In Brief
Appeal No: 11/2004 Operations
Update: no.1
Period covered: 20 April to 20 May, 2004
Appeal coverage: 61.9 % (click below for list of contributions) http://www.ifrc.org/cgi/pdf_appeals.pl?04/1-2-3%20-%20ap1104.pdf
Appeal history:
Launched on 20 April 2004 for CHF 333,000 (USD 261,000 or EUR 217,000) for three months to assist 8,412 beneficiaries.
Disaster Relief Emergency Funds (DREF) allocated: CHF 50,000.
Outstanding needs: CHF 127,000
Related Appeals: Emergency Appeal Bosnia & Herzegovina Floods 11/2004 (click below) http://www.ifrc.org/cgi/pdf_appeals.pl?04/1104.pdf
Annual Appeal Bosnia & Herzegovina 01.73/2004 (click below) http://www.ifrc.org/cgi/pdf_appeals.pl?annual04/017304.pdf
Operational Summary: The heavy rains in mid-April 2004 resulted in the rapid rise of the water level of rivers in Bosnia & Herzegovina. The last estimations indicate that the floods, which occurred due to the rise of the rivers' water level, have: affected 300,000 people; flooded 5,000 houses; and caused several hundred families to evacuate their homes. In addition, the floods also severely affected 20,000 hectares of land with crops and flooded water-wells, which resulted in the water being polluted. In order to alleviate the suffering of the most vulnerable flood victims , the Federation, with its emergency appeal, aimed to provide assistance for 8,412 of the poorest and most-affected flood victims. The relief distrib ution has been a great help, as eighty percent of the population in the affected areas lives on agricultural proceeds and their crops were damaged with the floods.
For longer-term programmes, please refer to the Federation's Annual Appeal
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
For further information specifically related to this operation please contact:
- In Bosnia and Herzegovina: Mr. Brano Dursun, Chair person, e-mail:rcsbh@dckbh.org , phone: + 397 33 200 151, fax: +387 33 200 148
- In Bosnia and Herzegovina: Mr. Frans Lommers, Federation Representative, e-mail:ifrcbih02@ifrc.org ,phone: +387 33 666 009, fax: +387 33 666 010
- In Geneva: Erja Reinikainen, Federation Regional Officer, e-mail: erja.reinikainen@ifrc.org ,phone: +41 22 730 4319, fax: +41 22 730 0395
Background
Due to heavy rains between 6th and 14th April 2004, the water level of the rivers Pliva, Vrbas, Bosna, Sana, Vrbanja, Josavka, Una, Lasva, Zdena, Drina and Sava rose rapidly. As a consequence, the water spilled over the river banks; flooding large areas of the regions Banja Luka, Prijedor, Mrkonjic -Grad and Doboj as well as the Una-Sana, Zenica-Doboj, Srednja Bosna and Posavina cantons.
Forty-eight municipalities were flooded. The most affected municipalities declared a state of emergency at the height of the floods. The respective regions and cantons consequently declared a state of elemental disaster. According to the last estimations, these floods have affected 300,000 people. Around 5,000 houses were flooded and several hundred families had to be evacuated from their homes. The floods damaged 20,000 hectares with crops and washed away several bridges. The traffic was temporarily broken, due to landslides and water that partially flooded the main roads. The water flooded water-wells and broke into the water network system, which has resulted in the water being polluted and unsuitable for drinking. The sewage overflows contaminated wells which inhabitants of the affected areas rely on for their water supply. There is a great concern that land mines laid during the war may have been washed away by the floods and appear in previously land mine-clean areas.
The situation in the municipality of Brod is still difficult. Due to the fact that the majority of the municipality is situated below the level of Sava river and that the level of the river is still high, the withdrawal of water is slow. The water could be taken out only by pumps, therefore pumps with different capacity have been sent to Brod from other municipalities of BiH. Some pumps arrived from Serbia as well. The local authorities paid special attention to the health and water/sanitation issues, as the contamination of wells and water sources presents the greatest threat to the population of the affected area.
Operational developments
Red Cross Society of Bosnia and Herzegovina undertook immediate action to save lives and property. Around 360 Red Cross volunteers helped with the evacuation and distribution of food and water to the affected population. The RCSBiH mobilised all available human and material resources. Local Red Cross branches released and distributed the limited emergency stocks of basic relief items to the most vulnerable.
The Red Cross has so far distributed:
- 500 jerry cans to Srbac, 50 to Laktasi and 150 to Gradiska
- 30 food parcels, 20 kg of detergent, 200 m2 of plastic sheeting to Modrica
- 20 food parcels, 10 kg of detergent, 200 m2 of plastic sheeting to Vukosavlje
- 10 food parcels, 10 kg of detergent, 200 m2 of plastic sheeting to Srpski/Bosanski Brod
- 100 food parcels, 100 hygiene parcels, 200 blankets and water-purification pills to Srednja Bosna Canton
- 50 food parcels, 20 hygiene parcels and 100 blankets to Una-Sana Canton
- 50 food parcels, 50 hygiene parcels, 20 bales of second-hand clothes and shoes to Zenica-Doboj Canton
- 100 food parcels, 100 blankets and 30 bales of secondhand clothes and shoes to Tuzla Canton
- 50 food parcels and 30 hygiene parcels to Hercegovina-Neretva Canton
- 1,800 blankets are expected to come from the RC branches situated in the south of the country.
The Red Cross, in co-operation with Civil Protection and the authorities, was involved in all field activities, and was responsible for the organization and realization of care for the affected population. Disaster Preparedness (DP) coordinators in the affected regions and cantons were coordinating work with Civil Protection at the municipal level.
Entity Red Cross Secretary Generals, DP co-ordinators and RCSBiH Regional Disaster Response Team (RDRT) members carried out field assessments, together with Civil Protection. Based on the findings in the field , the beneficiaries have been selected according to the following criteria:
- elderly people, aged 60 and above, living alone
- families with children under eight years of age
- female-headed households
- disabled
- people left homeless
- returnees and IDPs RCSBiH Plan of action has been finalised on 22 April 2004.
Distribution of 1.000 food parcels (donation of Republika Srpska Government) and 24.389 litres of juices, 42.444 litres of mineral water and milk (donation of Slovenia Government) is in process.
(in pdf* format - 187 KB)