GLIDE n=B0 EQ-2008-000062-CHN
Period covered by this update: 1 August- 31 October 2009.
Appeal target (current): CHF 167,102,368(USD 137.7 million or EUR 110 million)
Appeal coverage: With contributions received to date, in cash and kind, the appeal is currently approximately 91 per cent covered.
Appeal history:
- A revised emergency appeal was launched on 20 November 2008 for 167.1 million (USD 137.7 million or EUR 110 million) to assist 200,000 families (up to 1,000,000 people) for 31 months.
- An emergency appeal was launched on 30 May 2008 for CHF 96.7 million (USD 92.7 million or EUR 59.5 million) in response to the huge humanitarian needs and in recognition of the unique position of the Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) supported by Red Cross Red Crescent partners to deliver high quality disaster response and recovery programmes.
- A preliminary emergency appeal of CHF 20.1 million (USD 19.3 million and EUR 12.4 million) was issued on 15 May 2008 to support the RCSC to assist around 100,000 people affected by the earthquake for 12 months.
- CHF 250,000 (USD 240,223 or EUR 155,160) was allocated from the International Federation's Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) on 12 May 2008, to support the RCSC to immediately start assessments of the affected areas and distribute relief items.
Summary: The International Federation shelter support programme is expected to commence the distribution of funds for all beneficiaries in December. This has come after significant set-backs and delays throughout 2009, but negotiations in recent weeks and involvement of the Red Cross Society of China's (RCSC) top leadership and the central government of China have now led to an agreed way forward.
After consultation between the International Federation's head of regional office and the RCSC senior leadership, the State Council in Beijing was made aware of the situation and intervened with the local government to try to ensure that the programme could be implemented urgently. This was followed by a visit to Sichuan by RCSC senior leadership to discuss with local government leaders and the Red Cross branches how to move the programme into its final stage. It was confirmed then that the distribution of funds can only commence when all 21 township beneficiary lists are finalized. Finalization of the remaining 15 township lists is set for late November and will assist in paving the way toward fund distribution, expected to take place in December. A final, limited second distribution should occur before the end of December 2009 for any families whose information is unavailable in time for the first distribution.
Regarding the livelihoods programme, the programme finally commenced in September 2009. As reported in the last update, a meeting on 16 July between RCSC, the International Federation, main donors (British Red Cross and Japanese Red Cross) and partners was held to reach a common understanding of the programme and to map out and move forward with a new plan. In accordance to the local government's request that the livelihoods programme begin only after the completion of shelter reconstruction in September, a kick-off meeting was held in Chengdu on 26 August with all stakeholders to draft a new plan of action. According to the new plan, which has since been approved, both microfinance and vocational/business training will be implemented. A new livelihoods delegate has arrived to replace the previous delegate whose mission has ended.
A project agreement has been signed to support livelihoods projects in the affected areas. Further agreements with International Labour Organization (ILO), for vocational and business training, and PlaNet Finance, for microfinance support, have also been signed this month. Implementation of the programme will begin with assessments in December conducted jointly with the Red Cross partners, ILO and PlaNet Finance. Assessment questionnaires on training needs and microfinance are being reviewed and finalized.
Health and psycho social (PSP) programmes are ongoing with project agreements in support of first aid and PSP activities being reviewed by RCSC. A health coordination meeting between RCSC and the International Federation was held in Chengdu on 21-24 September. The Yunnan branch of the RCSC has been designated as the International Federation's counterpart for psychological support as they are strong implementers of PSP activities in their region. They will implement the PSP programmes in Sichuan with the focus area in Mianzhu county. Since the introduction of CBHFA in China at the end of 2008, community-based health and first aid activities have commenced within the RCSC. Adaptation of all PSP/CBHFA materials and toolkits into Chinese is in process. Joint activities of the International Federation and the Sichuan branch of the RCSC for World First Aid Day included activities in five prefectures. Activities will last for three months and include first aid trainings, simulation of disasters and sharing first aid knowledge with the general public.
A project agreement for water and sanitation projects is being prepared and will outline in details the International Federation's commitment to support 53 per cent of a gravity-fed water supply system in Hanwang township. The plan is designed to supply clean drinking water to eight villages comprising of approximately 11,000 persons or 3,440 households. Additionally, planned negotiations with the Mianzhu Rural Energy Bureau will hopefully lay the foundation for a sanitation project of household biogas latrines in eight targeted villages. The International Federation's water and sanitation delegate is working with an engineering company on the technical design for the gravity-fed water supply system (GFS) supply system.
An assessment for CBDP support has been completed in Gansu and Shaanxi and the first CBDP/VCA trainings were conducted in Shaanxi for 30 Red Cross staff from both Shaanxi and Gansu Red Cross branches. The workshop aimed to prepare the provinces for community-based disaster preparedness (CBDP) projects in both respected provinces under the Sichuan earthquake appeal. Local Red Cross branches are now in the process of preparing for and conducting VCAs in the selected communities.
The Federation has agreed to support RCSC to build nine disaster preparedness (DP) centers (six in Sichuan, two in Gansu and one in Shaanxi). The local RCCS branches are working with their local governments to identify the land on which the centers can be built.
Two meetings have been conducted with the RCSC headquarters on the development of a domestic water and sanitation disaster response team. RCSC has showed great interest to develop their own capacity in emergency response to be able to use the water and sanitation emergency response unit equipment they received during the earthquake operation for future emergency response. A strategy meeting will be held in December with RCSC and six provinces which have water and sanitation emergency response unit donated equipment and further discussion on how best the International Federation can support RCSC on the development of water and sanitation emergency response capacity.
Budgets and plans of action for the International Federation's shelter support programme have changed in order to reflect the realities in Mianzhu county. Considerations of the situation and subsequent changes have been made through constant consultation with the RCSC, and through informal communications and updates with partner organization representatives.
A revised appeal incorporating all changes to the shelter support programme and all other International Federation programmes will be completed in December 2009.
Many partner national societies have made contributions to the appeal: American Red Cross/American government, Australian Red Cross/Australian government, Belgian Red Cross/Belgian government, British Red Cross, Bulgarian Red Cross, Canadian Red Cross/Canadian government, Cook Islands Red Cross, Croatian Red Cross, Czech Red Cross, Danish Red Cross/Danish government, Estonian Red Cross, Finnish Red Cross/Finnish government, French Red Cross, German Red Cross, Icelandic Red Cross/ Icelandic government, Indian Red Cross, Iranian Red Crescent, Irish Red Cross/ Irish government, Japanese Red Cross/Japanese government, Lithuanian Red Cross, Malaysian Red Crescent, Mauritius Red Cross, Monaco Red Cross, Netherlands Red Cross/Netherlands government, New Zealand Red Cross/New Zealand government, Norwegian Red Cross/Norwegian government, Qatar Red Crescent, Romanian Red Cross, Singapore Red Cross, Spanish Red Cross, Sri Lanka Red Cross, Swedish Red Cross/ Swedish government, Turkish Red Crescent and United Arab Emirates Red Crescent Society, as well as contributions from American, Greek, Italian, Luxembourg, Slovenian and South Africa governments, OPEC Fund for International Development, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation and many corporate partners.
The Red Cross Society of China has also received many bilateral contributions of funding, including the following: Canadian Red Cross, Cambodian Red Cross, French Red Cross, German Red Cross, Japanese Red Cross, Republic of Korea Red Cross, Norwegian Red Cross, Pakistan Red Crescent, Singapore Red Cross, Spanish Red Cross, Swiss Red Cross, Thai Red Cross, Turkish Red Crescent and Viet Nam Red Cross. These contributions have been added to the various substantial resources raised domestically by the Red Cross Society of China in its national fundraising appeal.
The International Federation, on behalf of the Red Cross Society of China, would like to thank all partners for their generous response to this appeal.