Belize: Hurricane Keith Appeal No. 29/2000 (revised)

THIS APPEAL REPLACES THE PRELIMINARY APPEAL; THE TOTAL BUDGET IS NOW CHF 1,260,502; AN ADDITIONAL CHF 323,065 IS REQUIRED IN CASH, KIND AND SERVICES TO ASSIST 7,000 BENEFICIARIES WITH FOOD, HYGIENE, WATER, AND SANITATION ASSISTANCE FOR 4 MONTHS
Summary

Hurricane Keith (category 4) hovered over Belize for 3 days between 30 September and 2 October, leaving behind severe wind damage on the cayes and widespread flooding on the mainland. In the month since the storm struck, the Federation has put in place a team of six delegates who have collaborated with the Belize Red Cross Society (BRCS), local government ministries and NGOs in order to develop a comprehensive emergency relief plan which will be implemented and managed by the Belize Red Cross.

As waters recede and access to flooded communities has become possible, the number of beneficiaries has been finalised through consultations with local authorities and reduced to 7,000, resulting in a lower budget. It is now envisaged to conduct three distributions of food and hygiene relief, rather than four. Flooding and rising water levels continued to affect communities three weeks after the hurricane struck and assessments carried out by the water and sanitation team indicate that needs are significant. Since assessments indicate that most damage has been caused by floods rather than by wind, the construction of wind proof housing has been removed from the appeal. Activities aimed at boosting farming activities will not be carried out since it is felt that this may over stretch the capacity of the National Society. Some villages remain under water and further assessments may therefore be necessary.

The Disaster

The most severe wind damage caused by Hurricane Keith was on the cayes (Caulker and Ambergris). The BRCS responded immediately by shipping out emergency supplies from their stocks. The mainland districts of Belize and Orange Walk suffered extensive flood damage and the associated health risks and economic set backs. For weeks after the hurricane hit, the water levels continued to rise as persistent heavy rains continued to saturate the ground and rivers overflowed their banks. Belize Red Cross emergency efforts focused on assisting the flood victims on the mainland, while assistance provided by the American and the British Red Cross Societies has been concentrated on the cayes.

The Response so far

Government Action

• The Ministry of Health (MoH) has stepped up its vector control programme in the hope of avoiding outbreaks of malaria and dengue fever, but the MoH is hampered by lack of equipment and costly chemicals for fogging as well as curative drugs for possible outbreaks of malaria and dengue fever.
• The water and sewage authority has been active chlorinating boreholes and distributing chlorine test kits, however, some areas visited lack training in the use of the kits.
• The National Emergency Organisation (NEMO) has supplied a number of portable toilets in flooded areas.

Red Cross/Red Crescent Action

• The BRCS distributed 4,820 food and hygiene parcels to 24,097 beneficiaries in Belize and Orange Walk during the month of October.
• In addition, 925 relief parcels were distributed in Belize City by BRCS headquarters. Relief items for these parcels were donated by the local community.
• The newly formed water and sanitation team is composed of 1 health delegate, 2 water and sanitation delegates and 1 BRCS water and sanitation volunteer. This team has been actively involved in drawing up the plan, setting the objectives and finalising the budget for the health, water and Sanitation project. Co-ordination is ensured between the BRCS, the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and relevant government ministries.
• A plan has been developed by the regional telecom delegate to equip the National Society with a country wide VHF and HF system (valued at USD $33,000).
• The Federation has received 5 submersible pumps from Oxfam and has conducted initial training for the water and sanitation team.
• The Federation has conducted initial training on the chlorination of hand dug wells for the water and sanitation team.
• The American Red Cross shipment of 4,086 hygiene kits (valued at USD$14,400) and 2,700 food parcels (valued at USD$59,600) has been received and unloaded in the BRCS warehouse.
• The German Red Cross shipment of 2 containers with kitchen sets and water buckets for 1,600 families valued at USD$35,000 has been received and is in storage awaiting distribution.

Other Agencies’ Action

• UNICEF has donated iodine tablets for household drinking water purification.
• PAHO has appealed to ECHO for water and sanitation, health training and hospital rehabilitation.
• The BRCS/Federation are ensuring complementary projects with PAHO.
• SPEAR (a local NGO) has applied to ECHO to implement a seeds and livestock programme

Co-ordination

The BRCS and the Federation are closely co-ordinating activities with the American Red Cross, PAHO/WHO and related government ministries. In addition, the BRCS is co-ordinating on the ground and at a management level with NEMO and has close relations with the executive co-ordinating committee.

The Intended Operation

Assessment of Needs

The BRCS and the Federation have completed the assessment phase and have developed appropriate plans of action.

Immediate Needs

Since the operational plans and budget details have been completed, confirmed pledges are awaited in order that procurement of material to undertake the setting up of a telecommunications network and to carry out the water and sanitation project may take place.

Red Cross Objectives

The main goal of the Hurricane Keith relief programme is to ensure the maintenance of the nutritional and health status of the most seriously affected populations in the target areas of Belize over a four month period (October 2000 through January 2001) by:

• ensuring provision to the beneficiaries basic relief items and food rations for a maximum of three months (October 2000 to December 2000).
• contributing substantially to the maintenance of the health status of the target population for 4 months (October 2000 - January 2001).
• contributing to the reinforcement of the operational capacity of the BRCS to prepare for response to and mitigation of disasters.

National Society/Federation Plan of Action

Emergency Phase: October - January 2001

• To provide clean water, food and relief supplies to victims of the disaster.
• To clean contaminated wells in 50 communities.
• To provide rainwater collection tanks for 50 communities.
• To provide temporary latrines and repair 150 damaged latrines.
• To update public health materials on hygiene, water safety and flood mitigation and to carry out dissemination activities.
• To train 360 Red Cross volunteers in sanitation and hygiene with particular emphasis on water. They will then return to their villages to train others.
• To train 100 health workers and community volunteers in flood mitigation.
• To procure chemicals for vector control, implemented by the MoH.
• To provide malaria related drugs and diagnostic materials to treatment centres in flooded areas.
• To provide telecommunications systems development to the National Society.
• To repair the roof of the national headquarters.

Capacity of the National Society

The Belize Red Cross has 10 full time staff and 4 part time staff. There are 800 members of which 228 are active volunteers. In addition, there are 250 youth volunteers.

Present Capacity of the Federation in Belize

There are presently 6 Federation delegates in Belize supported by the regional delegations of Santo Domingo, with additional logistics support from the regional delegation in Guatemala. The sub-delegation team consists of 1 team leader, 1 health delegate, 2 water and sanitation delegates, 1 relief delegate and 1 logistics delegate.

Evaluation

The Belize Red Cross and the Federation will monitor the implementation of the operation on an ongoing basis.

Budget Summary

See Annex 1 for budget details and the list of contributions.

Conclusion

It is essential that the emergency relief and water and sanitation needs are met in order to reduce the risk of illness and disease amongst the affected population. The Belize Red Cross Society, supported by the Federation, has carried out detailed assessments and has identified the most vulnerable beneficiaries in need of assistance. Further water and sanitation assessments will be carried out in mid November to ascertain whether there are additional needs in this area.

Didier J. Cherpitel
Secretary General

Jean Ayoub
Director
Disaster Management and Co-ordination Division

Annex 1