ACT Appeal China: Assistance to flood affected ASCN52

Appeal Target: US$ 521,634
Balance Requested from ACT Alliance: US$ 515,634

Geneva, 21 June 2005

Dear Colleagues,

Torrential rains from 31 May to 6 June have again triggered flooding which has turned vast areas of southern China into muddy lakes, razed mountain villages and destroyed more than 76,000 housing units and damaged 234,000 units according to OCHA. From early April heavy rains had lashed provinces/municipalities across southern China including among others Hunan, Guizhou and Sichuan. As of 6 June 2005 over 17-million people had been affected by floods, including many who lost their homes or were forced to flee the flooded areas.

According to China's Meteorological Bureau, strong rainfall is expected to pound the Yangtze River, China's longest river, in the coming ten days triggering more floods and landslides. The usual rainy season for the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River will follow immediately after. Local authorities across the country have been ordered to mobilise resources to battle the floods and ensure major rivers and reservoirs are not breached.

ACT International member the Amity Foundation is planning to assist the most vulnerable people affected by the flooding in Xinshao, Lianyuan, Anhua and Xinhua Counties in Hunan Province and Qingzhen Counties in Guizhou Province. These locations have been selected as they are the areas worst affected by the flooding with Xinshao county being the most severely hit where the worst mountain torrents in local history have left scores dead and thousands homeless.

Amity plans to assist through provision of medicines against water borne diseases, food rice, quilts, mosquito nets, reconstruction materials for 400 houses and six schools and assist in the reconstruction of 5,000 metres of irrigation canals.

An Evaluation, planned under ASCN-41, is still pending. The latest responses to the recurring floods in the southern China will be reviewed in this process.

Project Completion Date: 30 June 2006

Summary of Appeal Targets, Pledges/Contributions Received and Balance Requested

Please kindly send your contributions to either of the following ACT bank accounts:

US dollar
Account Number - 240-432629.60A
IBAN No: CH46 0024 0240 4326 2960A

Euro
Euro Bank Account Number - 240-432629.50Z
IBAN No: CH84 0024 0240 4326 2950Z

Account Name: ACT - Action by Churches Together
UBS AG
8, rue du Rhône
P.O. Box 2600
1211 Geneva 4, SWITZERLAND
Swift address: UBSW CHZH12A

Please also inform the Finance Officer Jessie Kgoroeadira (direct tel. +4122/791.60.38, e-mail address jkg@act-intl.org) of all pledges/contributions and transfers, including funds sent direct to the implementers, now that the Pledge Form is no longer attached to the Appeal.

We would appreciate being informed of any intent to submit applications for EU, USAID and/or other back donor funding and the subsequent results. We thank you in advance for your kind cooperation.

For further information please contact:

ACT Director, White Rakuba (phone +41 22 791 6033 or mobile phone + 41 79 203 6055) or
ACT Program Officer, Mieke Weeda (phone +41 22 791 6035 or mobile phone +41 79 285 2916)
ACT Web Site address: http://www.act-intl.org

White Rakuba
Director, ACT Co-ordinating Office

I. REQUESTING ACT MEMBER

The Amity Foundation

II. IMPLEMENTING ACT MEMBER & PARTNER INFORMATION

The Amity Foundation, an independent Chinese voluntary organisation, was created in 1985 on the initiative of Chinese Christians to promote education, social service, health, rural development, emergency relief and rehabilitation programmes. Amity is registered as a non-profit organisation.

Amity has been engaged in relief work for the past 18 years and has established a nation-wide relief network through its local partners and churches. Amity handles, on average, two or three emergencies a year. In major disasters, it starts with emergency assistance of two to four months followed by rehabilitation programs for a period of one or two years. When there is a need, and when resources are available, disaster mitigation and prevention programs are initiated to help reduce the effect of disasters on communities. Amity works in close collaboration with its local partners.

Hunan Overseas Friendship Association and Guizhou Democratic Construction Association

These are close partners of Amity and have previously implemented projects for Amity in Hunan and Guizhou Provinces.

III. DESCRIPTION of the EMERGENCY SITUATION

Floods, snowstorms, tornadoes, droughts, earthquakes and landslides have hit many areas of China since the beginning of 2005, affecting more than 100-million people and causing a death toll of over 600.

However, flooding has caused the most widespread damage. From early April heavy rains lashed eleven provinces/municipalities including Hunan, Guizhou, Sichuan, Chongqing, Jiangsu, Guangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi Hubei and Xinjiang. From 31 May to 6 June torrential rains triggered flooding which has turned vast areas of southern China into muddy lakes, razed mountain villages and destroyed more than 76,000 housing units and damaged 234,000 units according to OCHA. As of 6 June 2005 over 17-million people had been affected by floods, including many who lost their homes or were forced to flee the flooded areas. The death toll has topped 200.

Basic infrastructure has also suffered damage. In Hunan Province alone 420 primary or junior middle schools, 67 village clinics, 68 water reservoirs, 68 water and electricity stations, 7,000 irrigation facilities, as well as potable water systems, levees, roads, electrical structures and communication systems have been damaged to a certain degree.

As of 6 June 2005, the Ministries of Civil Affairs and Finance have earmarked 18 million yuan (around US$ 2.2 million) for a disaster fund for Hunan. 3,000 tents have also been allocated to the disaster stricken areas in Hunan and 2,000 for Guizhou Province.

Local authorities across the country have been ordered to mobilise resources to battle the floods and ensure major rivers and reservoirs are not breached. However, flood prevention structures on the Yangtze have already been damaged by floods earlier in the year.

Further heavy rainfall is expected to fall in most areas in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River - this will be followed by the usual rainy season. Due to previous flooding this year, a number of the flood barriers and safeguards in the Yangtze River areas have already suffered damage.

IV. TARGETED BENEFICIARIES

Locations for Proposed Response

Amity has chosen to work in Xinshao, Lianyuan, Anhua and Xinhua Counties in Hunan Province and Qingzhen Counties in Guizhou Province. These locations have been selected as they are the areas the worst affected by the flooding. Both churches and local authorities in these areas appealed for assistance very early in the flooding.

Beneficiaries

About 20,000 people – vulnerable men and women, children and the elderly – in about 5,000 families in Xinshao, Lianyuan, Anhua, Shuangfeng, Qingzhen and Huaxi Counties.

Criteria Utilized in Beneficiary Selection

- Families rendered homeless by the floods

- Evacuated families - families whose houses had collapsed or were so badly damaged they were uninhabitable were evacuated by the local authorities. Tents have been provided to some of the families while others are living with relatives or neighbours.

- Families with loss of at least two thirds of their total crops

V. PROPOSED EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE & IMPLEMENTATION

GOAL & OBJECTIVES

Goal: to alleviate the suffering and help meet the basic needs of about 5,000 families rendered homeless and/or seriously affected by the floods.

Objectives:

- To provide medicine against water borne diseases;

- To provide 15 kilos of food rice to 10,000 individuals in about 2,500 homeless, evacuated and severely affected families;

- To provide one quilt each to 2,000 families;

- To provide one mosquito net each to 2,000 families;

- To help rebuild 400 houses for 400 families;

- To help rebuild 6 school buildings;

- To help reconstruct 5,000 meters of irrigation canals.

CRISIS PERIOD

MEDICINES

Medicines will be distributed through the County Health Office and Village Health Workers to deal with water borne diseases. Amity plans to provide medicines for around 1,500 families. The lump sum given in the budget is based on a cost of 20 Yuan per family.

FOOD RICE

15 kilos of rice will be distributed to 10,000 individuals in about 2,500 severely affected, homeless and evacuated families. The rice will be of local produce.

QUILTS

One quilt per family will be distributed to 2,000 families. The quilts are 1.8 meters wide, 2 meters long, cotton wadding and 3 kilograms in weight.

MOSQUITO NETS

One mosquito net per family will be distributed to 2,000 families. The mosquito nets are 2.8 square meters in size and made of cotton and fibre.

Relief materials will be transported from the supplier's warehouse to the target townships, then to each of the target villages. There, they will be distributed directly to the individual families. While relief materials are delivered, beneficiaries will be required to sign their name and affix their seals or fingerprint on Amity Relief Material Distribution Registers prepared beforehand. The signed registers will then be put up on the walls of Village Halls together with assistance and beneficiaries' selection criteria for public surveillance.

REHABILITATION

RECONSTRUCTION OF HOUSES

The need for assistance related to reconstruction is vast as the most vulnerable will be unable to reconstruct their homes without help. Amity has planned to assist 400 families with the rebuilding of their houses.

House reconstruction will follow a standard design – built of bricks and cement with a floor space of about 80 to 100 m2. Each house will cost about 20,000 yuan (about USD 2,421).

Of the total amount needed to reconstruct a house, the local government will contribute 5,000 yuan (about USD 605). The beneficiary family will also contributed half of the required costs in addition to the used materials from the collapsed houses. The families will also provide the labour needed in reconstruction. Amity Foundation is planning to provide 5,000 yuan (about USD 605) per house.

Those families unable to contribute the US$ 1,200 to complete the reconstruction of their homes will be able to apply for loans from the local bank. The most vulnerable, poor families will be get preferential treatment through Amity and the local authorities in order to be able to complete their homes.

Amity's implementing partners, Hunan Overseas Friendship Association and Guizhou Democratic Construction Association will provide technical expertise and carry out quality control of the building.

RECONSTRUCTION OF SCHOOLS

Many schools have collapsed due to the snowstorms earlier in the year. Amity plans to assist 6 schools using the standard design, with a floor space of about 500 m2, steel and cement framework, built with bricks and cement.

Based on the experience gained from Amity's 'Collapsed School Building Reconstruction Project', it is estimated that an amount of 700 yuan (about USD 85) is required to rebuild one square meter. Local government authorities will contribute half the funds, beneficiary communities will also contribute a small amount in addition to the labour and the used materials from the old buildings. Amity is planning to provide 300 yuan (about USD 36) for each square meter.

In order to ensure good progress funds will only be released in stages according to the progress of the project.

RECONSTRUCTION OF IRRIGATION CANALS

Irrigation canals will be built with stones and cement. Each cubic metre of work completed on the irrigation canals will cost around 180 yuan (about USD 21.8). The local authorities will contribute about 60 yuan (US$ 7.3). Beneficiary communities will also contribute a small amount in addition to the labour required. Amity is planning to assist with 60 yuan per cubic meter. To ensure good progress, funding will be released in stages according to the progress.

Procurement: Relief materials will be purchased locally. In order to ensure the quality and to achieve cost effectiveness, three potential suppliers will be invited to give quotes. The supplier will be decided based on comparison between the quality, the price, the supply period and the service they offer.

Prioritization: should the appeal target not be reached, priorities will be in the following order: distribution of emergency relief items, rebuilding of houses, school buildings and irrigation canals.

VI. ADMINISTRATION, FINANCE, MONITORING & REPORTING

Administration

Amity Foundation works in close co-operation with its local partners. However, Amity is the main operating body throughout the relief efforts. It supervises and monitors during the whole operation process and it checks that the relief funds are used as planned. In order to effectively implement the relief work, Amity will work through a local partner, or set up a project office, which will be responsible for co-ordinating resources. This partner will provide information on the actual situation in the target areas. It will work with Amity to co-ordinate, design, and implement relief work, and to procure and distribute relief materials. In the course of implementation of relief work, adjustments will be made based on the feedback from the implementation group, consultations with different sources and first hand information obtained from the field trips made by Amity relief staff.

Finance

Amity Foundation is responsible for finance management. In order to ensure that the relief funds are used as planned, it has been agreed with Amity's local partners that they will initially pay the emergency relief materials. They will then be reimbursed later by Amity when the relief materials have been distributed and when the following receipts have been received and checked.

- Purchase receipts (with tax bureau seals) provided by the suppliers which clearly state the total amount/number, the unit cost and the total cost of the bought materials;

- Receipts provided by beneficiary townships which clearly state the total amount/number of the emergency relief materials they have received (with township government seals);

- Receipts provided by beneficiary villages which clearly state the total amount/number of the emergency relief materials they have received (with village government seals);

- Relief Material Distribution Registers with names of the beneficiary families, number of family members, name and amount/number of assistance items each family receives, and their signatures and seals.

For construction of houses, village schools and irrigation facilities, it is agreed between Amity and its local partner that Amity's funds will be released by stages. One third of the funds will be released when construction starts. Another one third released when construction is half done. The last one third will be released when construction is completed and when completion inspection shows that all technical specifications are met and quality requirements satisfied.

Jiangsu Huahong Certified Public Accountants will audit this appeal. They follow the procedures and regulations set by the Central Government.

Monitoring

Amity and its local partners will closely monitor the overall process of the relief work. One of the measures taken to monitor the work is that beneficiary townships and villages will be requested to make public the assistance criteria, beneficiaries, selection criteria, as well as the assistance they each receive. Furthermore, Amity and its local partners will make field visits during and following the relief and rehabilitation activities to ensure that the funding and relief items have been distributed as planned.

Reporting

Amity is responsible for preparation of all reporting according to ACT Reporting Guidelines.

Reporting Schedule

- Interim narrative and financial reports due at ACT CO by 31 January 2006 i.e. within one month following mid-term of project.

- Final narrative and financial reports due at ACT CO by 31 August 2006 i.e. within two months of end of project.

- Audit report to be received by ACT CO no later than 30 September 2006 i.e. within three months of end of project.

VII. IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE

July 2005 to June 2006

VIII. CO-ORDINATION

Amity will work in close collaboration with the local government authorities.

IX. BUDGET

INCOME US$

Disciples of Christ: Week of compassion 6,000

TOTAL INCOME 6,000

Note: Administration costs are based on 10% of project costs which was decided in a meeting of the European Network of Amity Partners in 2004. This was further agreed in the World Christian Council Assistance Meeting.