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LOCAL COMMUNIQUE
Even after more than six years of the World Humanitarian Summit, more achievements have yet to be made under the global frameworks of Grand Bargain and Charter4Change to positively influence local and national actors’ functioning. The localisation discourse has yet to take off in countries like India despite having scores of country offices of the signatories of the two. The new phase of aid colonisation through local fundraising by the country offices has further weakened the local response mechanism. This systematic marginalisation has severe ramifications for the local/national organisations and their nexus approach to seeking durable solutions for the communities they work with. There is a need to advance local humanitarian leadership with a solid collective voice and coordinated engagement by local and national actors. Still, there needs to be a mechanism to build and sustain this. With this realisation, 15 local and national organisations from 10 states of India assembled for a consultation on 7-8 February 2023 in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. They agreed to launch a Local Organisation’s Coalition for Advancing Localisation (LOCAL) platform for a collaborative approach to transform the Indian humanitarian architecture, led by local organisations and frontline actors.
Various consultation sessions were also joined by the BHA of USAID; DG ECHO, Brussels; Vitol Foundation, UK; Spark, the Netherlands; Start Network, UK; International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI), UK and Catholic Relief Services, India. Sony Pictures Networks Pvt. Ltd., HCL Foundation and Financial Management Service Foundation ensured in-person participation.
Primarily functioning as a non-financial platform, LOCAL aims to set a new benchmark for sector-wide change and promote cooperative and locallyled humanitarian architecture.
Following are the key outcomes and decisions of the LOCAL consultation:
Identify and address critical challenges to localisation:
Only a few local organisations have direct access to donors, and they too rarely receive adequate operation and overhead costs. This has systematically been causing institutional weakening and marginalisation of the. The first-response mechanism is acknowledged as being timely, cost-efficient and following a nexus approach. The small size of local organisations often adversely affects their fundraising efforts. Therefore, a collaborative
response mechanism was agreed upon through the LOCAL platform, which will also be presented to donors as the first intermediary. The Platform will offer an enabling environment for exchange and learning, actively provide membership services such as high-end training programmes to build resilient, disaster-ready local organisations, and build collective identity and credibility for member organisations.
A National Dashboard for Aid Transparency:
To address the trust deficit and an absolute dearth of financial data at the national level, it was agreed upon to set up an Indian version of IATI. To begin with, every member of LOCAL will publish their financial data on the national dashboard to ensure transparency and accountability to donors, communities and other stakeholders. Other organisations will be encouraged to join LOCAL and/or publish their data on the dashboard, which will have curated, contextualised, and simplified data on funding and transaction layers until it reaches the end beneficiaries. The dashboard will show the flow of funds, utilisation of funds in different categories, and overhead funds. The Platform will provide data analytics globally, sectoral information, cost per beneficiary, and geographical spread.
A National Pooled Fund:
Given the lack of direct access to donors, disaster responses often get significantly delayed. As of now, there is yet to be a pooled fund in India to support immediate lifesaving interventions. To address this challenge and to keep humanitarian interventions timely and relevant; it was agreed upon to establish a national pooled fund to initiate a response in 24-36 hours. The pooled fund can offer a space for donors to shift funding to local actors more directly by making a contribution or a pledge to enable effective locally-led responses.
A National Roster:
Most of the LOCAL members are small organisations, therefore, often considered by donors as needing more capacity. To offset this gap, mapping of human resources and sectoral expertise across the LOCAL platform will be done to develop a roster to identify existing capabilities, collaboratively address gaps and provide surge support to LOCAL members leading an emergency response. Gradually, external professionals shall also be invited to join the roster to support the locally-led response mechanism.
Accountability Charter:
The platform will develop an Accountability Charter, which will be binding on each LOCAL member and any new organisations aspiring to join the platform. A donor consultation will also be held to design a Donor Accountability Charter to ensure donor systems are conducive to local actors and locally-led responses.
Promoting Country-Level Accountability of Signatories:
It was agreed to write to the signatories of Grand Bargain, Charter4Change and Pledge4Change, having country offices in India to share an update on their achievements under different frameworks. The LOCAL platform will also support them in better delivery of the commitments.
Wider and Shared Representation:
There are various networks locally, nationally, regionally, and globally but with limited space for local voices. Most of the network memberships come with a cost. It is time and resource-consuming for a resource-poor local organisation to join the networks. A mapping of essential networks was done to share the representation responsibility across LOCAL members as representative of the rest.
A Fully Functional Secretariat to Support LOCAL Members:
Most local actors are resource-poor and need access to overhead costs or institution-building support. That becomes a barrier to working on robust compliance mechanisms, accessing donors, applying for funding opportunities, ensuring effective communications and visibility online to build the organisations’ credibility, and so on. It is almost impossible for each local organisation to recruit the necessary staff to support these functions. To address that, a LOCAL secretariat will be established, recruiting the necessary staff to support LOCAL members to build the systems and infrastructure required.
A National Programme on Safe Migration:
LOCAL members work in marginalised areas, also vulnerable to disasters. Trafficking, including sex trafficking, remains high, increasing during disasters. To address that, a migration tracker shall be developed to track distress migration and cases of sex trafficking to eliminate chances of sex trafficking, reduce instances of distress migration, provide the necessary support to migrants if facing exploitation, and rescue and rehabilitation of trafficked people. This will be an additional programme that LOCAL members with anti-trafficking expertise will lead and streamline across the platform.
Rebuilding Lives, Restoring Hope: Supporting Families Displaced by Ethnic Violence in Manipur
In the wake of escalating ethnic violence in Manipur, India, over 45,000 persons have been forcibly displaced from their homes, leaving them vulnerable and in desperate need of our support. We are launching a heartfelt campaign to rally together and extend a helping hand to affected families, offering them hope, stability, and the resources necessary to rebuild their lives.
Background and Context
Manipur, a state in Northeast India, has been grappling with deep-rooted ethnic tensions, leading to violent clashes and the displacement of countless families. Large-scale violence broke out on 3 May 2023 between the tribal and non-tribal communities after massive opposition by Manipur’s tribal communities to the demand of the Meiteis community, for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
The entire state is facing violence; homes and villages were raided by mobs and families are fleeing to find shelter or make it to relief camps. The devastating consequences of this violence have left families traumatized, separated, and struggling to survive amidst the chaos.
Our Campaign’s Objective
The primary goal of our campaign is to provide phase-wise support to families displaced by ethnic violence in Manipur, addressing their immediate, medium-term, and long-term needs.
By mobilizing resources, and seeking in-kind support / generous donations, we aim to restore hope and rebuild lives by meeting urgent needs of relief items, addressing early recovery and restoration needs of shelter and livelihood restoration, as well as fostering harmony and peacebuilding efforts in the long-term.
Immediate/Short term Relief required:
| SL.NO | Support | Quantity |
| 1 | Supplementary nutritional supply | 6960 women & children |
| 2 | Non-Food items | 4025 families |
| 3 | Hygiene Items | 4025 families |
| 4 | Milk and other essential items for children | 3409 children |
| 5 | Psycho-social first Aid | 4025 families |
Medium-Term Relief Required
| SL. NO | Support | Quantity |
| 1 | Shelter restoration support | 3675 families |
| 2 | Livelihood restoration support | 3675 families |
| 3 | Psycho-social care | 3675 families |
| 4 | WASH intervention | 3675 families |
| 5 | Protection support | 3675 families |
Long-Term Relief Required
| SL. NO | Support |
| 1 | Harmony and Peacebuilding interventions |
| 2 | Psycho-social care support |
Together, let us stand in solidarity with the families displaced by ethnic violence in Manipur and offer them a chance to rebuild their lives and pave the way for a peaceful future.
Support Families Displaced by Ethnic Violence in Manipur
₹16,894 of ₹75 lakh raised
In the wake of escalating ethnic violence in Manipur, India, over 45,000 persons have been forcibly displaced from their homes, leaving them vulnerable and in desperate need of our support. We are launching a heartfelt campaign to rally together and extend a helping hand to affected families, offering them hope, stability, and the resources necessary to rebuild their lives.
LOCAL BROCHURE
Support/Sponsor Refugee Child
Facing religious persecution, the minority Hindu population from Pakistan has been fleeing and seeking refuge in India since the time of the partition. As radicalization increases in Pakistan, the number of people escaping atrocity also increases in the same proportion.
These persecuted people emigrate from Pakistan each year to escape discrimination, denial of equal development rights, violation of human rights and forced conversions. While being in Pakistan, the girls felt unsafe, and all of them faced pressure to convert, one immediate negative coping mechanism was to drop out from schools.
Most come from the Sindh province, where the Hindu population in Pakistan is concentrated. Largely these migrants owned land and did farming in Pakistan. Generally, these refugees arrive at valid pilgrim visas, then seek extensions through long term visas month after month.
The Government of India has administrative arrangements for Pakistani Hindus; they may obtain long-stay visas but they are not considered as refugees by the government.
There are almost 400 Pakistani Hindu refugee settlements scattered around India. Delhi and Jodhpur have one of the maximum numbers of the refugee population that have arrived in the last two decades. About 4,230 people, who have migrated from Pakistan in the past five years, are housed in camps in Delhi and Rajasthan.
Refugees in the Majnu ka Tila camp have been arriving in India since 2013 while those living in Signature Bridge camp have been arriving since 2018. As of now 140 families (700 persons approx.) are residing in the Majnu Ka Tila camp and 85 families (350 persons approx.) are residing in Signature Bridge camp. While in Jodhpur there are 21 camps of the migrants in which around 18,000 non-citizen migrants and 12,000 citizen migrants have been staying.
Out of these camps in Jodhpur, five camps are in dire need of support for health, livelihoods, education, legal aid and basic amenities. The details of these five camps are as under: 1. Gangana main (200 families), 2. Gangana 2 (100 families), 3. Chokha (70 families), 4. Marwad Nagar (80 families), Kali Beri settlement (100 families).
We, at HAI, are rigorously working towards the comprehensive development of refugees in Delhi and Rajasthan through activities across the domains of education, health, livelihoods, basic amenities and legal assistance to ensure their eventual integration in India as healthy and productive citizens.
Current situation of Pak-Hindu refugee camps in India
Affected refugee families are facing the following major problems at this time in the camps:
Washing facilities issues
- Lack of bathing facilities/ infrastructure
- Lack of a waste collection and disposal system
- Health risks and skin conditions due to poor drinking water quality
- Fluctuating drinking water supply
- Absence of toilet infrastructure leading to open defecation
- Lack of communal handwashing stations
Education related issues
- Lack of infrastructure and services of Anganwadi: Children below 6 years are unable to receive pre-school education and services such as (i) supplementary nutrition (ii) Pre-school non-formal education (iii) Nutrition and health Education (iv) Immunization and vaccination (v) Health check-up and (vi) Referral services for 0-6 years of children
- Refugee children facing difficulties in getting admission at public schools due to lack of Indian identity documents
- Children are unable to compete with their peers due to their admission in school on the basis of age than academic levels
- Banks refuse to open bank accounts for some of the children, preventing them from enrolling in school and receiving benefits such as uniform/book allowance
- Lack of transportation to the closest schools is the major reason for absenteeism in school
- Lack of awareness/ unwillingness among refugee parents not allowing their girls reaching the puberty age to attend formal schools
- Protection remains a concern for children since they have to walk through the forest to reach schools
Health related issues
- No/irregular ASHA worker visits the camps
- Cases of malnutrition among refugee children
- Lack of access to clean water leading to health issues such as kidney stones and skin infections
- Lack of awareness on health and hygiene among the refugee population
- Poor water, hygiene and sanitation conditions in the refugee camps
- Lack of waste collection and disposal system within the camps, further posing health risks
- Common health issues prevalent among the refugee population are hypertension, kidney stones, skin infections and diabetes
Immediate Action required to help the refugee families
- Urgent need for mobile toilets since camp residents, especially women and children, have to resort to open defecation in the nearby forest
- No electricity in the camps except for the solar lights installed by HAI which has its own limitations. Approaching summer and extreme heat remains a concern along with need of more water supply points
- Schooling of children with special needs is the utmost priority
- Psycho-social counselling to refugee parents to encourage them to send their children to school and receive formal education
- Supporting the drop out adolescents to resume education
- Since Signature Bridge camp is located in a remote location in the middle of a forest and the women and children belong to a vulnerable population, protection remains a concern
- Improved housing by providing refugee families with local materials so that the families could improve their current living conditions
- Restoration of toilet blocks, bathing space, water points, internal pavements, drainage and garbage disposal system remains the major concern
HAI in Action
Livelihood Support: HAI is supporting skill training, entrepreneurship & business training, establishing market links for the sale of products and establishing a group of women producers to improve livelihood and employability among, with a focus on the creation of a Training-cum- Production Centres for women’s groups, skill training for adult refugee men /youth through skill training schemes and programmes, marketing support to refugee businesses along with entrepreneurship & business training.
Education support activities: There is a strong need to provide education for youth who have missed educational opportunities at home and need basic literacy/numeracy education and to acquire a productive vocational skill. HAI is engaged with building remedial education centres for children of school-going age, higher and tertiary education support programmes for refugee youth and adolescents and arranging adult education classes for refugees on language, literacy, numeracy and financial literacy.
Creation of legal aid, awareness and documentation support centres in each camp: HAI is working towards establishing legal support centres managed by one advocate and camp administrators. The legal support centre will be responsible for undertaking activities like the creation of legal aid, awareness and documentation support centres in each camp.
Long term action plan
- Need-based relief support
- Long-term livelihood activities
- Psychosocial health care support
- Local employment generation with a focus on skill development for the refugee population
- Adoption of community approach to limit dependency
We have created this video report on the condition of Hindu refugees from Pakistan. Please watch it and share it on social media so that more people are aware of this humanitarian issue
Here are some pictures from HAI team’s visit to Pak refugee camp in Majnu Ka Teela in Delhi.
Sponsor a Child
Facing religious persecution, the minority Hindu population from Pakistan has been fleeing and seeking refuge in India since the time of the partition. As radicalization increases in Pakistan, the number of people escaping atrocity also increases in the same proportion.
These persecuted people emigrate from Pakistan each year to escape discrimination, denial of equal development rights, violation of human rights and forced conversions. While in Pakistan, the girls felt unsafe, and all faced pressure to convert; one primary negative coping mechanism was to drop out of school. Most come from the Sindh province, where the Hindu population in Pakistan is concentrated. Primarily these migrants owned land and did farming in Pakistan. Generally, these refugees arrive on valid pilgrim visas and then seek extensions through long-term visas
month after month. The Government of India has administrative arrangements for Pakistani Hindus; they may obtain long-stay visas butare not considered refugees by the government.
Child sponsorship is a powerful way to make a difference in the life of a child living in poverty. Through child sponsorship, you can help provide a child with access to essentials like food, clean water, education, and healthcare. By sponsoring a child, you can allow them to break the cycle of poverty and build a brighter future for themselves and their communities.
When you sponsor a child, you will receive updates on their progress, including reports on their health, education, and overall well-being. You may even be able to correspond with your sponsored child, sending letters of encouragement and support.
Child sponsorship is a meaningful way to make a difference in a child’s life and benefits entire communities. When children have access to education and healthcare, they are better equipped to become productive members of society, improving the economic stability of their families and communities.
Consider sponsoring a child today and make a lasting impact on their lives and the lives of those around them.
Empowering Refugees: Shelter and Scholarship Program
Humanitarian Aid International is a non-profit organization that works towards providing support to Pakistani refugees from the Hindu minority community living in Delhi through its Refugee Programme.
Launched in 2018, the programme aims to provide humanitarian, developmental and integration assistance to these refugees. HAI operates in two camps in Delhi, namely Majnu ka Tilla and Signature Bridge, and has been covering approximately 230 families through various interventions focused on health, education, livelihood, legal assistance, and access to basic amenities and essential services using a rights-based and participatory approach.
Under its Scholarship Programme, HAI believes every child has the right to education worldwide and in every circumstance. The Scholarship Programme aims to lessen the financial burden of schooling for the families of Pakistani refugees residing in Majnu Ka Tila and Signature Bridge Camps, encouraging children to pursue secondary school, which is vital for ensuring they have the skills and knowledge necessary for a university degree. This program aims to help refugee children complete their secondary education, ease the financial burden of education on refugee families, and increase family understanding of the significance of their children’s education. The scholarship is awarded to children who meet specific criteria, including being a Pakistani refugee residing at Majnu Ka Tilla or Signature Bridge Camp, being enrolled in a formal schooling system and HAI’s education centre, and being in class IX, X, XI or XII. Students in classes IX and X receive Rs. 500 monthly, while students in classes XI and XII receive Rs. 1000 monthly.
The Shelter Project is another program by HAI that aims to provide a healthy living environment with privacy and dignity for the families and children at Signature Bridge Refugee Camp. It is critical to ensure the existence of safe and secure infrastructures to protect refugees from a range of risks, including insect bite/animal attacks, unhygienic living conditions, etc. 50 families at SBC have been chosen as beneficiaries based on vulnerability. These temporary shelters are engineered based on context-specific structural and performance requirements following the Sphere standards. The objective of the Shelter Project is to provide a safe and secure living environment for refugee families at Signature Bridge Camp and to ensure kids have access to well-protected structures at the camp. The shelter design requires 12*18ft per shelter and costs Rs. 72,578. The shelter is provided free of cost to the party, and HAI invests one time in the shelter. The party will pay any fee for repair and maintenance.
Overall, HAI’s Refugee Programme, Scholarship Programme and Shelter Project aim to assist and support Pakistani refugees. Join us today to support the Shelter and Scholarship campaign and make a difference in the lives of Pakistani refugee families in Delhi.
Donate now!