (since they have provided
assistance to displaced persons and since prices have risen as a result
of blocked commercial routes)…
Using the Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM), SOLIDARITES has provided
assistance to 45,000 displaced families throughout the Rutshuru, Masisi,
Nyiragongo and Lubero territories (North Kivu) from the end of August
to the end of November 2007. This assistance included distributions
of essential items (jerry cans, blankets, mats, plastic covers, soap,
kitchen utensils, cloths, mosquito nets), transportation of drinking
water by truck, installing water springs and latrines, rehabilitating
water supply networks and setting up temporary schools. In total, from
January to November 2007, our RRM programme provided aid to around 85,000
families.
It is vital that humanitarian assistance continues for civilian and
displaced populations in Northern and Southern Kivu. According to UN
estimates, 435,000 people were displaced by violence between November
2006 to December 2007, bringing the total number of displaced persons
in North Kivu to 800,000. Many of these people have had to flee several
times in just one year. They need assistance at all levels, and depend
on international humanitarian aid. Moreover, exactions, rape and forced
enrolment of child soldiers are on the increase.
In view of this situation, SOLIDARITES requests that the humanitarian
situation of civilian populations be one of the major preoccupations
of the Conference on peace, security and the development of Northern
and Southern Kivu, and that International Humanitarian Law be enforced
by all parties to the conflict, in particular regarding the protection
of civilians and humanitarian access.
Press contact: O6.82.59.29.07 et
O1 80 21 05 96
To find out more about SOLIDARITES
: www.solidarites.org
SOLIDARITES - 50 rue Klock 92110 Clichy la-Garenne – Tel (reception)
: 01 80 21 05 05
Fax : 01 80 21 05 99 - Email : info@solidarites.org – siren 389
515 180
INGOs
in Nord Kivu urge the GoDRC and all parties to the conflict to protect
the civilian population and ensure unhindered humanitarian access
26 December 2007
As international non governmental organisations working in Nord Kivu
we are extremely concerned by the steady decrease of humanitarian access.
INGOs in Nord Kivu directly deliver assistance to most of the population
affected by war. Fighting, multiplication of uncontrolled armed actors
and road blocks are severely hampering our capacity to reach communities
and deliver assistance. In the last three months, at least 6 incidents
targeted humanitarian vehicles and personnel. NGOs clearly marked vehicles
have been stopped and robbed by armed men; recently, one NGO was robbed
in full day near an IDP camp, while delivering assistance.
Since the recent upsurge of fighting, several NGOs have been forced
to suspend their programs while life-saving activities are ongoing amid
increasing challenges. At least 200.000 displaced are cut out from receiving
aid, at a time when needs are increasing and the living conditions of
hundred of thousands of civilians trapped in conflict are severely deteriorating.
In many cases we are unable to assist entire displaced communities because
distributions will put them at risk of being looted or attacked or because
they are continuously changing the location of displacement because
of insecurity.
At the same time, we are concerned that intermittent access is having
a negative impact on the protection of communities. Since December 2006,
at least 437.000 people have been displaced, they live in precarious
conditions and are often forced to flee several locations because of
fighting. Deliberate targeting of civilians, sexual violence, forced
recruitment, arbitrary detention and restriction of freedom of movement
are increasing, while most of the perpetrators are not held accountable.
In the interest of the civilian population, in order to ensure assistance
to hundreds of thousands in need and in accordance with obligations
under international humanitarian law, we urge the Government of DRC
and all parties to the conflict to protect civilians and to provide
safe and unhindered access for humanitarian workers.
INGOs in Nord Kivu are directly delivering most of the humanitarian
assistance to populations affected by the conflict and are implementing
transitional and developmental programs. INGOs work in protection, distribution
of food and non food items, livelihood, water and sanitation, health,
nutrition, education and camp management.
The following NGOs:
AVSI, CARE, Concern, Coopi, Handicap International, Light of Africa
Network, Médecins du Monde, Mercy Corps, Merlin, Norwegian Refugee
Council, Oxfam GB, Save the Children UK, Soderu, Solidarités,
World Relief
Press contacts: 06.82.59.29.07 et 01 80 21 05 96
To find out more about SOLIDARITES:
www.solidarites.org
SOLIDARITES - 50 rue Klock 92110 Clichy la-Garenne – Tel (reception):
01 80 21 05 05
Fax : 01 80 21 05 99 - Email: info@solidarites.org – siren 389
515 180
Bangladesh
: SOLIDARITES sends in an emergency team
21 November 2007
In response to the humanitarian disaster caused by Cyclone Sidr in
Bangladesh, the international aid organisation SOLIDARITES has sent
in an emergency team to provide emergency humanitarian aid and meet
vital, top-priority needs as they are identified.
Cyclone Sidr has completely devastated southern Bangladesh: 28 districts
are affected, 3000 people have died and thousands more are missing.
Many affected areas have not yet received aid due to difficulties in
reaching them: debris is strewn everywhere and is blocking roads, bridges
have collapsed, etc.
According to government estimates, between 60 and 70% of homes in the
worst affected areas have been destroyed, as have all rice paddies and
farms. Several million survivors have lost everything and are dependent
on humanitarian aid. Their needs are great: drinking water, food, medical
care, clothing, essential supplies, shelter…
With 27 years of humanitarian experience, SOLIDARITES intends to provide
assistance for survivors, in close collaboration with local authorities
and in its specific fields of expertise: access to drinking water, distribution
of emergency food aid and essential supplies.
Whilst mobilisation and generosity for Tsunami victims was exceptional,
aid for cyclone survivors in Bangladesh is slow to start. Every day
counts to meet their urgent needs, SOLIDARITES calls for all the necessary
funds to be released, and for French citizens to make generous donations,
so that survivors may receive the aid that they need, in coordination
with state authorities in Bangladesh.
Press contacts: O6 82 59 29 07 or
O1 80 21 05 96
To find out more about SOLIDARITES: www.solidarites.org
SOLIDARITES - 50 rue Klock, 92110 Clichy la-Garenne – Tel: 01
80 21 05 05 - Fax: 01 80 21 05 99
Email: info@solidarites.org – siren 389 515 180
The position
of international NGOs working in Darfur on the attempt
by the “Arche de Zoë” to evacuate children from Chad
Chad, 8 November 2007: 36 International
NGOs working in Darfur have condemned the recent attempt made by the
“Arche de Zoë” to evacuate children from Chad. This
activity does not represent the work carried out by international NGOs
in Darfur, nor that of our colleagues in Chad.
The international NGOs working in Darfour have always been fully committed
to working in accordance with humanitarian principles and to respecting
human rights and international law, so that they may remain neutral,
impartial and accountable for their work among local communities. Moreover,
our work aims to respect the rights of children, individuals and families.
As a community, we are very concerned about any alterations to humanitarian
principles and we work together, in coordination with the populations
and local authorities in Darfur to carry out our programmes. 85% of
humanitarian aid in Darfur is currently provided by the international
NGO community.
This declaration has been signed by 36 international NGOs including: Save the Children US, Save the Children UK, Oxfam, World Vision, Concern,
Care, Tearfund, International Rescue Committee, Action contre la Faim,
Norwegian Church Aid, ZOA refugee Council, International Medical Corps,
War Child Holland, FAR, Save the Children Sweden, Medair, Terre Des
Hommes, Action on Disability and Development, Solidarités, Acted,
IAS, Merlin.
Attacks on
SOLIDARITES teams in eastern DRC
6 November 2007
Following the recent incidents involving SOLIDARITES teams in North
Kivu (Democratic Republic of Congo), we would like to clarify the facts
and restate the guiding principles upon which our humanitarian aid is
founded.
On October 24, 2007, a SOLIDARITES team was travelling to Kinyandonyi
(Rutshuru territory) to carry out work on the drinking water supply
network when they were stopped by armed individuals from à Mai-Mai
faction, according to official sources. One of our vehicles was requisitioned.
Despite the gunfire, no one was injured. In fact, the shooting was not
aimed at the SOLIDARITES personnel. The vehicle was returned to us later
the same day.
On October 28, 2007, SOLIDARITES team-members travelling to Goma from
Rutshuru were stopped as they left the village of Rubare, and were forced
to hand over all valuable items by two armed individuals.
We would like to point out that these two incidents were not linked,
nor were they specifically targeted against SOLIDARITES. They are in
fact a reflection of the prevalent insecurity in the Rutshuru and Masisi
territories where our teams work daily to meet acute humanitarian needs.
Indeed, since the end of August 2007 and the resumption of hostilities
in these two territories, SOLIDARITES has provided assistance for over
200,000 displaced persons. This emergency assistance for populations
fleeing combat zones takes the form of distributing non-food commodities,
supplying drinking water and setting up healthcare and education infrastructure.
In parallel to these emergency activities, SOLIDARITES is also carrying
out medium term activities to improve access to drinking water for indigenous
and displaced populations. The team which was attacked on October 24th
is currently rehabilitating the water distribution network in Kinyandoni
so that 15,000 people will have access to drinking water.
Due to the high level of involvement of our humanitarian organisation
in North Kivu, SOLIDARITES maintains strong communication with the various
parties who are responsible for ensuring that we can reach populations
in distress and for safeguarding our teams, in accordance with the principles
of international humanitarian law.
We reassert that the activities carried out by our international humanitarian
organisation are solely for humanitarian purposes, and that these activities
are founded on the following principles: neutrality, impartiality and
non-discrimination.
We hope that this press release, which provides an objective factual
account, will clarify the role of our humanitarian organisation and
will ensure that any information relating to our humanitarian activities
will not be distorted.
Press contact: O6.82.59.29.07 and
O1 80 21 05 96
To find out more about SOLIDARITES: www.solidarites.org
SOLIDARITES - 50 rue Klock 92110 Clichy la-Garenne – Tel: 01 80
21 05 05 - Fax: 01 80 21 05 99
Email: info@solidarites.org – siren 389 515 180
Our press
release on the « Arche de Zoé »
2 November 2007
SOLIDARITES
is an international humanitarian aid organisation which is active in
fifteen countries including Darfur (Sudan), the Central African Republic
(CAR), and is currently conducting an evaluation mission in Chad. We
would like to clarify the following points:
- We do not know the organisation “Arche de Zoë”
nor the organisation “Children Rescue”.
- The extremely serious deeds of which they are accused having now
been proven, questions should be asked as to whether this organisation
may still be classified as a humanitarian organisation.
- We do not understand why this organisation was not deterred from
going through with their plans, especially considering the regrettable
consequences which would ensue.
- We do not think that all the members of this organisation and the
foster families had been told the truth concerning the actions taken
by the officers running the organisation, who had previously received
warnings from the French authorities many times.
- We have noticed that this affair has caused local populations in
Chad and elsewhere to have less confidence in humanitarian workers,
which is likely to affect the aid that they depend on.
- We fear that this affair may be used for partisan political ends,
to the detriment of humanitarian action.
- We therefore believe that justice must be carried out impartially
both in Chad and in France and we hope that the whole truth will be
revealed.
- We believe that it is essential to change views on the populations
of poor, war-torn countries and on the reality of these conflicts.
Simplistic views, or inopportune, unrealistic declarations are not
the best way to show solidarity for these populations, to understand
them and to respect them.
- We now ask that this excessive dramatization be put into perspective,
so that energy may rather be devoted to assisting endangered populations
in Darfur, Chad and the CAR, and elsewhere in the world.
- We would like to emphasize that humanitarian aid is a commitment
and a profession which has rules, methods, tried and tested tools,
and that NGOs like SOLIDARITES are recognised partners of States and
international institutions to assist populations in danger, who scrupulously
report on their activities.
- Finally and above all, we are happy to hear that the 103 children
are safe and well, and we hope that they will soon be reunited with
their parents, family or loved ones.
Press contact: O6 82 59 29 O7 or
01 80 21 05 96
To find out more about SOLIDARITES: www.solidarites.org
SOLIDARITES - 50 rue Klock - 92110 Clichy la-Garenne – Tel: 01
80 21 05 05 - Fax: 01 80 21 05 99
Courriel : info@solidarites.org – siren 389 515 180
SOLIDARITES
reacts to the humanitarian emergency in North Kivu
10 September 2007
In the East of DR Congo, fighting and violence have returned once more.
North Kivu is currently the scene of clashes between General Laurent
Nkunda's forces (insurgents from new "mixed" brigades within
the DRC armed forces), the FARDC (Congolese armed forces), groups from
the FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda – Rwandan
hutu rebels) and Congolese Mai Mai. The impact on the civilian population
is most alarming: around 745,000 people have been displaced by the conflict
in North Kivu (UNOCHA figures), not including the current wave of refugees.
In Mugunga alone, to the west of Goma, our emergency team has just estimated
the number of displaced families at 7,000 to 9,000, representing between
35,000 and 45,000 people.
SOLIDARITES, an international humanitarian aid
organisation which has been working in DR Congo since 2001, is
on the front line to react to this emergency. Thanks to our rapid response
mechanism (RRM), and in partnership with the United Nations (UNICEF
and UNOCHA), our teams are already providing appropriate aid to displaced
families near Goma and Sake.
According to testimonies by our team in North Kivu, most of these families
had to flee the violence without any of their belongings. Their needs
are great.
To enable us to immediately distribute the pre-positioned supplies
which we have permanently available under the RRM programme, some members
of our Bunia and Beni teams have joined the Goma team to cope with the
current humanitarian crisis. In this difficult and exhausting situation,
our volunteers are working relentlessly to identify and meet the most
urgent needs: on Friday 7 September, Régis Mathon, a member of
our team, met with John Holmes, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian
Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, who had come to assess the
situation of 9,000 families (nearly 45,000 people) grouped together
in Mugunga Camp, 15 km to the North-West of the regional capital Goma.
At the same time, we have already distributed 2,400 jerry cans (distribution
still in progress), transported 40 M3 of drinking water in tank
trucks, and installed water distribution points. We are currently setting
up a 80 M3 water treatment station, linked to flexible tanks and
water distribution points, to provide 1,500 more families with drinking
water.
Secondly, we are building latrines to prevent epidemics (cholera is
endemic in this region). Finally, our team is currently assessing the
humanitarian situation in Minova, south of Sake, where 4,800 families
have taken refuge.
In the face of the humanitarian crisis in North
Kivu, the warring parties must allow free access to vulnerable populations,
and the international community must ensure their protection and provide
additional ressources for essential emergency aid, in close partnership
with humanitarian NGOs.
Press contact: Alain Boinet O6.82.59.29.O7 and Communication
department: 01 80 21 05 96
To find out more about SOLIDARITES: www.solidarites.org
SOLIDARITES - 50 rue Klock, 92110 Clichy la-Garenne
Tel: 01 80 21 05 05 - Fax: 01 80 21 05 99 - E-mail: info@solidarites.org
Doctor
Kouchner, be careful with Darfur
June 22, 2007
On the eve of the ministerial meeting of the enlarged
International Contact Group on Darfur, which is due to take place in
Paris on Monday June 25th, at the initiative of the French President
Nicolas Sarkozy and the French Minister of Foreign and European Affairs
Bernard Kouchner, we would like to say that any initiatives to be taken,
however welcome they may be, must be considered in the light of the
consequences that they may have on the Darfur population.
For the past 3 years, SOLIDARITES has carried out a large
humanitarian operation in Darfur, with a team of over 300 expatriate
and Sudanese aid workers. We would like to emphasize the following points:
- Despite the fact that a very large-scale humanitarian
operation is being carried out in Darfur by over 10,000 expatriate and
Sudanese aid workers via an air-bridge and a land-bridge, enabling aid
to be provided to 2.1 million displaced persons and many of the 2 million
other residents who are in need, serious problems still exist.
- The number of displaced persons continues to rise (an
additional 300,000 in one year according to UNOCHA estimates on April
1st), many refugee camps are overcrowded, for example Nyala, and essential
resources are in short supply, for example drinking water at El Fasher
or Seleah, where there is a 12 hour queue to fill a jerry can.
- The rainy season has started and will continue until
November, and it is therefore essential that large-scale distributions
of seeds (millet, sorghum...) and food rations to farmers commence immediately.
This is vital and urgent.
- Aid workers are not able to reach all those who are
vulnerable or under attack, and there have been many security incidents.
- Although the international humanitarian effort is significant,
it is no longer sufficient to counter the cumulative negative consequences
affecting the victims of this conflict.
Therefore, we make the following appeal:
- Humanitarian aid in Darfur is not sufficiently mobile.
Therefore, why not set up a "rapid response" type mechanism
with experienced, independant humanitarian organisations (UN, NGO, ICRC)
who have freight helicopters and pre-positioned stock points?
- We ask of Bernard Kouchner that all political actions
for peace may serve the purposes of humanitarian relief and not the
contrary. We maintain that it is essential that there be a sanctuary
for humanitarian aid, to enable sufficient aid to reach vulnerable populations,
until a political solution for long-term peace which we all hope for
can be found.
Press contacts : Alain Boinet - O6 82 59 29 O7 or Sophie Ghaleb
- 01 43 15 13 13
Darfur:
A way out, the right of sanctuary for humanitarian aid
March 20, 2007
Back from Darfur, Alain Boinet, founder and managing director
of SOLIDARITES, appeals for the right of sanctuary for humanitarian
aid to avert a human catastrophe, which would further exacerbate the
suffering endured by the victims of armed conflict and war crimes in
Darfur.
Visiting southern and western Darfur, Alain Boinet saw
for himself how the entire international humanitarian aid system is
fast becoming paralysed by insecure operating conditions.
Humanitarian workers are under attack every day: stolen
vehicles, violence, rape, simulated executions, Sudanese personnel working
for NGOs murdered. Many humanitarian organisations have reduced or even
frozen their activities. SOLIDARITES is maintaining all its programmes,
which is difficult in rural areas and involves taking many risks.
In Darfur, aid workers are caught in a trap. According
to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
(UN-OCHA), one third of the territory is no longer accessible for relief
operations, and aid provided by NGOs is rapidly decreasing, especially
in rural areas. The major risk, in the coming weeks and months, is that
the populations in these areas will fall victim to food shortages or
even famine, due to isolation and lack of aid. The second risk is that
these populations will flee rural areas, causing a new influx of displaced
persons to towns.
This is a humanitarian emergency. We, therefore, call
upon all political leaders concerned, in particular the President of
France, to ensure “the right of sanctuary for humanitarian aid
in Darfur”, until a lasting peace agreement can be reached.
We also call upon Mr. Ban Ky moon, UN Secretary-General
and, in particular, Mr. John Holmes, the new UN Under Secretary-General
for Humanitarian Affairs, who is currently in Sudan and is due to visit
Darfur. We ask them to negotiate as a matter of priority the right of
sanctuary for humanitarian aid. In other words, we ask them to ensure
access to populations for relief operations and thus avert a humanitarian
disaster. For the people of Darfur, stop this downward spiral and ensure
the right of sanctuary for humanitarian aid.
Press contact: Alain Boinet : 06.82.59.29.07 and
01.43.15.13.11.
For information: SOLIDARITES has been present in Darfur
since July 2004, and today 42 expatriate volunteers and 285 Sudanese
are carrying out eight programmes, in partnership with several international
institutions, to assist over one hundred thousand people (water and
sanitation, food aid, support for agriculture...) in 6 areas of southern
and western Darfur. For more information : www.solidarites.org
SOLIDARITES :
a humanitarian SOS for Lebanon
20 juillet 2006
In reaction to the humanitarian emergency caused by the
current air raids in Lebanon, SOLIDARITES, an international humanitarian
aid organisation, has decided to send a relief team to assist displaced
Lebanese civilian populations.
Indeed, the systematic destruction of infrastructure and
the mass exodus of civilians obliged to flee the bombings and initial
combat, has had the immediate effect of depriving tens of thousands
of people from access to drinking water, shelter and soon perhaps food,
since Lebanon is currently held under a de facto blockade. This situation
could continue to worsen.
SOLIDARITES, who have intervened in Lebanon in the past,
request that there be a guarantee of free access to humanitarian aid
for civilian populations in distress.
SOLIDARITES makes an immediate appeal to the generosity
of the general public, in order to respond to the humanitarian emergency
in Lebanon without delay.
Thank you for publishing our appeal
Press contact , Communication Department:
O1.43.15.13.13 or O6.82.59.29.O7
To support SOLIDARITES’ humanitarian aid
in Lebanon,
please send your donations to:
SOLIDARITES Mission Liban -
BP 100 - 75020 Paris
or to
SOLIDARITES - Villa Souchet – 105 Avenue Gambetta - 75020 Paris
To find out more about SOLIDARITES, or to make an online donation,
please visit our website : www.solidarites.org
SOLIDARITES steps
in to assist earthquake survivors
on the island of Java in Indonesia
June 8, 2006
On May 27, a violent earthquake hit the centre of the
island of Java, south of the major Indonesian town Yogyakarta, leaving
over 4,000 people dead and tens of thousands injured. 70,000 houses
were destroyed and around 400,000 people were left homeless. The survivors
are gathered together in makeshift camps, and spend the night under
crude shelters. In addition to the survivors, populations fleeing the
Merapi volcano whose activity has intensified since the earthquake are
also seeking refuge. Rainstorms over the last few days have only worsened
the already mediocre conditions of hygiene.
A team from SOLIDARITES, an international humanitarian
aid organisation, has identified the most urgent needs : access to drinking
water, hygiene and food. SOLIDARITES is now actively seeking funds in
order to meet vital needs as quickly as possible in the districts of
Bantul and Klaten, around ten kilometres east of Yogyakarta, an area
whose population has not yet received governmental or international
aid. Indeed, due to the scale of this disaster, the Indonesian government
will not be able to meet the survivors immediate needs without assistance.
The top priority for SOLIDARITES is to reduce health
threats by installing drinking water and hygiene facilities for 18,000
earthquake victims, and to distribute emergency food aid and essential
survival products, according to needs.
Every day counts to meet the needs of the earthquake
victims (many of which have lost family members), following this second
disaster to hit Indonesia, eighteen months after the Tsunami on December
26, 2004. SOLIDARITES is actively seeking the funds necessary to provide
this emergency humanitarian aid.
Our sincere thanks for publishing this appeal.
Press contact:
Communication department: O1.43.15.13.13 or O6.82.59.29.O7
To support
SOLIDARITES' emergency humanitarian aid,
please send your donations to: SOLIDARITES
- BP 100- 75020 Paris
or to
SOLIDARITES - Villa Souchet
– 105 Avenue Gambetta - 75020 Paris
To find out more about SOLIDARITES, visit our
website: www.solidarites.org
Tsunami :
donations received by SOLIDARITES
have helped 100 000 people
20
December 2005
One year ago, a giant, exceedingly
violent tidal wave devastated the coasts of many South East Asian countries,
especially Sri Lanka and Indonesia. This horrific natural disaster claimed
nearly 270 000 lives and caused widespread destruction.
SOLIDARITES, an international humanitarian aid organisation,
wishes to pay tribute to the memory of those who perished, and to share
in the grief of those families who lost loved ones, especially those
of French citizens who died or disappeared in these tragic circumstances.
SOLIDARITES would also like to commend the unprecedented generosity
shown by the general public in France and many other countries, in support
of the relief effort for Tsunami victims.
For our part, SOLIDARITES launched relief operations in
the first few days after the disaster. Initially, we provided emergency
aid (access to drinking water, distribution of food aid and essential
items) in Sri Lanka, then we implemented post-emergency programmes in
Sri Lanka and Indonesia (Sumatra) to provide permanent access to drinking
water, to clear debris, to rebuild roads and schools, and to revive
fishing and agricultural activities so that tsunami survivors could
regain food self-sufficiency. In total, these complementary projects,
which received support from many institutional partners, companies and
private donors, provided aid to 100 000 people in Sri Lanka and Indonesia.
Their budget totalled 6 208 000 euros, of which 100% was allocated to
Tsunami victims ; 75% of these projects have already been implemented,
and the remaining 25% will be implemented at the beginning of 2006.
We regularly report on the use of these funds on our website: www.solidarites.org.
SOLIDARITES is available for journalists and the media
who may wish to visit our aid programmes, or to enable them to interview
our volunteers who have recently returned from their mission. SOLIDARITES
is also available to participate in debates and broadcasts concerning
the various issues raised by this unprecedented humanitarian crisis.
The memory of Tsunami victims, and the needs which still
exist in Sri Lanka and Indonesia, have led SOLIDARITES to continue its
humanitarian programmes in these two countries, especially to provide
permanent access to drinking water and sanitation facilities, and to
revive fishing and agricultural activities. Finally, SOLIDARITES would
like to say “Let us not forget that international aid should not
only be limited to the areas physically devastated by the Tsunami”.
Further inland, there are also many real needs, and those neglected
by the relief effort also need assistance.
Press contacts : Alain Boinet 06 82 59 29 07
Tel. SOLIDARITES : 01 43 15 13 13
To support SOLIDARITES’
humanitarian aid in South East Asia
Please send your donations to : SOLIDARITES - BP 100- 75020 Paris
or to
SOLIDARITES - Villa Souchet – 105 Avenue Gambetta - 75020 Paris
To learn more about SOLIDARITES, please visit
our website : www.solidarites.org
Pakistan
: Following the earthquake,
drinking water is in critically short supply
7
December 2005
This winter, when temperatures
will fall to –20°C, volunteers of the French aid organization
SOLIDARITES are fighting for the survival of earthquake victims in Pakistan,
by providing access to the most basic of human needs : drinking water.
Our volunteers, including a hydraulic engineering specialist,
have set up an operational base in Manshera, in the heart of the area
devastated by the earthquake, and have commenced emergency activities
to provide earthquake victims with access to the most basic of human
needs : drinking water supplies (20 litres per person per day) and sanitation
facilities. Displaced families from the Alaï valley, who have taken
refuge in two camps in the Mera area (7,500 people, which will rapidly
increase to 11,000 people) as well as in Batera camp, to the north east
of the town of Besham, are receiving this essential aid.
In Besham valley, the inhabitants of 11 villages (around
90,000 people) are also in urgent need of access to drinking water and
sanitation facilities; they have seen their homes reduced to ruin and
are living in temporary shelters.
In total, this emergency programme plans to cover the
installation of 520 latrines, 220 showers and 30 wash houses, as well
as the distribution of hygiene products and jerry cans, a hygiene awareness
campaign, waste management, and finally canal drainage to prevent flooding
this winter. In addition, the Besham drinking water supply network needs
to be rehabilitated.
The horrific earthquake that hit the Kashmir region
on October 8th left at least 73,000 dead and around 63,000 injured.
SOLIDARITES, an international humanitarian aid organisation, is hard
at work in Pakistani Kashmir. Donations are essential to enable us to
continue our action and, one year on from the wave of generosity for
the Tsunami victims, assistance for earthquake survivors in Pakistan
is urgently required and remains insufficient.
Press contact : Alain Boinet 06 82 59 29 07
SOLIDARITES head office : 01 43 15 13 13
To support SOLIDARITES’ emergency
humanitarian relief work in Pakistan
Please send your donations to: SOLIDARITES - BP 100- 75020 Paris
or to
SOLIDARITES - Villa Souchet – 105 Avenue Gambetta - 75020 Paris
To find out more about SOLIDARITES, please visit our website: www.solidarites.org
SOLIDARITES : aid
for earthquake victims
in Pakistan is a humanitarian duty
27 October 2005
The violent earthquake which shook Kashmir on
October 8th claimed at least 53,000 lives, left between 75,000
and 100,000 injured, and orphaned thousands of children. 3
million people were affected, one million of whom lost their homes. Around one thousand villages and 5,000 to 8,000 schools were devastated.
In Pakistani Kashmir, 90% of the town of Balakot was destroyed. Roads
have disappeared, and whole valleys are now cut off from the world.
With winter fast approaching, bringing freezing temperatures
to this region in the foothills of the Himalaya, the survivors
of the earthquake are in great need of shelter, blankets, food,
drinking water, basic hygiene facilities, cooking equipment, vital commodities… many lives are at risk if emergency humanitarian aid is not
provided to meet these vital needs.
SOLIDARITES, an international humanitarian aid
organisation which knows this part of the world well after 25 years
of aid programmes in Afghanistan, is mobilised to provide aid to the
populations of Pakistani Kashmir, and has sent a team comprising an
evaluation officer, a logistics officer and a water and shelter evaluation
specialist to the area.
However, due to the sheer scale of this disaster, and
the extreme urgency of providing aid to the most isolated populations
before snow blocks supply routes, our volunteers need to have all the
necessary resources at their disposal as quickly as possible, including
financial resources.
Therefore, SOLIDARITES makes a solemn appeal for
the families who have survived the earthquake in Pakistani Kashmir,
that they may not pay with their lives for the lack of interest shown
by donors. Nearly one year after the exceptional generosity for the
victims of the Tsunami in South East Asia, is this unfairness acceptable
? The parents in Pakistan who are trying to survive with their children
are human beings that need assistance. We should not need to be reminded
of our duty to help them.
Our thanks to the media for passing this appeal on to
the general public.
Press contacts : Alain Boinet 06 82
59 29 07
To support SOLIDARITES’ emergency
humanitarian aid in Pakistan
Please send your donations to : SOLIDARITES - BP 100- 75020
Paris
or to
SOLIDARITES - Villa Souchet – 105 Avenue Gambetta - 75020 Paris
To find out more about SOLIDARITES, please visit our website
: www.solidarites.org
SOLIDARITES :
inauguration of a new drinking water network
and treatment plant in Beni, DR Congo.
13
October, 2005
The French NGO SOLIDARITES is pleased
to announce the inauguration of a new drinking water distribution network
and treatment plant. The network was inaugurated and handed over to
local officials on Wednesday 12 October in Beni, DR Congo, in the presence
of the Energy Minister, Professor Pierre Muzyumba Mwanahembe, the Vice-Governor
of North-Kivu province and a large delegation from REGIDESO (*), who
had come from Kinshasa to attend.
The project was carried out through the support of the
European Union who funded the construction work from start to finish,
a total of 2.5 million euros, as part of its 2nd programme to support
rehabilitation (PARII) in DRC.
This project is also the result of an exemplary partnership
between REGIDESO, the Mayor and local council in Beni, SOLIDARITES and
Aquassistance, together with strong community involvement of the local
population, which has allowed this innovative, low cost gravity-flow
water treatment plant using biological retrofiltration to be implemented.
The Beni water plant and its network of 84 water fountains
now deliver 2,100 m3 of drinking water to 170,000 local inhabitants,
and REGIDESO is responsible for running the network.
(*) REGIDESO. A semi-public urban water operations organisation.
Press contacts:
In Beni, DR Congo: 06 82 59 29 07 (mobile - Alain Boinet) or 00 243
81 31 37779
In Paris: Pierre Brunet, O1 43 15 13 13
SOLIDARITES - Villa Souchet – 105 Avenue
Gambetta - 75020 Paris
For more information about SOLIDARITES and our
work in DR Congo,
please visit our webiste: www.solidarites.org
170 000 people
in Beni, DR Congo,
finally gain access to drinking water
October 7th, 2005
Next Wednesday 12 October in Beni, in the North-Kivu province
of DR Congo, the international humanitarian aid organisation SOLIDARITES
will officially inaugurate, in the presence of national representatives
and partners, a drinking water treatment plant and distribution network
which is to serve 170 000 people. To mark the occasion, a delegation
from Paris led by Alain Boinet, Director of SOLIDARITES, will travel
to Beni to hand the new treatment plant over to local officials.
This project is of vital importance to the town of Beni,
since its population is growing very fast: 72 791 inhabitants in 1998,
176 000 in 2002. The town was no longer able to supply drinking water
to all of its residents. The project was initiated in July 2000, work
started in October 2003 and has now been completed. The SOLIDARITES'
team was mainly comprised of hydraulics engineers, received support
from Aquassistance voluntary experts and used the services of a drawing
office for technical design. The principle is simple: an innovative,
all-in-one project, with low maintenance costs, which has been scaled
to meet the needs of Beni's population until 2010. It was carried out
in close cooperation with Beni local authorities, the Governor of the
province and the local population.
This project, which was carried out in partnership with
the European Union (EuropAid) and represented a budget of 2.5 million
euros, forms part of a humanitarian aid strategy aiming to meet urgent
drinking water needs with a long-term solution, thus reducing water-borne
disease (diarrhoea, malaria, ...) and the mortality rate linked to impure
water. The project includes:
-
Water capture from two rivers
-
Construction of a water treatment plant
-
Implementation of a new gravity-flow water adduction
and distribution network (around 50 km of pipes), scaled to provide
water to the inhabitants of Beni (10 litres of water minimum per
persom per day) within a demographic horizon of 10 years, and including,
at the other end of the chain, 84 water fountains distributed within
the 18 neighbourhoods of the town.
The whole water supply facility has been carried out
according to local customs and traditions, so that the beneficiary
population can appropriate and maintain the network. It was built
with the participation of over 500 Congolese employees working on
the construction site. Moreover, the project was carried out through
the involvement of several thousand members of the community. It will
now be run (cost recovery and maintenance) by REGIDESO, a semi-public
urban water operations organisation in DR Congo.
SOLIDARITES' work in DR Congo over the past 5 years
also includes other drinking water programmes, as well as sanitation,
food safety and infrastructure programmes in North-Kivu, Katanga and
Ituri. These programmes are carried out by 22 volunteers and numerous
Congolese employees.
For more information about SOLIDARITES, please
visit our website: www.solidarites.org
Press contacts:
In Beni, DR Congo: 06 82 59 29 07 (mobile - Alain Boinet) or 00 243
81 31 37 779
In Paris: Pierre Brunet, O1 43 15 13 13
United Nations Summit:
Moving from words to action to reduce poverty in the world!
13 September 2005
As the United Nations summet opens, of which the main
focus is the Millenium Goals to reduce poverty in the world, the humanitarian
crisis in Niger is a vivid reminder that the objectives set by the
international community are not being met in those areas where there
is the most urgent need.
Yet Niger is not only the poorest country in the world
but also a country at peace where access is easy. The current food
crisis had been predicted. Weaknesses in alert systems, lack of reactivity
and generosity on the part of the international community, and inappropriate
aid over too long a period have led to a serious food crisis threatening
the lives of millions of Nigeriens including hundreds of thousands
of children.
The French charity Solidarités, which has been
providing humanitarian aid – covering emergency relief through
to reconstruction – in poor countries stricken by war or natural
disaster for the last 25 years, has made the following observations:
- According to our experience, in emergency situations
combining both severe poverty and war, international funding is insufficient
to meet the needs of the population, and is often delayed.
- In the same way, the move from emergency programmes
to reconstruction projects – which is a grey area at the end
of each humanitarian crisis - is not sufficiently anticipated and
coordinated by the institutions who fund programmes implemented by
NGOs.
- Bureaucracy even manages to infiltrate humanitarian
action itself, and administrative requirements by institutional funding
bodies take more and more time, whilst efforts made by NGOs like Solidarités
to improve quality do not really receive support.
- Public Development Aid is insufficient to achieve
the Millenium Goals by 2015. If this is the case, what are the commitments
of the United Nations and its member countries really worth ?
- Concerning our country, France, despite increases
in Public Development Aid (APD) instigated by the French President,
we have observed that French humanitarian NGOs are affected by several
cumulative disadvantages : insufficient state emergency humanitarian
aid budgets (less that 100 ME for 2006), and an absence of operational
continuity between emergency relief and reconstruction funding. This
explains the very small proportion of public development aid allocated
to French NGOs, in comparison with other European countries, around
1% compared to 3-5%.
We therefore hope that this United Nations summet will
be an opportunity for words to be reconciled with actions, and that
France may lead the way.
Press contacts: Alain Boinet O1.43.15.13.13
To support
SOLIDARITES' emergency humanitarian aid
Please send your donations to: SOLIDARITES - BP 100- 75020 Paris
or to
SOLIDARITES - Villa Souchet – 105 Avenue Gambetta - 75020 Paris
To find out more about SOLIDARITES,
please visit our website: www.solidarites.org
SOLIDARITES : Tens
of thousands of people at significant risk in Gina, Democratic Republic
of Congo
19 July 2005
For over one month now, SOLIDARITES, an international
humanitarian aid organisation has had to suspend its activities in
the IDP camp of Gina, located 35 km north of Bunia, the main town
in Ituri, in the north east of DR Congo, due to a deterioration in
security conditions. SOLIDARITES had to evacuate its team from the
camp of Gina on 4 June 2005 because of the risk of carjacking, following
the kidnapping of 2 MSF volunteers, working on site. The current security
situation, in particular the last 12km of the road into Gina and around
the camp, is preventing SOLIDARITES teams from accessing Gina and
continuing their humanitarian aid activities.
More than 30 000 people (displaced persons having fled from violent
fighting between opposing armed groups in the region since the end
of 2004) are struggling to survive in the Gina area, now overpopulated,
without access to food items, drinking water and only insufficient
sanitation facilities.
According to Fred Meylan, Head of Mission for SOLIDARITES
in DR Congo « these people are trapped within a 5
km security perimeter around Gina and are entirely reliant on humanitarian
aid. It is impossible for them to cultivate their land, situated too
far away, for fear of severe reprisals by armed groups : rape,
physical violence, extortion and kidnapping await the rare volunteers
who attempt to move outside the protection zone controlled by the
UNOMC (United Nations organisation Mission to the Congo).»
Despite the already fragile security conditions in May,
SOLIDARITES had put in place an emergency water treatment system in
order to provide the population with a vital minimum of drinking water.
A programme to construct 7OO latrines had also been 70% completed.
Following the suspension of activities, the water treatment unit is
no longer working and the population is left with the alternative
of only 8 small springs, which do not provide a supply of drinking
water. Furthermore, the latrines, largely insufficient in number,
have been saturated for a long time.
The risk of an epidemic of water borne diseases is more
than alarming : cholera, endemic in this region, is a permanent
threat to this extremely vulnerable population. An epidemic broke
out in the neighbouring camps of Tché and Kakwa, three months
earlier. The almost total absence of working medical units makes this
situation even more critical. The mortality rate, already extremely
high at the time of evacuation (3,5 / 1 000 for the under 5s, verging
on the critical threshold of 4 / 1 000) can only increase. In
addition to hunger and thirst (the last distribution of foodstuffs
took place in June) the population has to cope with the cold, the
site being located at an altitude of 1 500 m… The worst
is to be feared.
SOLIDARITES is warning the international community of
the alarming reduction in the ability to provide essential humanitarian
aid in this region devastated by more than 6 years of conflict. SOLIDARITES
has been present in DR Congo since 2000. Apart from a team of 3 volunteers
and 20 Congolese staff in Ituri (all currently on standby outside
the zone), SOLIDARITES has humanitarian aid programmes in progress
related to water treatment and access and food security, supporting
almost half a million people, victims of the conflict. These projects
concern two other provinces in Eastern DR Congo, North Kivu and Katanga.
In DR Congo in 2005, SOLIDARITES has a total staff of 22 volunteers
and 200 Congolese employees.
Press Officer : Pierre Brunet,
O1.43.15.13.13
To support
SOLIDARITES emergency humanitarian aid in DR Congo
Send your donations to : SOLIDARITES - BP 100- 75020 Paris
or to
SOLIDARITES - Villa Souchet – 105 Avenue Gambetta - 75020 Paris
For more information about SOLIDARITES,
please refer to our web site : www.solidarites.org
TSUNAMI : HUMANITARIAN
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED ?
June 14, 2005
The French general public showed extraordinary generosity
to assist the survivors of the Tsunami, the gigantic tidal wave which
washed over South-East Asia on December 26. Local authorities, companies
and water boards also joined the high level of mobilisation. The Tsunami
disaster received maximum coverage by the media, who made appeals
for donations, in some cases in association with certain humanitarian
organisations. Many countries, including France, the European Union,
the UN, reacted immediately and are still active today.
Finally, certain organisations declared that more donations
had been received than were needed, which provoked a heated debate
and raised questions which are still to be answered.
6 months after the tsunami, can a first situation
report be made ?
At SOLIDARITES we would like to answer this question by making three
points.
1- First of all, we would like to thank those who donated
funds for their generosity. Secondly, we consider that each
humanitarian organisation is personally responsible for what it says
and does.
- At SOLIDARITES we decided to allocate 100% of the donations received
for Tsunami survivors, to keep separate books for these funds, to
keep our donors and partners regularly informed (website : www.solidarites.org)
and to use 100% of the funds received in 2005, a total of
3.65 million €uros to date (see detailed allocation
tables below).
2- According to recent studies and surveys, we have
observed that 81% of the French population are still interested in
the Tsunami and that 78% of them consider themselves badly
informed concerning reconstruction activities. We all have
a duty to provide information in this regard.
- With 20 volunteers in Sri Lanka (Ampara) and Indonesia (Meulaboh,
Sumatra), SOLIDARITES is currently carrying out 3 post-emergency
and reconstruction programmes in each country : access to
drinking water and hygiene facilities, clearing and recycling debris
to allow homes and roads to be rebuilt, revival of fishing activities
(nets, boats, motors, clearing the sea bed), revival of rice cultivation,
rehabilitation and construction of schools. Detailed information and
photos are available upon request from the SOLIDARITES communication
department.
We invite journalists, the media and our partners to come
and see for themselves the aid programmes currently underway as well
as those which have already been completed.
3- Concerning the present and the future, we
would like to make the following observations :
- That our programmes are meeting the immediate needs of the affected
populations in coastal and rural areas.
- That we are simultaneously working both on post-emergency
and reconstruction programmes, and that it will take time
for the assisted populations to attain autonomy.
- That we can already envisage a third phase of programmes
to accompany populations and areas who have not received aid,
to meet thus far undetected needs in these two countries where a high
proportion of the population were already living below the poverty
line.
- That we need to closely cooperate with local authorities
and NGOs to prepare for the future whilst improving
the coordination between the intervening parties and by systematically
assessing our humanitarian action.
- That we must continue and improve the provision of information to our donors and partners concerning the way in which funds
are used and the implementation of our humanitarian programmes.
- That the Tsunami tragedy caused a remarkable mobilisation among
many organisations (NGOS, media, governments, local authorities, companies,
water boards, etc…) who must now meet their commitments, and
who might, in the future, be mobilised again to assist other causes
like the Darfur region in Sudan, or the Ituri region in DR Congo.
- That we are available to provide information to journalists concerning our humanitarian activities in Sri Lanka and Indonesia.
- Finally, that we must anticipate our departure and think
about what we will leave behind us.
Tables showing sources and uses of funds as of May 31, 2005
| Donations - Asia Emergency |
% |
Amount (€) |
| Private donations |
13% |
482 000 |
| Companies and local authorities (including their employees) |
23% |
824 000 |
| Agence de l'Eau Seine et Normandie |
18% |
670 000 |
| Fondation de France |
7% |
250 000 |
| European Union |
15% |
535 000 |
| Gouvernement français |
24% |
890 000 |
| Total donations : Asia Emergency |
100% |
3 651 000 |
| Expenditure
- Asia Emergency |
% |
Amount (€) |
Expenditure
as of 31/05/05 |
| Humanitarian aid - Sri Lanka |
35% |
1 270 000 |
598 000 |
47% |
| Humanitarian aid - Indonésie |
51% |
1 847 000 |
221 000 |
12% |
| Head office expenses |
8% |
291 000 |
121 000 |
42% |
| Communication and Fundraising expenses |
6% |
203 000 |
173 000 |
85% |
| Pending allocation |
1% |
40 000 |
0 |
0% |
| Total expenditure allocated to Asia |
100% |
3 651 000 |
1 113000 |
30% |
| NB - This budget represents 6 programmes which are currently
underway in Sri Lanka and Indonesia, the last of which is due
to be completed on November 30, 2005. Other humanitarian activities
will be launched beyond this date to complement our action. |
Press contacts : Alain Boinet, O6.82.59.29.O7 , or O1.43.15.13.13
To support SOLIDARITES’ humanitarian aid
programmes
Send your donations to : SOLIDARITES - BP 100- 75020 Paris
or to
SOLIDARITES - Villa Souchet – 105 Avenue Gambetta - 75020 Paris
To find out more about SOLIDARITES, please visit our website
: www.solidarites.org
To stop water from killing
twice in Asia, we need your support today
January 17, 2005
We appeal to our fellow citizens to help us to provide
clean drinking water to the survivors of the Tsunami disaster in Asia.
We are currently implementing the following two emergency projects:
- In Sri Lanka, in the East coast province of Ampara,
we are rehabilitating wells blocked by sand and full of sea water,
to provide fresh water for 20,000 disaster victims. Our team in Sri
Lanka comprises 9 volunteers and 5 Sri Lankans, including hydraulic
engineers, who are working with pumping and drinking water supply
equipment. Bruno, our project leader, and his team are working 20
hours a day to meet the huge needs. They are asking us for more funding
and equipment, so that they can do more, more quickly.
- In Indonesia, south of Meulaboh, in Kuala sub-district,
SOLIDARITES is assisting 2,800 isolated families, from 13 devastated
villages. Once again, drinking water and sanitation are top priorities.
In addition, we are setting up temporary shelters to accommodate these
displaced families, and are providing them with essential materials,
including jerricans. Our team in Indonesia currently comprises 5 volunteers,
equipped with pumps and drinking water tanks. We need to provide them
with additional means for action as quickly as possible.
We urgently need the support of our fellow citizens
to continue our humanitarian activities each day and, with 25 years
of experience behind us, to best respond to the considerable needs
with which we are faced. Whilst institutional funding takes time to
be allocated, private donations enable us to act immediately.
Water is the main cause of death in the world. To prevent
water killing twice in Asia, we thank the media for informing the
general public about our action and our appeal for donations. Thank
you for your support.
THANK YOU for sending your donations to :
SOLIDARITES – Pour l’Asie. BP 1OO. 75O2O Paris.
Or make an online donation on our website: www.solidarites.org
Press contacts :
Alain Boinet - O6 82 59 29 O7 and Véronique Sentilhes - O1.43.15.13.13
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