UK, 25 April - On Sunday 22 April six lovely people took part in the London Marathon in aid of MapAction. We’d like to say a HUGE thank you to...

• Christopher and Sarah Egerton-Warburton 
• Chris Holcroft 
• Ian Holt 
• John Lyon 
• Naomi Morris

for raising over £25,000 for our emergency mapping service. Thank you also to everyone who lined the streets to cheer them on.

Chris Holcroft, one of our runners, commented:

“Doing the 2012 London Marathon was a life enriching experience that was full of fun, emotion, hardship and achievement. It gave our team of six runners a chance to make a vital contribution to MapAction, a unique charity that uses geographic information to save and improve the lives of those affected in humanitarian crises and natural disasters. It demanded a heck of a lot from us, but at the same time MapAction supported us and helped us very well at every stage of the process. I would certainly do it again.”

If you’re interested in running the London Marathon for MapAction in 2013, please contact Chloe Browitt - 01494 56 88 99.

UK, 4 April – MapAction invites you to join our Chiltern Challenge bike ride between 6-8 July 2012. We’re looking for fun and friendly people to cycle 170 miles around the beautiful Chiltern countryside. The aim is to enjoy yourself, meet lovely new people and raise lots of money for MapAction’s emergency mapping service.

We’re calling it a “challenge” not because we’ll push you to within an inch of your life (you cycle at your own pace), but because we’re challenging participants to contribute to an overall fundraising target of £10,000 in celebration of MapAction’s 10 years of disaster mapping.

So if you’re looking for a fun and worthwhile way to enjoy the British countryside this summer, look no further than www.mapaction.org/bike.

BRAZZAVILLE, 12 March – Following devastating explosions in a munitions depot in the Congolese capital on 4 March, MapAction has deployed a team of two volunteers to help map the needs of those affected. 

Reports indicate that at least 223 people have died in the blasts and a further 2,300 were injured. Approximately 14,000 people have been left homeless, making the provision of shelter, clean water and sanitation a priority. Hygiene is a particular concern as the Republic of Congo typically experiences heavy rainfall and high temperatures at this time of year, making displaced people more vulnerable to outbreaks of disease.

MapAction is deploying at the request of the UN’s Disaster Assessment and Coordination team. It is anticipated that our volunteers will help to coordinate aid efforts, such as mapping the location and needs of blast victims.

This is MapAction’s first mission to the Republic of Congo, our eleventh to sub-Saharan Africa. It is running concurrently with another emergency deployment, helping with the impact of tropical storms on local populations in Madagascar.

ANTANANARIVO, 9 March – Madagascar has been hit by its second killer storm of the season. Tropical Storm Irina caused 65 deaths, most of them residents of the Ifanadiana district in the southeast of the island, and affected more than 70,000 people in all. Most casualties have been caused by landslides and flooding, following heavy rainfall.

In February Tropical Storm Giovanna also hit the island, claiming the lives of 35 people, injuring 284 and leaving a further 250,000 people affected by its impact.

MapAction is deploying a team of volunteers at the request of the Madagascar Government’s National Bureau of Risk and Disaster Management, to boost the agency’s own GIS capability which is working at full stretch responding to the two large-scale events, with more rains forecast.

MapAction’s Operations Director Jonathan Douch said: “Although Madagascar has good capacity to coordinate disaster response, they have been hit hard by storms this year and asked for our help with their coordinated response across several disaster zones.”

This is MapAction’s first mission to Madagascar, however the charity has responded in the past to nine crises across sub-Saharan Africa, including the current food crisis in the Sahel region.

(Photo: Madagascar Tribune)

UK, 7 Mar - The UK Government has selected the disaster mapping charity MapAction as a standby partner for its new Rapid Response Facility (RRF) mechanism. The scheme means that MapAction will be called on as part of the first wave of humanitarian assistance in major disasters and other crises.

The UK Government’s Humanitarian Response Review, conducted last year by Lord Ashdown, highlighted the need for rapid reaction to new or escalating crises world-wide. The Department for International Development (DFID) has selected a small group of aid charities that it can call on within 72 hours of a disaster, through fast-tracked funding decisions based on ‘pre-qualified’ credentials.

The UK’s Secretary of State for International Development, Andrew Mitchell, endorsed the selection of MapAction as an RRF member, remarking positively on the charity’s technical capacity, track record of results and value for money.

MapAction’s chief executive Nigel Woof commented:”Although we’re a small charity, DFID’s decision endorses our role as a vital first-mover in the international disaster response system. When big disasters happen we need immediate funding decisions to allow us to get feet on the ground in hours, to start creating a shared picture of humanitarian needs. The RRF partner system promises to be extremely helpful in this.”

The charity is already a strategic partner of DFID, having been selected last year for a three-year Programme Partnership Agreement (PPA) funding scheme. Nevertheless, the charity still relies heavily on public and corporate donations for the balance of its funding, for example to provide training and technical equipment for its team of volunteer emergency mappers.