Period covered by this Operations Update: 07 November to 11 December 2007
Appeal target: CHF 7.1 million (USD 5.9 million or EUR 4.3 million)
Appeal coverage: 57%; Outstanding needs: CHF 3,067,759 (USD 2,743970 or EUR 1,859,248).
Appeal history:
- An Emergency appeal launched on 3 July 2007 for CHF 842,257 (USD 684,762 or EUR 510,459) for six months to assist 133,255 beneficiaries.
- Emergency appeal revised on 16 August 2007 to focus on the floods. The budget was increased to CHF 7,113,119 (USD 5,907,905 or EUR 4,310,980) for eight months to assist 1,200,000 beneficiaries due to the deteriorating situation.
- Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) allocated on 20 June 2007, CHF 250,000 (USD 203,252 or EUR 150,875).
Summary:
Despite all challenges, the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, with the support of the Federation and other valuable donors, managed to continue its early recovery initiatives for the flood affected most vulnerable targeted population. Until today (in Tangail, Manikganj and Shariatpur districts) 45 water systems have been restored and 10 newly installed; 400 latrines have been erected, which gives approximately 8,000 people access to safe drinking water and facilitates safe hygiene practices. Encouragingly, under the livelihood programme, seeds for winter crops (rice, wheat, vegetables) were distributed in the three most affected targeted districts; and 11,200 marginal and small farmers managed to get involved again with the Red Cross Red Crescent support to their traditional business; where 56,000 people directly benefiting. In parallel, the operation reached at fourth phase of relief distribution. The activities are being carried out at a slower pace than initially planned, due to the unforeseen Cyclonic storm SIDR, which struck the coastal areas of Bangladesh in November. Steps have already been taken to speed up the process and to return to the normal pace of implementing the activates in the field.
The situation
Torrential rains leading to two consecutive phases of floods between the months of June and October 2007 devastated the lives of millions of people across Bangladesh. So far, approximately 1,110 people have been An elderly woman waiting in line for seed distribution in flood-affected Manikganj district reported dead. Part of In addition to the destruction of houses, 4.9 million acres of crops and vegetables were destroyed. Due to the scarcity of drinking water, hazardous diseases prevailed throughout the flood affected districts. The government of Bangladesh, along with national and international organizations, has been working continuously to support the most vulnerable people in the flood affected districts.
According to reports from the print media on 29 November, a fresh spurt of flooding affected 9,000 people in seven villages in Satkhira district. This was confirmed by the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS)/Federation team that was carrying out an assessment on the situation in Satkhira after Cyclone SIDR hit. The Kabodak and the Kholpetua rivers burst their embankments; about 32 metres of the Kabodak embankment collapsed and about 183 metres of the Kholpetua embankment has been washed away by the river water. Many of the affected people have taken shelter on high land and in educational institutions.
On 15 November, Cyclone SIDR hit southwest Bangladesh, causing widespread death, devastation and the wrecking of livelihoods for millions of families in large parts of the country. As of 10 December, 3,347 people have been reported dead as a result of the cyclone and infrastructure, crops and roads reported as extensively damaged. As a result of this, the BDRCS with the support of the Federation, has temporarily diverted its operations into responding to the situation in the cyclone affected areas and is currently implementing its relief phase under the cyclone operation. To help the cyclone affected populations cope with their immediate needs during this emergency phase, food and non-food stocks, initially procured for distribution among flood-affected populations, were diverted to the cyclone-affected areas.
Despite the diverting of operations into responding to the Cyclone SIDR, there has been progress in the distribution of seeds and interventions in the area of water and sanitation in the selected four flood-affected districts. Details of these are mentioned below in the report.
Coordination and partnerships
The Federation has been working closely with European Commission's Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) in the relief distribution process under the floods operation. The desk officer from ECHO, Brussels visited a number of remote areas that had been affected by the floods and interacted with families who had benefited from relief assistance provided by BDRCS, with support from the Federation, and funded by ECHO. Besides this, coordination meetings related to the recovery phase of the floods operation were held with ECHO and Federation representatives in Dhaka.
For further information specifically related to this operation please contact:
Bangladesh Red Crescent Society: Mr. M. Shafiul Alam (secretary- general), email: bdrcs@bangla.net, phone: +88.02.935.2226.
Country delegation in Bangladesh: Mr. Selvaratnam Sinnadurai (head of delegation), email: selvaratnam.sinnadurai@ifrc.org, phone: +88.02.933.7314, fax: +88.02.934.1631.
South Asia regional delegation in Delhi: Mr. Al Panico (head of regional delegation), email: al.panico@ifrc.org, phone: +91 11 2411 1122, fax: +91 11 2411 1128.
Asia Pacific zone office in Kuala Lumpur: disaster management unit: Mr. Latifur Rahman (regional disaster management delegate), email: latifur.rahman@ifrc.org; phone: + 603 2161 0892, mobile; +60 12 975 0144; regional logistics unit: Ilir Caushaj (regional logistics coordinator), ilir.caushaj@ifrc.org; +603 2628 2707; fax: 603 2168 8573.
In Geneva:,Christine South (operations coordinator), email: christine.south@ifrc.org, phone: +41.22.730.4529, fax: +41.22.733.0395