Appeal Target: US$ 573,412

Balance requested: US$ 86,841

The devastating experience of Hurricane Mitch in Central America was a turning point in the history of disasters in central America. Mitch destroyed human, natural and institutional resources that have not been and will probably never be recovered. But Hurricane Mitch also left some positive lessons. It instilled an awareness in the population in the region of the high vulnerability of their environment, and the need to learn how to manage the risks and to be prepared to respond to disasters.

After Mitch, ACT members in the region became active in the field of disaster preparedness and risk management. They have been very proactive in co-ordinating among themselves and with other humanitarian actors in their area. Currently there are four well established ACT national forums in Central America: El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. There is also an ACT regional Forum .

In March 2005, the LACE 51 Appeal was issued to support the activities of the four ACT national forums in Central America on mapping risks and capacities, training, co-ordination, advocacy and visibility. In September 2006, the LACE61 appeal was issued to give continuity to these activities to strengthen the ACT National Forums in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. It also proposed some regional activities oriented to fulfil regional common needs such as psychosocial response, communications in disaster and theological reflection on disasters.

The appeal was originally issued on 30 June 2006 - and revised on 8 September 2007 - as a two years appeal since it had received more funds than requested by the 2006 activities and activities were already planned  for 2007.

The 2006 implementation was completed and expenses are reported in the present revision of the appeal. The 2007 budgets of Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua are revised in the light of activities implemented in 2006. By contrast, the budget presented for the ACT Forum El Salvador covers both years 2006 and 2007 and due to a late start of the activities, was not revised.

The evaluation foreseen at the beginning of 2007 could not take place and therefore, will be realized early 2008.

At the time of issuing the appeal, the ACT CO is still holding 101,592 USD that are in the process of being allocated to the forums in Nicaragua and Honduras, as well as to the evaluation.

As some of the activities of the ACT Forums can possibly not be implemented within the planned timeframe and in order to allow the ACT Forums members to make full use of the findings and recommendations of the upcoming evaluation, the ACT CO is planning to ask for an extension of the appeal implementation period until 30 June 2008.

This revision replaces the two previous version of the ACT Appeal LACE61.

Project Completion Date: 31 December 2007

Reporting Schedule:

Summary of Appeal Targets, Pledges/Contributions Received and Balance Requested:

Signed by:

John Nduna
Director, ACT Co-ordinating Office