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Comoros

Comoros Islands Flash Floods Revised Emergency Appeal n° MDRKM004

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This Revised Emergency Appeal extends the duration of the existing appeal an additional 5 months, for a reduced amount of CHF 624,074 to support the Comoros Red Crescent to complete outstanding activities and carry out a final evaluation. This operation will be completed by the end of March 2013. The final report will be made available by June 2013, three months after the end of the operation.
Appeal coverage: 78% against the original budget and 100% against the revised appeal budget.

Appeal history:

  • This Emergency Appeal was initially launched on 4 May 2012 with a budget of CHF 801,629 (cash and in kind donation or services) for a period of six months to assist 20,000 beneficiaries (4,000 families).

  • CHF 100,000 was initially allocated from the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to support the National Society in the initial emergency phase.

  • Operations update n° 1 was issued on 15 June 2012; Operations update n° 2 was issued on 15 July 2012.

  • Based on available funds, the needs of the population and in coordination with Comoros Red Crescent (CRCo) and other actors, this Emergency Appeal has now been revised. In order to use available funds in the most efficient and sustainable manner, the operation will be extended until 31 March 2013.

Summary: Heavy rains inundated Comoros Islands from 20 April 2012, causing the worst flooding in decades. As of 26 April, over 64,987 people were affected, with more than 9,000 displaced on Grand Comore, Mohéli and Anjouan Islands. Following the request of Comoros Red Crescent and with support from the International Federation of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), an Emergency Appeal was launched to assist up to 20,000 affected beneficiaries (4,000 households) through relief distribution of non-food items, water and sanitation, hygiene promotion activities, as well as health and care interventions, including first aid and psychosocial support.

To date, 1,703 households (11,139 beneficiaries) have received non-food items (NFIs), including kitchen sets, sleeping mats, lanterns, stoves and mosquito nets. Volunteers also distributed WASH kits including buckets, jerry cans, soap bars, chlorine tablets and water purification sachets. Additionally, CRCo was the implementing partner for WFP (energy biscuits distribution) and UNICEF (WASH kits distribution).

NFI distributions have been completed and goods that were not distributed have been prepositioned in the CRCo warehouse in the capital, Moroni. Options are being considered regarding the prepositioning of some items in Anjouan and Mohéli, in order to efficiently meet arising needs, should a new crisis occur.

In the first week of October, the African Development Bank (AfDB) signed an agreement with CRCo and the Comorian Government. AfDB will finance USD 1 million worth of food and non-food items for distribution on Comoros Islands for approximately 6,000 households. This mandate will be implemented within 6 months from the date CRCo receives the funds (expected January 2013). IFRC will support CRCo in planning and implementing this, which will be done outside this Appeal.

Since the end of August, and after a one week training provided by the Head of Programmes and Health, 85 volunteers conducted hygiene promotion and epidemiological surveillance activities in 48 communities on all three Islands. Overall, 23,359 households have been sensitized in 48 communities; 8,923 in Grand Comore, 4,500 in Mohéli and 9,936 in Anjouan. Sensitisation covered topics including Hygiene and Food, Safe Water, Malaria and Measles prevention, as well as the importance of mosquito nets. A KAP (Knowledge, Attitude and Practice) survey was conducted at the beginning of this activity based upon a sample of 360 households in order to assess population knowledge and habits related to hygiene and diseases. This survey was carried out again in the middle of December to determine the efficiency and impact of this activity.

In order to prevent water borne diseases and improve the hygiene of vulnerable beneficiaries,
CRCo cleaned and disinfected 306 water tanks (of the 522 assessed) between 17 May and 29 July 2012 across 17 communities, covering an estimated population of 18,054 beneficiaries.
From 22 October, over a period of two months, 56 water tanks serving a population of 3,289 beneficiaries, have been repaired and covered to offer beneficiaries a safer source of water. Also, rain water collection systems have been improved or installed if non-existent. The sum of these 56 water tanks represents a volume of 1,774 cubic metres of water. The average capacity is 32 cubic metres per cistern for an average population of 59 beneficiaries for each tank. Covering water tanks should also reduce the risk of children falling in and maintain the cleanliness of the water tanks.
In order to reduce the vulnerability of beneficiaries,

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) activities began in October. Overall, 24 volunteers (eight on each Island) have been trained and have conducted trainings in 12 communities across the country, with joint assessments leading to the identification of key DRR projects. A selection committee has chosen the five most relevant projects to be implemented before the end of the Appeal with the support of these communities (including human resources and material support).