This Programme Update is intended for
reporting on Annual Appeals.
Appeal Target: CHF 4,500,366
Period covered: April-June 2002; last Programme Update N=B0 l, issued January-March
2002
"At a Glance"
Appeal coverage: 76%
Related Appeals: Kenya: Floods; Preliminary Appeal 14/2002
Outstanding needs: CHF 1,079,653
Update: The Regional Delegation has accepted the challenge of the decentralization process and is increasingly recognized as a leader and inspiration for the region. National societies in the region value the professional advice and support given by the technical delegates and judging by the numerous visits and consultations of participating national societies to the delegation, the coordination systems put in place by the delegation are equally appreciated. Unfortunately this recognition is not adequately matched by financial and human resources and the delegation finds itself often struggling to keep programmes and coordination mechanisms working. Failing to support the regional delegation would see several years of work threatened or weakened. The following programmes will be negatively impacted by the shortfall of resources: health, information, organizational development and regional coordination.
Operational Developments
While Kenya has been suffering from severe rainfall and floods, several other countries in the region such as Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Rwanda and Burundi have been reporting food shortages. The situation in those countries is being closely monitored. The Regional Delegation in Nairobi organized the Annual Partnership Meeting in June, details on this meeting are reported on further on in this programme update. Much work was done to develop capacities of national societies through workshops in finance development health care management, water and sanitation. The arrival of a new Information Delegate has allowed the delegation to renew its media activities. The hiring of an officer responsible for Partnerships with People Living with HIV/AIDS has made it possible to pursue operational relations with the Network of African PLWHA (NAP+) and similar country-based groups to operationalize the Federation's agreement with the Global Network of PLWHA (GNP+).
Disaster Preparedness and Response (DPIR)
Objective 1: To build up and strengthen food security (FS) capacities/programmes at regional and national levels.
The Federation/DfID Partnership on Disaster Risk Reduction covering Sudan, Rwanda and Ethiopia was evaluated by a team from DfID and the Federation Secretariat. The overall findings of the mission were positive and recommended an extension of the partnership to December 2002. A full report of the mission is available at the Regional Delegation.
During a mission to the Sudan Red Crescent Society (SRCS) in May, the implementation and plan of action for the Federation/DfID partnership was revised and the SRCS was assisted in initiating the process of establishing a food security policy and a network with key players and partners.
The British Red Cross assured its support to the food security activities of the regional DP/R programme, and also pledged CHF 35,000 for the purchase of communication and other equipment for the newly created Regional Disaster Response Team (RDRT).
Upon the request of the Ethiopian Red Cross two members of the regional food security working group undertook a mission to assist the national society in developing its draft Food Security Strategy.
The DP/R delegate, Tanzania Red Cross Secretary General, and a representative of the Secretariat's Relationship Management Department represented the Federation at the 5th World Food Summit in Rome, and delivered a presentation on the Federation Global Food Security, with a focus on Africa. As a result, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Emergency department has expressed interest in discussing the possibility of a global co-operation agreement with the Federation.
The Federation consultant on Health and Nutrition and the Head of Nestle Food Clinical Evaluation group, undertook a mission to the Nairobi Regional Delegation in June to field test the Food Basket Calculator software (FBC), and conduct a hands-on demonstration with field staff and volunteers of the Kenya Red Cross Machakos branch. The FBC is being developed for the Federation and is a tool that measures the nutritional quality and quantity of relief food and assists relief workers to plan food ratio needs, keep track of all food distributions, and allow rapid reporting to donors. The team also held consultations with World Food Programme and USAID.
Objective 2: To improve readiness for political disturbances and population movement scenarios.
A working group on political disturbances and population movement was established and developed its plan of action for 2002-2003. It undertook a joint training workshop with the ICRC and other partner agencies such as UNHCR, OCHA, and CARE. This is the fifth and last working group of the DP programme (others are floods and cyclones, policy plan/vulnerability capacity assessment, food security, and the regional disaster response team).
The implementation of the Kenya Red Cross contingency plan for the 2002 general elections began in April through a series of training for its Red Cross Action Teams in major towns and hot spots aimed at preparing for effective response to anticipated disturbances. A National Disaster Response Team (NDRT) was also established in January with support of the ICRC. Ongoing discussions for funding and implementation are being held with the DP/R department, DID through the British Red Cross, and the ICRC.
The regional DP/R department assisted the Panama Pan American Disaster Response Unit (PADRU) with technical information to establish a Regional Disaster Response Team.
Objective 3: To improve preparedness for seasonal foods/cyclones, especially in urban centres.
The DP/R department organised a session on the Red Cross Red Crescent operating environment during the Annual Partnership meeting in June. The objective of the session was to initiate routine contextual and regional analysis that would form the basis for sound planning for the Red Cross Movement and help to better position the interests of the Red Cross Red Crescent within the region. The department also ran an exhibition at the meeting that included, among other displays, the Indian Ocean sub-regional DP/R Strategy. Good response have been received from partners, and among these is an expression of interest from the Netherlands Red Cross to support the Indian Ocean Islands Strategy with focus on Madagascar and Comoros.
The department also co-ordinated the participation of the national societies of Kenya and Ethiopia to the Climate Change Conference in The Netherlands in June. As a result, pilot climate change projects focusing on floods and drought will be implemented in Kenya and Ethiopia in the third quarter of this year. Teams from The Netherlands Red Cross and members from two DP/R Working Groups on Floods and Cyclones, and Food Security will assist the two national societies in examining the roles of the Red Cross Red Crescent in climate change with possibilities of cross border co-operation.
Technical support was provided to the Kenya Red Cross in co-ordinating a flood operation that resulted in the launch of an appeal by the Federation in May to assist 125,000 victims. The national society also undertook a successful public relation campaign that resulted in very good local support from the private sector, the UN, and other humanitarian organisations. The campaign raised the profile of Red Cross Red Crescent as a leader in emergency response and resulted in the appointment of the Secretary General of the Kenya Red Cross to chair the inter-agency Task Force on Quick Onset of Disasters of the Kenya Government.
As part of the Federation/DfID partnership, a contingency plan for seasonal floods was prepared for Khartoum, Sudan, in anticipation of the seasonal floods that run from July to September with a peak in August. This is the first time that such an early state of advance preparedness has been developed for this devastating chronic seasonal problem.
During his visit to the Regional Delegation, the Federation Secretary General, paid a courtesy visit to the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) to follow up discussion on the Federation-UNEP partnership on risk reduction for floods and droughts in Africa. It is expected that a Memorandum of Understanding with UNEP will be signed soon.
Objective 4: To conduct vulnerability capacity analysis (VCA) in order to better inform DP policy and planning.
In conjunction with the Secretariat, the DP/R department is completing the establishment of the FACT database on all the RDRT members who attended FACT-Africa training in Addis earlier this year.
Technical support was provided to the Uganda Red Cross to establish a National Disaster Response Team (NDRT). A joint training with the RDRT members from the Uganda Red Cross has been planned for July. This is an advanced state of preparedness and will bring the number of national societies in the region with NDRTs to three: Uganda, Kenya and Seychelles.
The department facilitated the participation of a Kenya Red Cross staff member in the ERU Team Leaders' training that took place in France in May. The department also co-ordinated the participation of representatives from the national societies of Sudan, Seychelles, Somalia and Uganda at the global VCA-Trainers of Trainers workshop hosted by the Italian Red Cross in July. The workshop is in line with enhancing regional capacities to provide better quality support to national societies.
Objective 5: To improve overall national societies' and Federation capacity to prepare for and respond to disasters by providing rapid and cost effective Logistics management services and training through the Regional Logistics unit (RLU).
- Direct support to Federation/national societies' operations in the region with effective warehousing (DP, Watsan, Health stock), procurement, transport (THS, leasing, workshop, freight) and Telecom (installation, maintenance, programming of radios and computer) services.
The RLU made several procurements of non-food relief items for the Kenya Red Cross during the national society's floods operation. A framework agreement with suppliers for blankets and plastic sheeting facilitated swift response and timely supply to the flood victims. The national society was also provided with space for storage of the relief items at the warehouse, and in leasing vehicles to transport items to the affected area.
Technical advice was provided to Tanzania, Uganda and Sudan. A follow up meeting planned with the Director of Administration of the Sudan Red Crescent Society did not take place due to time constraints. Assistance was given to the Sudan Delegation in the tendering for the purchase of telecom equipment.
- Continue to integrate Logistics services with regional programmes, especially with Disaster Response, Watsan, Health and HIV/AIDS activities. Participate in the regional exchange programme in particular for establishing and maintaining a regional suppliers' database, logistics mapping and other relevant information on logistics matters.
The RLU has been working very closely with the DP/R department on matters linked to logistics and emergency response. A volunteer working for the RLU is doing the preparatory work for a database on commonly used relief supplies and transport charges. A logistics officer from Abidjan Regional Delegation went to Burundi to assist in the distributions of relief goods purchased with funds of an ECHO contract.
- Contribute to training activities in various technical areas of logistics and disaster response to national societies' local staff and volunteers as well as delegates, in particular in the Logistics and Regional Disaster Response Team (RDRT) workshops.
The Head of RLU held discussions with the World Vision International's Rapid Response Team Logistics Manager resulting in possible joint emergency logistics training towards the end of the year.
Constraints and solutions.
The lack of equipment during the deployment of the RDRT for the Goma Volcano operation was a cause of concern. However, a generous support has been received from the British Red Cross towards the purchase of equipment which should strongly enhance the capacity of the next RDRT deployment in the region.
The DP/R programme is on track, both in terms of implementing the regional DP/R Strategy 2010 and the objectives spelled out in the East Africa Appeal 2002/03. All the 5 working groups have been established and are functioning. Credit goes to the consistent funding from Federation/DfID Partnership over the past 18 months. Similar partnerships being explored with the Netherlands Red Cross on the Climate Change and Risk Reduction Initiative, and with UNEP on food security, floods and cyclones.
The issue of cost recovery rate for RLU has been addressed to ensure a sustainable and cost effective system. Consultations are going on at all levels in the Federation and a new system will be developed for the next quarter.
For further details please contact: Josse Gillijns, Phone : 41 22 730 42 24; Fax: 41 22 733 03 95; email: gillijns@ifrc.org
All International Federation Operations seek to adhere to the Code of Conduct and are committed to the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response (SPHERE Project) in delivering assistance to the most vulnerable.
For further information concerning Federation operations in this or other countries, please access the Federation website at http://www.ifrc.org.
John Horekens
Director
Division of External Relations
Bekele Geleta
Head
Africa Department
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