Summary:
CHF 227,511 was allocated from the IFRC’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) on 11 July 2011 to support the Red Cross of Democratic Republic of Congo in delivering assistance to one million beneficiaries with awareness messages and disinfection activities in the selected provinces of Kinshasa, Bandundu and Equateur.
The Red Cross of DRC, with support from IFRC and partners in-country, successfully trained its volunteers and implemented activities outlined in this DREF operation, to increase the public’s level of information and knowledge on cholera prevention. The National Society, in coordination with government and non-government organizations, also helped to carry out control measures through disinfection activities in ten health districts identified.
A total of 954 staff and volunteers were trained and disseminated information as well as education and communication materials through door-to-door visits and public campaigns, reaching an estimated 770,000 people. The Red Cross volunteers also supported selected communities to disinfect 230 boats, 220 public latrines and 4,000 households of cholera-affected families and their neighbours, protecting more than 36,000 people through these actions.
Partners who supported the replenishment of this DREF allocation include the Belgian Red Cross/ Belgian government.
The major donors and partners of DREF include the Australian, American and Belgian governments, the Austrian Red Cross, the Canadian Red Cross and government, Danish Red Cross and government, the European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO), the Irish and the Italian governments, the Japanese Red Cross Society, the Luxembourg government, the Monaco Red Cross and government, the Netherlands Red Cross and government, the Norwegian Red Cross and government, the Spanish Government, the Swedish Red Cross and government, the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID), the Medtronic and Z Zurich Foundations, and other corporate and private donors.