Flooding in Georgia: An overview of needs and assistance actions - The Disaster Management Team 10 May 2005

A. INTRODUCTION
1. This Overview document has been produced by the Disaster Management Team (DMT) in Georgia. It provides an overview of needs assessment information collected by various DMT agencies, including noting the geographic areas within the areas covered by the assessments that are especially badly impacted by the floods and landslides. It then reviews the priority needs within the sector areas that the DMT agencies have assessed, i.e., regarding health, water and sanitation, food aid and agriculture. These do not cover all possible sectoral areas, but rather those where there are both significant needs, and where these DMT agencies have particular expertise. The paper then flags certain "cross-cutting" issues, i.e., the need for infrastructure repair, the importance of addressing logistics and access constraints, customs and taxation exemptions for humanitarian assistance, and for strengthening coordination between the Government and the international assistance entities. The second half of this DMT Overview document then summarizes assistance actions planned by various DMT agencies, and their contact information.

2. Heavy rainfall, warm temperatures and a sudden onset of the seasonal snow melt resulted in floods in the western Georgian regions of Racha-Lechkhumi - Lower (Kvemo) Svaneti, Imereti and Samegrelo-Upper (Zemo) Svaneti on 25-26 April. On 27-30April the eastern regions of Inner (Shida) Kartli, Lower (Kvemo) Kartli, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Adjara and part of Samtskhe-Javakheti were also affected. Landslides and mudflows have occurred in many mountainous areas. While fortunately there has been no loss of human life, the damage to already poor infrastructure, residential buildings and agriculture has been extensive. Populations from a number of villages have been relocated due to fears for their safety. Families from damaged or destroyed houses have mostly found temporary shelter with relatives, friends, or neighbors. Regional authorities have, with the assistance of the central Government, mobilized a variety of resources to address immediate needs, though still limited to address immediate food and non-food emergency needs.

3. In this context, the DMT agencies have been undertaking needs assessment and assistance efforts, and information sharing actions. The DMT is led by the UN Resident Coordinator, supported by staff of his office, and various sectoral and operational working groups. It consists of all UN relief agencies present in Georgia, several interested donors, ICRC, IFRC, and international NGOs. Its main function is to help ensure adequate and effective international assistance to complement the actions of the Government.

4. The DMT has been collaborating with the Government on actions related to this emergency. DMT staff have been in regular contact with the Emergency Situations and Civil Safety Service (ESCSS) of the Ministry of Interior, which also maintains an Operations Coordination Center in Tbilisi and has focal points in each of the affected regions. The DMT has been also in regular contact with the Local Governance and Regional Policy Service under the President's Administration, to share information collected from regions through the existing network of Regional Governors and local administrations. The President and Prime Minister have visited a number of affected districts, and have publicly pledged support to those affected, including monetary compensation as well as humanitarian and technical assistance. On 3 May, a high-level Governmental Commission regarding this flooding and landslide situation was formed chaired by the Prime Minister and consisting of all relevant line ministries. The main role of this Commission is to assess the flood damage as well as coordinate receipt and distribution of international humanitarian assistance. It has now been agreed with the Prime Minister that the DMT will be an ex officio member of this new Commission, to facilitate collaboration with the international assistance entities.

B. NEEDS ASSESSMENTS

5. The Government has been collecting information from the affected areas, including through Regional Governors and local officials providing information to the Local Governance and Regional Policy Service of the President's Administration. In addition, staff of Emergency Situations and Civil Safety Service of Ministry of Internal Affairs was providing information from the affected areas to the head office in Tbilisi. These summaries have been regularly shared with the DMT agencies.

6. To complement this information, various DMT agencies have also conducted needs assessments, including IFRC, UNICEF, CHF, and a joint WFP/UMCOR/World Vision team, over the period between 27 April and 7 May. Copies of these assessment reports, which have been finalized to date, can be accessed at [http://www.ungeorgia.ge/cgi-bin/redirect.pl?target=http://www.ungeorgia.ge/cgi-bin/get_pinfo.pl?srv=undisaster].

7. These teams worked in consultation with local officials, and visited affected sites to speak with the affected persons and to learn more about the needs.

8. A striking aspect of this emergency is the widespread nature of the areas affected by the floods and landslides. Thus, the following regions (see also map in the annex) were included in these DMT assessments:

• Adjara o Imereti
• Inner (Shida) Kartli
• Lower (Kvemo)Kartli
• Mtskheta-Mtianeti
• Racha-Lechkhumi and Lower Svaneti, and
• Upper Svaneti.

Overall, these DMT assessment teams verified on the ground that there has been substantial damage due to flooding and landslides. There is also concern that in a number of the affected regions, the combination of meteorological forecasts of more rain in coming weeks of May, combined with a higher than usual amount of snow in the mountains and the normal trend for run-off due to snow melt and rain, call for continued vigilance regarding further damage.

10. The DMT found damage and destruction in particular locations across the range of areas visited. For the areas of more moderate damage, most of the immediate assistance required was generally in place. However, certain areas are particularly badly affected, and require special further attention and assistance. These most affected areas include Upper Svaneti (Mestia district) and Racha-Lechkhumi and Lower Svaneti (Oni, Ambrolauri, Tsageri and Lentekhi districts).

11. Moderately affected regions surveyed include Imereti (Kutaisi and Tskaltubo districts), Inner Kartli (Gardabani district), Lower Kartli (Gori) and Mtskheta-Mtianeti (Kazbegi and Dusheti). It should also be mentioned that there is conflicting information about the extent of damage in Upper Adjara, and recent reports of significant damage in Kakheti (in particular in Akhmeta and Lagodekhi districts). IFRC's FACT teams will be assessing both locations in these days.

12. While the following section provides more information on sectoral needs across the affected areas, it may be useful to note the validation by the DMT teams of the extent and nature of the needs in the most affected areas in particular. Concerning Upper Svaneti, Mestia district is one of the most affected areas according to a number of surveys. For example, large number of residential houses are either completely destroyed or heavily damaged. Landslides washed away roads and bridges isolating some of the villages. The affected local population has very limited access to safe drinking water. Many people affected by the flood currently reside with the host families. It is noteworthy, that five of the most affected villages around Mestia were also hit by floods and landslides in the July 2004 and the effects of the last year's disaster, causing the loss of potato crops, have not been eliminated yet.

13. Regarding the other most impacted areas, i.e., of Racha-Lechkumi and lower Svaneti, a large number of residential houses as well as other types of buildings have been destroyed in Lentekhi, Tsageri, Oni and Ambrolauri districts. Four villages in Lentekhi district had virtually all houses destroyed. People have been evacuated and most of them placed with the host families. Transport infrastructure has been heavily affected. Many bridges and kilometres of road have been washed away isolating most of the communities in Lentekhi district and a number of communities in other districts. Large plots of agricultural land and/or crops have been destroyed or damaged having a projected long-term impact on the food and economic security of the area. Access to clean drinking water is also a problem.

C. SUMMARY OF SECTORAL NEEDS AND PROPOSED ACTIONS

14. Overall, the assessment teams concluded that there indeed are important assistance needs regarding health, water and sanitation, and food aid. Special attention is also needed regarding agriculture inputs, where there is a very small window of time to provide well-targeted assistance before the time of the planting season has passed.

Health, Water and Sanitation

15. Regarding health, water and sanitation, it should be noted that the impacts of the current emergency are increased because of the chronically weak health, water and sanitation systems in the most affected areas, e.g., in Upper Svaneti and Racha-Lechkhumi.

16. Thus, regarding the health sector, since there is almost no stock of medical supplies in affected areas, it is important to provide first aid kits, essential drugs and medical consumables for primary health care centers and hospitals for immediate emergency health needs, as well as contingency preparedness. Routine child immunization is sustained and vaccination services continue to operate in most of the affected areas without interruption. However need for deployment of outreach immunization teams in some of the high mountainous districts have been identified - i.e. Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, and Adjara.

17. Access to safe drinking water emerged as a top priority need across many of the DMT assessment areas. For example, it is estimated that 3,600 persons in various parts of Racha-Lechkhumi have had their water systems washed away by floods, while the water system of Mestia in Upper Svaneti has been contaminated, and that of Becho substantially damaged.

18. Therefore, it is important to provide items such as jerry cans and water purification tablets, and hygienic kits. Emergency water treatment systems may be necessary in some areas, as well as possibly trucking water to limited locations. These actions should be accompanied by adequate health and hygiene promotion campaigns. The proposed interventions would include safe hygienic behavior promotion supported by the provision of hygienic items and health promotion through information, education and communication campaigns.

Food Aid

19. Regarding food security, flooding and landslides have led to problems for persons who have lost their food stocks and assets, and to loss of cropland, some livestock, and of fodder for animals. Damage to roads and bridges have contributed to food insecurity as well, especially of many in the more remote areas, leaving isolated most of the communities in mountainous areas. Thus, even households whose property was not directly damaged are not able to undertake their regular agricultural or commercial activities, not having access to the district center markets. The isolated communities face a problem of obtaining staple food, which was obtained by exchange of diary products and potato spring harvest.

20. Thus, there is a clear need for both short and longer food aid. This is especially true for isolated communities located in Racha-Lechkhumi, Svaneti and Adjara regions. In other regions, the emergency food aid needs are less severe, but some pockets of need exist, e.g., in some isolated/remote locations in Tskhaltubo district in Imereti region.

21. The initial need is for short term (e.g., two months) emergency rations for those who lack access to food. Fortunately, there is considerable experience in Georgia in targeting and distributing such food rations, and stocks in-country for other purposes which can be diverted to beginning such assistance, if donors can fund their replenishment and purchase of further stocks. Such food aid would be provided for an initial period of several months, pending clarification of whether further food rations are needed. Most of the subsequent food aid would be provided through food-for-work programmes targeted in the affected areas. Such programmes would not only provide food, but also rehabilitation and preventive actions, such as road rehabilitation and construction of gabions to protect vulnerable land.

Agriculture

22. The various DMT assessment teams, while not including agricultural specialists, found clear evidence that agriculture damage is an important concern, and that urgent action is needed to determine whether effective agricultural assistance can be carried out in the coming weeks.

23. The main agricultural concern is that many families in the higher areas have lost seed, primarily potato seed, needed for planting before the end of May. This situation is complicated by the heavy saturation of soils especially in some of the higher elevations, which may make planting for this year unfeasible. Many households lost spring crops and last year's harvest savings, and their farmlands have been washed away. The window of time to provide seeds to the affected areas is very short, as planting must be done by the end of May, and if no measures are taken on time population might face harsh winter of increased food insecurity with decreased food availability and accessibility.

24. Thus, there is an urgent need for a quick assessment of the primary locations of such needs, of the quantities of aid required and of viable procurement and distribution mechanisms, for key inputs such as potato seeds. The DMT plans to undertake such a needs assessment in the coming week, in collaboration with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, with a view to providing a proposal for such assistance actions (if determined to be feasible) if rapid Government and/or donor funding can be made available.

D. FURTHER ISSUES REGARDING ASSISTANCE ACTIONS

Damage to Physical Infrastructure

25. While the DMT needs assessments did not focus on physical infrastructure, the various teams had a good opportunity to note the considerable damage, in particular in the most affected districts. A number of bridges and roads was washed away or damaged, especially secondary roads in the more remote areas. Areas were noted where houses, water supply systems had been damaged or destroyed. Thus, the DMT welcomes the Government's intention to develop more systematic information on the infrastructure rehabilitation needs, and its plans in this respect. As for the emergency reconstruction of houses or any other rehabilitation activities, it is suggested to first focus on strengthening of river banks or any other preventive actions rather than re-building houses that are located in risky zones.

Providing Access to Those in Need

26. Access to persons in areas cut off by damage to bridges and/or roads is an important problem, both for assessments and for provision of relief aid. The DMT agencies would be grateful if the Government could provide helicopter transport for such areas, for which, if required, the agencies are willing to cover the operating costs.

Relocation of Families at High Risk

27. In some areas, such as in Upper (Zemo) Svaneti and Racha-Lechkhumi, a significant number of families have been relocated temporarily to nearby villages, and have been absorbed by relatives or neighbors. The Government has indicated that it will provide compensation for houses damaged or destroyed. However, special attention will be needed regarding whether some of the original housing locations are at such high risk for further landslides, including fatal ones, that return to these specific areas would need reconsideration. Some areas may benefit from improved security measures to divert landslides, and for some, such relocation could be to nearby areas. It is important to increase knowledge of local populations as well as Government authorities on risk awareness and preparedness measures. Also, it has to be considered that any relief assistance should not aim at supporting the rehabilitation of the high-risk locations.

Importation of Humanitarian Cargo

28. The DMT agencies would request the Government to confirm urgently that humanitarian cargo imported into Georgia will be cleared through registration and customs procedures without delay. Problems have been experienced recently in particular regarding pharmaceuticals and other emergency medical supplies.

Coordination Between Government and International Agencies

29. The DMT and the relevant Government agencies are currently identifying and implementing actions to strengthen their cooperation in the current emergency. Examples include the presence of the DMT at meetings of the Inter-Ministerial Working Group for this emergency, as well as sharing of information such as with the Ministry of Interior's Coordination Centre. It will be important to use this emergency to put in place further mutual coordination actions for future emergencies as well. The UN has a two-person mission from OCHA Headquarters currently in-country focusing on these matters, and will field a larger mission in June to provide more in-depth analysis and recommendations to the Government.

E. SUMMARY OF INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE

30. To date a number of international donors have provided resources in response to the flooding and landslide damage. The following table provides the information that has been provided to the DMT to date regarding such contributions, both in-kind and cash, and indicates where possible, the implementing entity.

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