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COP26: New global financial service launches to protect most vulnerable from climate crisis – before disaster hits

Start Ready, a new global financial service that will support the humanitarian sector to tackle the climate crisis is launching today at COP26, with funding from the UK Government, the French Government, the IKEA Foundation and Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies.

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COP26: New insurance sector and NGO partnership will protect world’s most vulnerable from climate risks

Start Network and the Insurance Development Forum (IDF) are today announcing a new partnership to support the development of a new global financial service for the humanitarian sector, which will help communities to get ahead of escalating climate risks.

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Start Network COP26 Events

Start Network is participating in six events during COP26 read on to see how you can join us.

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Start Network at COP26

Start Network is calling on world leaders at COP26 to help ensure the humanitarian sector is better prepared to deal with more intense and severe climate crises.

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Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Becomes First US Donor to Innovative Humanitarian Relief Fund

The Start Fund has been awarded US $2.5 million from its first US-based donor, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. The $2.5 million grant will enable the Start Fund to continue providing its lifesaving support, in addition to exploring adaptations that enable greater access to the Start Fund.

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Une nouvelle police d'assurance protégera jusqu'à 160 000 personnes contre les sécheresses au Sénégal

Start Network a signé une police d'assurance contre les risques climatiques qui protégera jusqu'à 160 000 personnes au Sénégal des effets de la sécheresse. Cette police, l'une des premières de ce genre, permettra aux organisations humanitaires d'apporter une aide cruciale aux Sénégalais dès qu'une sécheresse sera prévue, contribuant ainsi à éviter la famine.

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New insurance policy will protect up to 160,000 people in Senegal from drought

Start Network has signed a climate risk insurance policy that will protect up to 160,000 people in Senegal from the effects of drought. One of the first of its kind, the policy will enable aid agencies to offer life-saving support to people in Senegal as soon as a drought is predicted, helping to prevent famine.

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New funding for Start Fund Bangladesh to continue its lifesaving work

After a successful four years, Start Fund Bangladesh has received an additional £1.23 million from the UK's FCDO to continue its lifesaving work across the country.

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Start Network members launch pilot to promote local, rapid and early action in Nepal

Following the success of last year’s Start Fund COVID-19 response in Nepal, Start Network members are piloting a country-based contingency fund to respond rapidly to, and in anticipation of, small to medium scale crises in the country. Funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), this member-led trial, known as Start Fund Nepal, has been designed by local, national and international organisations. Members of the Start Fund Bangladesh team have also been supporting the design based on their experience of managing a country-based pooled fund since 2017.

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UK Aid provides £12m to support the Start Fund

The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) announced today that it would provide a further £12m to support the Start Fund. The funding will enable frontline actors across Start Network’s members and partners to continue to respond rapidly to and in anticipation of under-the-radar humanitarian crises. The FCDO also agreed to work with Start Network in its transition to a global network of ‘hubs’, which will facilitate locally-led responses and improve NGO access to more innovative financing that will mitigate humanitarian impacts, both protecting and assisting people affected by crises.

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Innovative Approach to Insurance Enables Humanitarian Agencies To Proactively Manage Climate-Related Risks At Scale

A new report published today demonstrates how insurance can help governments and organisations to predict and proactively manage climate-related humanitarian risks at scale. The report, published by Start Network, a global collaboration of humanitarian NGOs, is based on a comprehensive evaluation of its programme in Senegal, which utilised a ‘parametric insurance’ policy to pay out before the worst effects of a drought were felt.

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Une Approche Innovante de L'assurance Permet aux Organisations Humanitaires de Gerer les Risques Climatiques de Maniere Proactive a Grande Echelle

Un nouveau rapport publié aujourd'hui montre de quelle façon les assurances peuvent aider les gouvernements et les organisations à prévoir et à gérer de manière proactive et à grande échelle, les risques humanitaires liés aux changements climatiques. Ce rapport publié par le Start Network, un réseau mondial d'ONG humanitaires, se base sur une évaluation exhaustive du programme mené par le réseau au Sénégal, qui a utilisé une police d'« assurance paramétrique » pour verser une indemnité avant que les pires effets d'une sécheresse ne se fassent ressentir.

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Start Fund COVID-19 Launches New Call for Alerts with £2.6m

A new call for alerts has now been launched with approximately £2.6 million from the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO). The goal for this call for alerts is to support members to act rapidly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in their country; to address neglected/underfunded aspects of the broader COVID-19 crisis with a focus on neglected communities/geographies; and mitigation through community-based responses.

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In Senegal, the village of Ndouff rises from its own ashes

In November 2019, the Government of Senegal and the ARC Replica partner, Start Network, qualified for an ARC insurance payout following the drought conditions that prevailed during the agricultural season. In October 2020, ARC and Start Network travelled to the village of Ndouff, located at 70km from Dakar, the Senegalese capital, to interact with the community on the benefits and impacts of the payout in their lives.

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Eight national and local members funded for COVID-19 response

As part of Start Network’s commitment to supporting local actors, eight national and local members have so far been selected to participate in a fund for COVID-19 response. This fund will allow these organisations to access funding of up to £30,000 to respond to COVID-19 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, India and Pakistan.

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COVID-19 is cutting off even more lifelines for people seeking safety

Increasingly restrictive border policies have created the most dangerous route in the world. The coronavirus pandemic has made it even worse. The Central Mediterranean Route runs from sub-saharan Africa through the deserts of Niger, to conflict-ridden Libya and across the Mediterranean Sea to Italy. It’s been named the most perilous migration route in the world by the Institute of Migration as people are forced into destitution by smugglers and risk dying while crossing the desert or drowning in the sea.

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Twelve local and national organisations become members of Start Network

Start Network is pleased to announce that 12 new local and national aid agencies, based in India, Pakistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, have joined the network. The new members have joined as part of Start Network’s plans to build a more balanced network made up of more local and national actors.

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Start Network hubs launch call-to-action to accelerate a lasting step-change towards localisation

Today Start Network's five hubs have launched a bold paper aimed at catalysing a more local response to the immediate needs of COVID-19 needs and to accelerate a lasting step-change in humanitarian response.