In March 2019, the network activated its H2H Fund for Cyclone Idai in Mozambique using an interim process designed to allow activation during the build phase. The H2H Fund was set up to support network members providing specific services in emergency responses. The fund was due to become operational in July 2019, however, given the scale of the Cyclone Idai emergency, the fund used an interim process to deliver a package of services to support the response.
Overall, the activation for Cyclone Idai was considered a success. The fund enabled network members to promptly provide their specialist services and there were indications that collaboration efforts strengthened their activities. This first activation of the fund represented an important learning opportunity for the network and several lessons and recommendations emerged from feedback from service users, funded agencies and the project’s core team.