At HRFN, we stand in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan, Haiti, and Lebanon and with all those facing conflict and natural disaster. We affirm calls from human rights organizations for governments to halt deportations and keep borders open for those fleeing violence and devastation in their home countries. And we commit to advancing efforts to deliver resources to human rights movements on the frontlines. Read on for emergency responses and up-to-date analysis happening this week.
As a network of human rights activists and funders, we must demand accountability from our governments for their roles deepening the multiple human rights crises happening across the globe. These emergencies sit within the larger context of foreign policy that destabilizes human rights; militarization at all costs; and power structures that compound inequalities at every level. We must change this. Let us use our power, our voice, and — most of all — our solidarity with global movements for justice.
Take Action: Participate in the following events and join our HRD & Closing Civic Space working group and listserv to continue having focused conversations on these issues, share resources, or learn more as the situations evolve. Contact us at engagement@hrfn.org for more details.
Sincerely,
Ana María Enríquez
Executive Director, HRFN
Call to Action from Prospera International Network of Women’s Funds on Funding Activism in Afghanistan and other Humanitarian Crises.
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Resources complied the Peace and Security Funders Group, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and the Compton Foundation relevant to funders focused on Afghanistan, especially supporting women human rights defenders. Please note these resource have NOT been vetted.
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MADRE is currently increasing resources to our Afghan Women’s Survival Fund to support the urgent protection and relocation needs of women human rights defenders. Our Fund provides resources for legal aid, security assistance, emergency transport, and safe passage, securing visas and asylum for those who require emergency relocation abroad, sustaining in-country work, and programming to enable the continuity and strength of an Afghan women’s movement, including in exile. The primary emergency right now is protecting the lives of women’s rights activists who are facing an upsurge in targeted assassination by the Taliban. We are supporting an underground escape and support network for women in need of emergency relocation, along with humanitarian aid, as women and families are facing shortages of food, fuel, and water due to the combined impact of the collapse of the government, COVID-19, and drought.
Contact: Natalia Caruso at ncaruso@madre.org
See MADRE’s statement on Afghanistan here.
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The Peace and Security Funders Group, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and the Compton Foundation are convening a funder meeting on Thursday, August 19, at 4–5:15p ET (1–2:15p PT) to discuss the current crisis and how individual and institutional donors in the US can support Afghan women in this moment. We’ll have the chance to hear from White House officials, civil society leaders, and Afghan women advocates about what’s happening on the ground and what the needs are—from financing visas for women needing to evacuate to paying for safe houses for those who can’t leave the country. If you are a funder who is actively working on these issues, we would love to hear from you, too.
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Disaster in a Crisis Zone: Understanding the Impact of Haiti’s Earthquake
Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021
1 p.m. ET/12 p.m. CT
An M7.2 earthquake struck southwest Haiti on Aug. 14, leaving hundreds dead and causing widespread devastation, and Tropical Storm Grace is expected to pass over Haiti on Monday, Aug. 16, bringing heavy rains and strong winds.
The Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP) is hosting a webinar to look at the impact of the earthquake and tropical storm. Speakers will share the latest information, including critical needs and gaps, and provide concrete takeaways for funders to effectively support relief and recovery efforts now underway.
Even prior to this latest disaster, Haiti was a country in crisis. It still hasn’t recovered (economically, socially, culturally, etc.) from the January 2010 earthquake that devastated the capital and killed approximately 200,000 people. Eleven years later, 33,000 people live in displacement camps and an additional 300,000 live in informal settlements. An additional 140,000 are still displaced from 2016’s Hurricane Matthew. The COVID-19 pandemic – only 366 people are fully vaccinated – and last month’s assassination of President Jovenel Moïse have further destabilized the country.
During the webinar, we will examine the 2021 earthquake and Tropical Storm Grace in the context of the existing disparities and social disruption in the country.
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AJWS | Earthquake Emergency: Send Help to Haiti
In response to last week’s devastating earthquake, American Jewish World Service has initiated a dedicated fund for emergency response and long-term systemic change in Haiti. To donate, go to https://act.ajws.org/secure/haiti-og.