Appeal Target: US$ 750,000

The ACT CO requests your support towards establishing a Revolving Fund.

BACKGROUND

The ACT CO has, since its establishment in 1995, maintained and administered a global fund, the Rapid Response Fund (GRRF). To date, the GRRF has been used in emergencies of a sudden-onset nature (e.g. floods or earthquake) and or emergencies of a complex humanitarian character (e.g. internal displacement resulting from a breakdown of social, political and economic systems) to save lives. Members could access a maximum US$50,000 (reviewed to US$60,000 with effect from 1 July 2008) per emergency per country either as a one-time grant where no appeal in response to the emergency will be issued. The GRRF has increasingly also been used as a pot from which funds are advanced to members for immediate relief or life-saving activities while an appeal that would include these activities is in preparation. Ideally, the amount advanced would have to be recovered from funds that come towards the relevant appeal.

In 2007 a consultant was hired by the ACT CO to review the ACT rapid response mechanism (which included the Coordination Assessment Team (CAT)). From this review several recommendations, among which was an establishment of a Revolving Fund, were received and approved by the ACT Executive Committee in its December meeting.

It was also agreed that the ACT CO would develop a Concept Paper; the paper forms part of  this letter of appeal for member contributions to the fund of maximum US$750,000. Once this target has been reached, members will need not make further contributions as this will be revolving as explained in the concept paper.

REPORTING

The Revolving Fund will be included in the annual audit of ACT CO accounts. The ACT CO financial year ends at 31 December and the accounts are audited around February/March. The Audited Financial Statements are then approved by the Emergency Committee in its annual assembly meeting.

Signed by:

John Nduna
Director, ACT Co-ordinating Office

Note: the PDF document linked to below is the Concept Paper on the RRRF as the full text of the Appeal is above.