Crisis Action Annual Report 2018

Summary of impact

In the past twelve months, Crisis Action has coordinated coalitions that have helped:

Yemen

Convince the UN Human Rights Council to establish the first mechanism to investigate serious human rights violations in Yemen despite significant counter-lobbying.
Build a massive international coalition that convinced the Saudi/United Arab Emirates-led coalition to lift their blockade on Hodeidah port, enabling the delivery of almost half a million tonnes of desperately-needed aid for 22 million people.
Galvanise an international outcry against a proposed attack on Hodeidah port by driving media scrutiny of the assault and successfully put pressure on the US and UK to convince the UAE to stand down.

South Sudan

Secure a ceasefire in December that led to a 78% decrease in deaths when compared to the same period the year before.
Enable South Sudanese civil society and women's representatives to fully participate in the peace talks.
Pressure the EU to condemn and commit to preventing the financial corruption that fuels the war in South Sudan.
Build a virtual online platform on which women civil society leaders from South Sudan mobilised current and former Heads of State and other political leaders to shape international engagement on South Sudan.
Convince the UN Security Council to adopt an arms embargo on the conflict and a travel ban and asset freeze on two key military leaders after bringing a delegation of South Sudanese women to make the case for such action.

Syria

Resist efforts to end lifesaving cross-border aid by working to pass a UN Security Council resolution, which enabled almost three million people to receive vital supplies every month.
Secure funds from the Trump administration to fund the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism on crimes in Syria, despite their scepticism of most UN mechanisms.
Push the UN Security Council to pass a resolution calling for a 30-day ceasefire in Syria through behind-the-scenes advocacy and a high- profile creative stunt on the streets of New York.
Compel the EU to commit to withhold reconstruction money for Syria until a credible and inclusive political agreement to end the conflict is in place.

Myanmar

Build pressure on the EU to place sanctions - including an arms embargo - on Myanmar military figures, and subsequently to extend and deepen them.
Make it much harder for India to forcibly return 40,000 Rohingya refugees to Myanmar before it is safe to do so, by raising the profile of their plight through our first-ever major coalition action on the subcontinent.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Call on the new South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, to help defuse tensions in the DRC, which he did shortly thereafter by asking the Congolese President, Joseph Kabila, to allow a peaceful transition to a new leader.

Central African Republic

Secure a 10% increase in the number of UN peacekeepers to help avert mass atrocities, through coordinated NGO advocacy and highly- targeted media work.

Statement from Board Chair & Executive Director

War, and civilian casualties caused by war, are on the rise. A decade ago, 80% of emergency aid was spent responding to natural disasters. Today, the same proportion goes to meet humanitarian needs caused by armed conflict. Warfare now costs the global economy an estimated $14.7 trillion - or 12% of the GDP of the entire planet - and drives 60% of life-threatening hunger. A full 85% of refugees in Europe are fleeing armed conflict.

Geopolitically, this year has been one of the most fractious in memory. International structures like NATO and the European Union look extremely vulnerable, while accepted norms like the Responsibility to Protect and International Humanitarian Law are in danger of falling by the wayside as even more basic concepts like human rights and democracy come under attack around the world.

The humanitarian crisis we find ourselves in will require collaboration, innovation and a shared vision for humanity that is firmly rooted in international law. That is where Crisis Action comes in.

From Syria to South Sudan, all conflicts are man-made and therefore have political solutions. In these challenging times, innovative and ambitious collaboration is essential, making Crisis Action's model of enabling global collective action more relevant than ever.

Despite a tough fundraising environment, Crisis Action remains in excellent financial health. The budget for 2017/18 was £3.3m and increased by 15%. Crisis Action has grown every year since inception and now, with 50 staff of 20 nationalities in 10 countries, we are becoming a truly global team.

In response to the difficult operating environment, Crisis Action has developed a bold three-year organisational strategy, which includes the following key elements:

Pushing back against the erosion of principles, by explicitly defending core human rights/humanitarian norms
Deepening our core partnerships with global NGOs
Amplifying new constituencies including the corporate sector, religious leaders, and social movements
Enhancing our expertise of the gendered dynamics of conflict
Scaling our impact geographically including increased engagement with China and Russia
Enhancing Crisis Action's culture by improving skills, innovation, and impact evaluation.

We are excited that Crisis Action's unique model of acting behind-the-scenes to build powerful networks is now being replicated in other sectors, including a soon-to-be launched organisation designed to address digital threats to the democratic ecosystem.

We are more grateful than ever to our vast network for enabling our work to continue, to evolve, and to champion the needs of the most vulnerable people in the world.

Yemen

By mid-2017, the conflict in Yemen had entered its third year and resulted in the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with over 22 million people in need of emergency assistance.

Western countries, including the US, France and the UK, were fuelling the conflict with arms sales and military support to the Saudi/UAE-led coalition. With the country on the verge of famine, and all parties continuing to commit violations of International Humanitarian Law against civilians, Crisis Action responded to partner requests to extend our emergency response to a global campaign. Our collective aims were to ensure tangible improvements in humanitarian access, an end to attacks on civilians, and to push parties to engage meaningfully in a revitalised, inclusive peace process.

Timeline 2017

June
15 UN Security Council issues strong statement on Yemen for first time in over a year
Aug
30 UN Humanitarian Coordinator says at least 10,000 people killed in the war in Yemen
Sept
5 UN High Commissioner for Human Rights calls Yemen "an entirely man-made catastrophe"
Sept
29 UN Human Rights Council establishes group of experts on Yemen to investigate violations against civilians, following Crisis Action-led advocacy
Nov
4 Houthi rebels fire a missile at Riyadh; Saudis carry out airstrikes on Sana'a in response
Nov
6 Saudi/UAE-led coalition imposes a blockade on all entry points to Yemen, including Hodeidah Port
Dec
4 Former President, Ali Abdullah Saleh, is killed by Houthis in Sana'a
Dec
6 US President Trump calls on Saudi Arabia to end Yemen blockade immediately
Dec
19 Crisis Action galvanises coalition of over 400 public figures to mark 1000 days of war
Dec
20 In the wake of this action, Saudi Arabia announces it will lift blockade of Yemen

Timeline 2018

Jan
26 UN Panel of Experts reports grave violations of International Humanitarian Law by all parties
Mar-Apr Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, visits UK, US and France; After a vote, US Senate fails to end US support for Saudi Arabia and UAE involvement in Yemen
June
13 Yemeni troops backed by Saudi/UAE-ledcoalition forces begin assault on port city of Hodeidah

Impact

Moves towards accountability

For attacks to cease and progress to be made towards peace, Crisis Action's partners judged that parties to the conflict in Yemen had to believe there would be a price to pay for their conduct. With the aim of deterring further violations and ensuring accountability, Crisis Action worked with partners to persuade the UN Human Rights Council to establish an inquiry into human rights abuses in Yemen.

In the run-up to a key meeting of the Council, Crisis Action helped coordinate a joint appeal by 67 NGOs from four continents, which was cited by the High Commissioner in his opening address. We also coordinated a series of activities in Paris in advance of the vote – including private advocacy, media work and a social media campaign with Avaaz – which French officials said helped shift their government's thinking. US and UK policymakers also told us that the joint initiatives raised the issue up senior policymakers' agendas.

At the meeting in September the Council established the first independent mechanism to investigate serious human rights violations in Yemen. The Group of Eminent Experts on Yemen was the first anti-impunity mechanism ever established on Yemen, and in spite of heavy counter-lobbying, was granted a very strong mandate.

Partners have told us they hope the existence of the Group of Experts will deter violations and enhance security of Yemeni groups. In particular, Abdulrasheed Al-Faqih, the director of one of our Yemeni partners, Mwatana Organisation for Human Rights, thanked us and said the move gave him the confidence to return from exile.

'Life Beneath Bombs and Behind Blockade' article in The New York Times

Lifting the blockade

The blockade on Hodeidah port, imposed by the Saudi/UAE-led coalition in November 2017, had a devastating impact on civilians because it prevented the vast majority of food, fuel and medical supplies from getting into the country, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation, and affecting millions of people in need of assistance.

In response, Crisis Action coordinated a series of activities in the US, UK and France, including a joint letter by 19 NGOs to the US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, calling for the blockade to be lifted, a similar letter by 25 NGOs to the UK Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, and a joint statement from 6 partners to President Macron. We organised meetings for partners with policymakers in the UK, US and France; secured and fed into an emergency debate in the UK Parliament with Andrew Mitchell MP, who also wrote an op-ed in the UK's most widely-read weekend paper; and supported a stunt by Oxfam and Save the Children in London.

I paint murals on the walls of Sana'a so that the innocent victims of Yemen's vicious war will not be forgotten. Crisis Action brought my work to the attention of the media – and now the whole world must face up to the horror happening in my city.

Haifa Subay

Yemeni street artist

In mid-December, Crisis Action galvanized a remarkably diverse coalition of eminent voices who called upon President Trump, Prime Minister May, and President Macron to act urgently to halt the escalating famine and push for peace talks before the 1000th day of fighting. A powerful joint statement from over 430 public figures, including Nobel Peace Prize laureates, former foreign ministers, athletes, celebrities, faith leaders and business executives, and a digital campaign #YemenCantWait, were credited by officials in all three countries for pushing Yemen up the agenda and changing policymakers' calculations.

The day after the statement was released, the Saudi/UAE-led coalition announced they would lift their blockade, and shortly afterwards 400,000 tonnes of food aid was delivered. Senior figures told us that it was definitely external pressure on the Saudis – especially from the UK and US – that got the blockade lifted; and that the UK in particular prioritised Yemen because of civil society campaigning.

Moving Yemen from the backburner to the front page

Crisis Action has worked with NGO partners and other allies to elevate Yemen from what analysts called "the forgotten war" to the front pages and editorials of the world's leading media outlets. Through these efforts as well as coordinated NGO partner advocacy, Crisis Action has helped generate unprecedented political pressure on the UK, US and France to use their leverage with Saudi Arabia and the UAE to end the war.

In the past year, the UK has been readier to use its influence on Saudi Arabia both publicly and privately. One UK policymaker told us: "pressure in Parliament and in the media from NGOs […] is making us rethink our current relationship with Saudi Arabia." Meanwhile, French policymakers told us that NGO mobilisation supported by Crisis Action was instrumental in raising Yemen up policymakers' agendas.

A former US Ambassador to Yemen said of a piece by a Yemeni activist in the New York Times that we helped place: "Superb; that kind of real-life commentary has the ability to reach policymakers in the way others can't." An academic expert on Yemen told us that another op-ed supported by Crisis Action contained "all that needed to be said" on how to address many of the political challenges to resolving the conflict.

In November, Crisis Action supported a group of US NGOs to send a letter to Secretary of State Tillerson, UN Ambassador Haley, National Security Adviser McMaster and Defence Secretary Mattis calling on them to address the crisis in Yemen. The letter was covered by CNN, and in the wake of it, the State Department invited Crisis Action and our partners to meet monthly with the Deputy Secretary of State and the head of the US Agency for International Development, to exchange views on how to end the conflict and the humanitarian crisis. The Deputy Secretary of State has repeatedly thanked attendees for helping inform and maintain US government pressure on the Saudi/UAE-led coalition.

Warning against assault on Hodeidah

In June, as it appeared that the UAE and its allies would launch a long-planned attack on the key Yemeni port city of Hodeidah, through which over 70% of food and fuel is imported, Crisis Action worked to drive media scrutiny of the assault and put pressure on the US and UK to convince the UAE to stand down. With our partners, we drove widespread global coverage of the humanitarian implications of such an assault in top US, UK and French outlets.

Crisis Action is one of the most effective advocacy organizations in the humanitarian world. The work they do to educate and mobilize political leaders, the media and caring citizens about difficult and forgotten crises makes the difference. Millions of lives are being saved because of what they do.

Lise Grande

United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen

This unprecedented media scrutiny and pressure from western legislators on Saudi Arabia and the UAE caused the US to deny an Emirati request for American military support, and in mid-June only a limited assault took place, which itself was quickly paused. At the time of writing, a full-scale attack was still being withheld and Crisis Action was supporting partners to engage with the UN Special Envoy's efforts to negotiate a peaceful de-escalation.

The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen told Crisis Action that not only did this media offensive force the Saudis and the UAE to realise that they could not attack Hodeidah with impunity, but the pause for thought also provided space for the Special Envoy to negotiate for a formal ceasefire.

Radhya Al-Mutawakel

Mwatana Organisation for Human Rights

I come from a family that cultivated in me a political awareness at a very young age. My father, an academic, inspired me to dedicate my life to making a positive difference in the world.

When I first met my husband, Abdulrasheed, we bonded in the knowledge that after years of fighting, furthering human rights was the only way to achieving change. Today that focus is needed more than ever.

Yemen is now in a state of total collapse. On my shoulders I bear the weight of the stories that I have been told since the war began. We do everything possible to document and give voice to the victims and survivors of human rights violations in all parts of the country. One of my goals is to build a human rights memory that will provide the foundation for future justice and accountability for the people of Yemen.

Despite growing threats from the government and others who would prefer we remain quiet, we remain outspoken. With the help of Crisis Action, we have access to the most influential political decisionmakers in the world, driving pressure and action on the Yemeni crisis. With their help, I became the first Yemeni civil society representative ever to address the United Nations Security Council. Unlike other organisations, Crisis Action works to ensure that those of us with the lived experience of conflict take the front seat and lead the conversation.

Working with Crisis Action has allowed us to take great strides in a short period of time. I've never seen an organisation that is able to network and mobilise so effectively, and at the same time respect all its partners, from big multinationals to small organisations like ours.

As we continue to document violations being committed by all parties to the war in Yemen and campaign for an overdue peace, together we have demonstrated that information is the real power.

Queue beside a barbed wire fence surrounding an UN protection of civilians camp near Juba — A queue forms beside a barbed wire fence surrounding an UN protection of civilians (PoC) camp near Juba (Photo by Mikkel Ostergaard / Panos)

South Sudan

In July 2017, South Sudan marked another Independence Day with bloodshed. The country had been independent for six years, and at war for four of those, following the collapse of the 2015 power-sharing agreement between factions led by the President, Salva Kiir, and his then Vice President, Riek Machar.

The civil war had provoked a man-made famine and doubled the number of refugees to nearly 2 million. An estimated two thirds of women had suffered sexual violence and 1.8 million children had no access to education. Throughout the year, Crisis Action supported South Sudanese civil society to shape and sustain a renewed peace process that better reflected the experiences and desires of ordinary civilians.