Executive summary

The North Africa region, made up of Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia, is economically diverse with rich, resource-abundant economies like Algeria and Libya and countries that are resource-scarce relative to their population size such as Egypt and Morocco. These five middle income countries are generally on track to achieving the health Millennium Development Goals (MDG) target by 2015, but still face significant rural and urban disparities and gaps in coverage.

Like other regions, North Africa faces

This report covers the period 1 January 2010 to 30 June 2010.

In brief

Programme outcome: To increase the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Society (IFRC) capacity to assist National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies reduce the number of deaths, injuries and the impact of disasters through the timely and adequate financial support for disaster response from the DREF.

Programme(s) summary: At 30 June 2010, IFRC had made 73 allocations from the DREF to support 67 different operations for a total of 11,285,280 Swiss francs bringing assistance to over 3.5

AL-ARISH, 21 March 2010 (IRIN) - Floods in and around the northern Egyptian city of Al-Arish in January have highlighted the need for more and better quality disaster preparedness planning in the governorate and nationwide, officials say.

"The floods were a surprise as North Sinai had not seen floods in 30 years," said Mohamed Fawzi, head of the Crisis and Disaster Management Sector at the Cabinet's Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC).

He said the governorate was included in national flood planning, but few disaster preparedness activities had been undertaken.

President Hosni Mubarak received a detailed report from Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Mohamed Nasr El Din Allam, on Friday 12/2/2010 on efforts to protect citizens, public and private properties in the governorates of Sinai, Aswan and Red Sea from effects and dangers of floods in future.

These efforts include a reevaluation of all facilities and slums located in the floods' courses, amendment of law on the prohibition of building in courses of floods and providing funds required for the immediate protection of the affected governorates as an

International disaster relief charity ShelterBox is sending emergency shelter to southern Egypt where flash floods have destroyed hundreds of homes.

The torrential rains in the Sinai Peninsula have washed away mud brick houses forcing scores of families out of their homes.

ShelterBox is flying 224 boxes of prepositioned aid from Dubai to the southern Egyptian city of Aswan. The boxes will be met by ShelterBox Response Team members Lizzy Treglown from Ashton, near Helston, and Adrian Sumner from Nottinghamshire.

Jessica Stanton, ShelterBox's Operations

Regional Updates

Floods hit Region

Heavy rains and floods in several parts of Egypt in mid-January claimed the lives of at least 15 people and left 780 homes totally destroyed and 1,076 submerged. North and South Sinai, The Red Sea, Aswan and Qena governorates were affected, with strong rains in Suez, Ain Sokhna and Ismailia. Material losses were estimated at over US$25.3 million. Strong wind and heavy rains also swept through the Gaza Strip, Israel and Jordan, destroying homes, knocking out power lines and cutting off roads.

A state of emergency was declared and

CAIRO, 25 January 2010 (IRIN) - Days after flash floods killed several people and forced hundreds of families out of their damaged homes in the Sinai Peninsula, government assistance is yet to arrive, survivors say.

"Our conditions are so desperate," Nuweiga Gemeiaa, a local resident whose home was destroyed in the 18 January floods, told IRIN. "We sleep in the open, but the government hasn't done anything effectual so far to give us either shelter or money to compensate [us] for what we've lost."

Gemeiaa was one of hundreds of people

GLIDE no. FL-2010-000012-EGY

The International Federation's Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) is a source of un-earmarked money created by the Federation in 1985 to ensure that immediate financial support is available for Red Cross and Red Crescent response to emergencies. The DREF is a vital part of the International Federation's disaster response system and increases the ability of national societies to respond to disasters.

CHF 257,914 (USD 246,525 or EUR 175,360) has been allocated from the Federation's Disaster Relief Emergency Fund