ACT Rapid Response Fund Payment Notification and request for top-up of funds
India
Cyclone - West Bengal
Date: Geneva, 12 October 2006
Funds sent to: Lutheran World Service India
Amount sent: US$ 25,853
With this notification of the payment of Rapid Response Funds, the ACT Coordinating Office requests contributions from donors to replenish the Rapid Response Fund. This will enable a response to future requests for these funds.
Details of Payment
Emergency: Cyclone – West Bengal
Date of Emergency: 20 September 2006
Implementing Partner: Lutheran world service, india (LWSI)
Details of the emergency: At least 17 people were killed and over 300 people were injured in a severe cyclonic storm that lashed West Bengal's South 24 Parganas and East Midnapore districts on 19 – 20 September. The Sunderbans in South 24 Parganas district bore the brunt of the storm with 10 blocks seriously affected. Mathurapur, Patharpratima, Raidighi, Basanti, Joynagar, Kultali, Mograhat, Namkhana, Kakdwip and Canning in the Sunderbans, covering over 500 sq km, were ravaged.
Around 25,000 mostly earthen houses were flattened and 100,000 people were rendered homeless in about 500 villages. Roofs were blown away, trees uprooted and road communications disrupted. Schools, colleges and markets in most places were closed. There was no electricity in large part of the district as electric poles were toppled by the storm. Many fishing trawlers were reported missing in the high seas.
The State Government sanctioned Rs.45,000,000 for distribution of relief.
Kolkata also experienced 48 hours of heavy rain which resulted in flood waters knee to waist high in the streets. More than half of the LWSI Kolkata staff could not attend the office. In many areas of Greater Kolkata, the electric supplies and phone lines were affected.
The Government provided some plastic sheeting to use as roofing to the flood affected households and pressed rice and molasses as dry rations.
LWSI/ACT has its field operational units in South 24-Parganas and East-Midnapore and received calls for immediate relief assistance from local NGOs. LWSI responded immediately with 1,000 cartons of BP-5 compact foods (Emergency Rations) received from NCA and distributed through the LWSI Rural Development Project in Mathurapur - I and Mathurapur – II blocks of South 24-Parganas district.
During the Inter Agency Group meeting held on 27 September in UNICEF Kolkata office, the urgent need for food, clothing and roofing materials for affected families living in remote villages of Sunderbans was re-emphasised and where communication systems are yet to be restored.
Since LWSI Rural Development Operational communities were very badly effected, LWSI has provided emergency relief to 800 of the most vulnerable families in the South 24-Parganas district of West Bengal.
So far the following relief supplies are been utilised under a rapid relief initiative of ACT/LWS India. The total amount involved in the current phase of Rapid Relief so far is furnished below:
BUDGET
|
Description
|
Type of Unit
|
No of Units
|
Unit Cost IDR
|
Budget IDR
|
Budget US$
|
| Assessment & co-ordination travel, per diem etc |
LS
|
20,000
|
444
|
||
| BP-5 Emergency Rations |
Carton
|
1,000
|
2,280.00
|
2,280,000
|
50,667
|
| HDPC plastic roofing materials |
piece
|
800
|
320.00
|
256,000
|
5,689
|
| Water purification tabs |
Packet
|
100
|
74.00
|
7,400
|
164
|
| Family clothing packs |
Pack
|
800
|
350.00
|
280,000
|
6,222
|
| Transport, distribution, stationery, visib. |
LS
|
600,000
|
13,333
|
||
| TOTAL EXPENDITURE |
3,443,400
|
76,520
|
|||
| Less value of donated BP-5 |
2,280,000
|
50,667
|
|||
| TOTAL BALANCE REQUESTED |
1,163,400
|
25,853
|
In total: USD 25,853
ACTION
The ACT Co-ordinating Office has approved the use of US$ 25,853 towards the budget from its Rapid Response Fund.