DRC crisis 2022 - Action Against Hunger: HUM 2021-2025 Reprogrammed funds to address COVID-19
Reprogrammed funds to mitigate the impact of COVID-19
The mission of AAH is to save, improve and protect lives by eliminating hunger through the prevention, detection and treatment of undernutrition, especially during and after emergency crises caused by situations of conflict, displacement, poverty, discrimination, inequality, or natural disaster. 

The funding to Action Against Hunger (AAH) in 202, which is encompassed in decision nr 2022-001383, is based on the Sida humanitarian allocation process that took place in late 2021 and 2022. The current decision concerns a financial contribution to AAH amounting to 411,5 MSEK.

The following modality of support is financed:
1. Country Programmes/annual projects in 20 countries – 348,5 MSEK;
2. Rapid Response Mechanism - 50 MSEK;
3. Capacity Building Support – 8 MSEK;
4. Method Support – 5 MSEK.

During 2022 the programme and project support covers the following 20 countries/crises: Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Iraq, Kenya, Lebanon, Madagascar, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Uganda, Ukraine and Venezuela. Five countries have multi-year funding during the period 2022-2024, namely: Chad, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan and Syria. 

The project and country programmes includes support to the sectors of nutrition, protection, food security, health, livelihood, shelter, GBV and WASH.

Through their work, AAH contributes towards enabling access of disaster affected populations to essential services such as prevention and treatment of major childhood illnesses (e.g. measles, diarrhoea), improving infant and young child feeding practices, and treatment of acute malnutrition among children and mothers through the provision of supplementary and therapeutic foods. The intervention is therefore assessed to contribute to Reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH). 

Furthermore, gender equality is a cross-cutting perspective in the interventions and is taken into consideration through: gender analysis that inform the programme/project design; interventions adopt a “do no harm” approach by e.g. targeting both displaced populations and host communities; results frameworks incorporate gender-specific indicators and disaggregated data; and monitoring of AAH’s Gender Equality Policy (approved 2021). In all contexts, complaints and response mechanisms are established through which any cases of misconduct or Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (SEAH) are reported. 


Background:
AAH is a non-profit organisation, previously known as Action Contre La Faim (ACF), which is governed by the French Association Law of July 1, 1901. AAH was established in 1979 specifically to respond to humanitarian emergencies, focusing on issues of malnutrition.

AAH international network (AAH-IN) is composed of AAH entities from France, (Sida agreement partner), AAH India, AAH United Kingdom, AAH Spain, AAH USA and AAH Canada. Each of these members are separate legal entities, but share a common charter of principles, strategy and areas of intervention. All members of the network are committed to bringing coherence and enhancing efficiency to better serve those in need of nourishment , and to adhere to the AAH principles for which it stands. These principles are: moral and financial independence, strict political and religious neutrality, non-discrimination, free and direct access to victims, professionalism and transparency. The principles are outlined in an agreement (the International Global Protocols), which is signed by all AAH members. Omprogrammerade medel för att bekämpa covid-19
Omprogrammerade medel för att lindra konsekvenserna av covid-19
AAH:s uppdrag är att rädda liv genom att förebygga, upptäcka och behandla undernäring under och efter kriser, katastrofer och konflikter, samt att angripa de underliggande orsakerna till hunger. AAH:s styrka ligger framför allt i organisationens kärnmandat att bekämpa undernäring och hunger.
Baserat på resultaten av Sidas humanitära allokeringsprocess som genomfördes under slutet av 2021 har avtal ingåtts mellan Sida och AAH för att möjliggöra humanitärt stöd i utvalda kriser under 2022 (Avtalsid 14398A01). Aktuellt beslut (2022-001383) omfattar finansiellt stöd till AAH om totalt 411,5 MSEK.
Stödet utgår från fyra delkomponenter:
1. Landprogram och årliga projekt i 20 kriser – 348,5 MSEK;  
2. Oallokerade medel i händelse av plötsligt uppkomna kriser (Rapid Response Mechanism) - 50 MSEK;
3. Kapacitetsstöd - 8 MSEK;
4. Metodstöd – 5 MSEK.

Under 2022 går stödet till humanitära insatser i följande länder/kriser: Burkina Faso, Centralafrikanska republiken, Colombia, Demokratiska republiken Kongo, Etiopien, Haiti, Irak, Kenya, Libanon, Madagaskar, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia, Sydsudan, Sudan, Syrien, Tchad, Uganda, Ukraina och Venezuela. Av dessa är flerårigt stöd för perioden 2022-2024 avtalet för följande fem länder: Etiopien, Somalia, Sydsudan, Syrien och Tchad. 

Projekten och programmen inkluderar sektorerna nutrition, skydd, brist på tryggad livsmedelsförsörjning, hälsa, försörjning, boende, könsbaserat sexuellt våld, vatten, sanitet och hygien. 

AAHs arbete bidrar till att främja tillgången till hälso- och nutritionsrelaterade tjänster för krisdrabbade människor, genom att förebygga och behandla barnsjukdomar samt undernäring. AAH bistår t.ex. med vård, mediciner, rådgivning samt näringslösningar och specialanpassad mat för undernärda barn och ammande/gravida kvinnor. Därigenom främjas även reproduktiv hälsa, barn- och mödrahälsvård / SRHR genom insatserna i respektive kontext där dessa komponenter ingår. 
 
Jämställdhet (gender equality) är en av perspektiven som har integrerats i AAHs verksamhet, och 2021 antogs en ny policy inom organisationen. I program/projekt integreras perspektivet genom bl.a.: genusanalyser som ligger till grund för utformningen av aktiviteter (inklusive specifika aktiviteter för förebyggande av könsrelaterat våld); “do no harm” analyser som del av konfliktkänslighet; resultatramverk med disaggregerad data; uppföljning av AAHs Gender Equality Policy. I alla kontexter finns mekanismer för att anmäla misstänkta fall av  sexuell exploatering/missbruk/trakasserier (SEAH). 

Bakgrund:
AAH grundades i Paris, Frankrike, 1979. AAH:s uppdrag är att rädda liv genom att förebygga, upptäcka och behandla undernäring under och efter kriser, katastrofer och konflikter, samt att angripa de underliggande orsakerna till hunger.  AAH har vuxit kontinuerligt sedan 1979, och utgör idag en av de största humanitära aktörerna inom sitt huvudmandat; nutrition och brist på tryggad livsmedelsförsörjning. Under 1990-talet utvecklade AAH ett internationellt nätverk, vars styrelse i dag består av medlemmarna AAH Frankrike (Sidas avtalspartner), AAH Indien, AAH Kanada, AAH Spanien, AAH Storbritannien och AAH USA. AAH:s internationella nätverk delar en strategisk plan, och medlemmarna har gemensamt framtagit en rad principer, som till exempel neutralitet, transparens och icke-diskriminering, vilka de alla lyder under. AAH Frankrike, behåller sitt ursprungsnamn Action Contre La Faim (ACF), vid signering av beslut. Action Against Hunger (AAH) is a global humanitarian organisation that takes action against the causes and effects of hunger and malnutrition. AAH is composed of AAH entities from France (Sida agreement partner), India, United Kingdom, Spain, USA and Canada. Each of these members are separate legal entities, but share a common charter of principles, strategy and areas of intervention. All members of the network are committed to bringing coherence and enhancing efficiency to better serve those in need of nourishment , and to adhere to the AAH principles for which it stands. These principles are: moral and financial independence, strict political and religious neutrality, non-discrimination, free and direct access to victims, professionalism and transparency. The principles are outlined in an agreement (the International Global Protocols), which is signed by all AAH members.

Through this contribution, Sida will be supporting AAH with funding which will allow for AAH to provide humanitarian assistance to affected population in more than 20 countries worldwide, through flexible, programme-based funding. While the specific objective of each intervention might differ, AAH's main mandate is within the nutrition sector, with the mission to "save, improve and protect lives by eliminating hunger through the prevention, detection and treatment of undernutrition, especially during and after emergency crises caused by situations of conflict, displacement, poverty, discrimination, inequality, or natural disaster". Nutrition interventions are complemented by activities which seek to ensure that people have access to clean water, food, healthcare and protection. By being present before and after disaster strikes, AAH is committed not only to respond to emergency needs, but also to build and to strengthen the capacity and resilience of the local communities. In line with the Sida humanitarian strategy, the objective of the response is to save lives, alleviate suffering and uphold human dignity for the benefit of people in need who have been, or are at risk of becoming, affected by armed conflicts, natural disasters or other disaster emergencies.

AAH's long-term planning and performance monitoring process is laid out in a five-year International Strategic Plan (ISP), which is prepared by the AAH international network. The current International Strategic Plan (ISP3) covers the period 2021-2025 and reflects AAH's priorities. To meet the overarching impact of collective and inclusive action that empowers 25 million people to overcome hunger in 2025, the key priorities to be addressed by AAH are to:
1) Save lives: Lives are saved and immediate needs are met in an effective and inclusive manner in emergency contexts;
2) Collectively build resilience: People and communities are better able to withstand future shocks. Mitigation of the climate crisis and of gender inequality 
is embedded in the fight against hunger;
3) Connect and mobilize: Citizens, communities, civil society and actors at all levels are mobilized as part of a collective movement to end hunger; 
4) Create and share knowledge: Best practice in the fight against hunger is developed collaboratively by a diversity of actors and shared for the empowerment of all.

In 2024, Sida supports AAH's humanitarian interventions in 19 specific contexts including 11 multi-year humanitarian programmes and 8 annual humanitarian programmes. Sidas contribution also supports AAH's capacity to implement life-saving responses through the Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) as well as capacity building for protection integration and humanitarian access.