ReliefWeb

Summary: CHF120,702 was allocated from the IFRC’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to support the Central African Republic Red Cross (CAR Red Cross) to provide immediate assistance to 1,785 beneficiaries (337 families). Unearmarked funds to repay DREF are encouraged.

On 3 and 4 September 2013, the neighbourhoods of Issongo, Bea-Rex Makambo, Sara Banga-2-Gbaya Dombia, Bibalé, Souma Poto Poto, Fondo Yakite and Sara-Dah in the 3rd Subdivision of Bangui were flooded, following heavy rains that resulted in significant damage.
Seventy-five (75) volunteers from the local Red Cross committee conducted a rapid assessment of the situation and identified 337 severely affected families in 10 neighbourhoods. The total number of people whose homes were either completely or partially damaged stood at 1,785, including 716 children, 612 women (15 pregnant women) and 457 men. CAR Red Cross volunteers also discovered that almost all wells and latrines in these areas had been damaged by floodwaters.
This DREF operation was implemented by CAR Red Cross volunteers, under the supervision of the national Disaster Management Coordinator, with support from a Regional Disaster Response Team (RDRT) member deployed in Bangui. Activities conducted helped to improve the living conditions of families, reduce immediate health risks on selected families, reduce risk of floods and water-related diseases in the 3rd Sub-division of Bangui, improve access to safe water and latrines for the most vulnerable families and to prevent and reduce risks of floods through media awareness campaigns targeting people in risky and affected areas.

This operation was planned to last 3 months, and to end on 17 December 2013. Delays in the supply of NFI stocks necessitated the extension of the DREF operation to 31 January 2014.
Main donors to this DREF include the Irish, Italian, Netherlands and Norwegian governments and ECHO.