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In Brief
This Information Bulletin (no. 03/2006) is being issued for information only. The Federation is not seeking funding or other assistance from donors for this operation at this time.
The Situation
Heavy rains which battered the southern region of Algeria almost incessantly between late January and early February 2006 caused the Illizi river to overflow it banks, leading to major flooding. More than 50 per cent of the mainly mud brick dwellings of the Saharwi refugees who live in the Tindouf camp were destroyed.
Approximately 12,000 families were left homeless. The Algerian government sent eight army planes loaded with 4,000 tents, 14,000 blankets and 62 tonnes of food. Additional assistance was sent in the form of four convoys from the neighbouring wilayas (provinces) of Béchar, El-Oued and Skikda.
Red Cross and Red Crescent action
The 1,000 Algerians who were affected by the floods received assistance from the Algerian Red Crescent, in coordination with the local authorities. Algerian Red Crescent wilayas were mobilized to collect and organize the transport of donations to the Saharwi refugees. The Algerian Red Crescent mobilized its volunteers to distribute 80 tents, 550 blankets, 465 boxes of clothing, 350 hygiene kits, and 300 boxes of oil to those affec ted persons who were housed in four shelters. These items were readily available as pre-positioned stock- part of the disaster preparedness work in the earthquake rehabilitation phase. Additional assistance was subsequently distributed to affected persons in the form of 50 tents, 2,000 blankets, 250 kitchen sets, 800 hygiene kits, 900 boxes of oil, 50 gas heaters and disposable items (cotton, gauze, plasters, serum, etc). This operation was carried out in collaboration with Civil Protection, Ministry of Health, and the Algerian army whose helicopters facilitated access to isolated areas.
Five planes were also sent by the Spanish Red Cross, and a plane by the Turkish Red Crescent. In Tindouf, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in collaboration with World Food Programme (WFP), launched an appeal in January to provide food items to the Saharwi refugees.
Needs
Food
There is still an urgent need for medicines, clothing, shoes, and hygiene kits for the 12,000 homeless families. The food stocks are approaching an alarmingly low level. Stocks of cereal, rice, pasta and beans are rapidly running out. Consequently, the following items are needed:
158 tonnes of powdered milk;
10 tonnes of oil;
55 tonnes of lentils;
1,1 tonnes of tuna;
1,455 tonnes of flour.
Materials for the rehabilitation of damaged/destroyed infrastructure:
Materials for educational facilities;
Materials for health facilities.
Emergency stocks for the Algerian Red Crescent :
150 tents;
3,000 blank ets;
300 kitchen sets;
1,500 hygiene kits;
3 generators;
100 bales of clothing and shoes
Funds for the local procurement of food items (oil, tomato ketchup, tea,
sugar, cereal, rice, milk, pasta,cheese, biscuits, etc).
For further information specifically related to this operation please contact:
In (Algeria): Algerian Red Crescent, (Dr. Baroudi El Fachouch, Director of Activities), emai l: info@cra-dz.org, phone: 00213 6169 5975, fax: 00213 21 633 690
In (Tunisia): North Africa Regional Office (Anne E. LeClerc, Head of Office, Tunis), email: ae.leclerc@ifrc.org, phone: +216 98 33 7724 , fax: +216 71 86 2971
In Geneva: MENA Regional Department, Evgeni Parfenov,Regional Officer, email: evgeni.parfenov@ifrc.org, phone: +4122 730 4325, fax: +4122 733 0395
All International Federation assistance seeks to adhere to the Code of Conduct and is committed to the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response in delivering assistance to the most vulnerable. For support to or for further information concerning Federation programmes or operations in this or other countries, or for a full description of the national society profile, please access the Federation's website at http://www.ifrc.org