Period covered by this Operations Update: 1 October to 31 December, 2007;
Appeal target (current): CHF 37,150,648 (USD 30,953,600 or EUR 22,432,580);
Appeal coverage: 100.16%;
Appeal history:
- Preliminary appeal launched on 27 May 2006 for CHF 12,834,000 (USD 10.4 million or EUR 8.2 million) to assist 200,000 beneficiaries for eight months.
- Revised appeal launched on 6 June 2006 for CHF 38,045,439 (USD 31 million or EUR 24 million) to assist 325,000 beneficiaries for 12 months.
- Revised appeal is extended to 31 December 2007 on 6 June 2007
- Appeal revised on 15 July 2007 to CHF 37,150,648 (USD 30,953,600 or EUR 22,432,580).
- With this operations update, the revised appeal is extended to 31 December 2008; the delegation is presently revising the budgets, timeframe extensions, the programme's plan of action, and other related components.
Summary:
To date, more than 112,000 people have been identified as beneficiaries in the recovery phase. This number includes the community in the areas affected by the Yogyakarta earthquake which are under health and disaster management programmes, the branch board volunteers, management, staff, and service delivery volunteers in the PMI Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta/DIY (special province of Yogyakarta) chapter as one of the objectives of the organizational development programme.
Under the community-based programme, the community has started to propose activities based on the results of the participatory rural assessment, and the vulnerability and capacity assessment (PRA/VCA). The Federation has assisted the beneficiaries in designing necessary adjustments to their houses to increase accessibility for wheelchair users.
Based on the development of programmes currently being implemented, the Federation feels it necessary to extend the operational timeframe until December 2008. The Federation and PMI DIY chapter are in the process of revising the programme plans and subsequently, the budgets.
The situation
An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 on the Richter scale (source: USGS) struck near the city of Yogyakarta in Central Java at 05:54 hrs local time on 27 May 2006 causing extreme and widespread destruction. There was considerable loss of life and prevalence of injury. Villages in more remote areas south of Yogyakarta, in Bantul and its surrounding areas were the most affected. The official figures remain at 5,749 people killed, over 38,000 injured and more than 127,000 houses completely destroyed, with over 450,000 additional houses damaged by the earthquake. It is estimated that 1,173,742 people were made homeless.
The earthquake's epicentre was located some 20 km southeast of Yogyakarta at a depth of 10 km. Tremors were felt across the region as far away as Semarang and Surabaya on the opposite coast of Java. In the early days of the operation, a needs assessment with communities was carried out concurrently with relief operations to determine the starting point for earliest recovery. The result of the assessment identified the need for shelter. It also indicated that the community worked with local systems of mutual support (gotong royong). The Indonesian Red Cross (Palang Merah Indonesia/PMI) and the Federation developed a community cash-based shelter programme forming the basis of the early recovery. Other significant ongoing activities since the relief operation are the psychosocial support and rehabilitation programmes as well as water and sanitation projects which include clean water supply, provision of latrines, and the cleaning and deepening of wells.
During the last three months of year 2007, the PMI chapter of Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta (DIY) has continued the implementation of the integrated community-based programme. Because the PMI volunteers have been on standby during the extended Eid Al-Fitr, Christmas and New Year's Eve holidays to provide first aid and ambulance services to commuters, their absence for such a long holiday period has severely affected the implementation of the programmes.
Nearing the end of 2007, the Federation sub-delegation in Yogyakarta together with the PMI DIY chapter started the work of revising the programme's plan of action. The Federation senior manager (i.e. the programme coordinator) in the sub-delegation recently completed his three-month contract. Leaders on short-term contracts and the resulting gaps between successors is a major constraint affecting the progress of the operation. This lack of leadership continuity will be addressed within the year.
The heavy rains during the third weekend of December caused massive flooding in the neighbouring province of Central Java. Some relief distribution was carried out in response to the landslide and floods. The PMI headquarters mobilized hygiene kits and tarpaulins from its warehouse in Yogyakarta. Meanwhile, several branches from the Yogyakarta province located near Central Java have voluntarily given logistical support to Central Java by providing rubber boats and sending in their volunteers.
How we work
All International Federation assistance seeks to adhere to the Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Disaster Relief and is committed to the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response (Sphere) in delivering assistance to the most vulnerable.
The International Federation's activities are aligned with its Global Agenda, which sets out four broad goals to meet the Federation's mission to "improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity".
Global Agenda Goals:
- Reduce the numbers of deaths, injuries and impact from disasters.
- Reduce the number of deaths, illnesses and impact from diseases and public health emergencies.
- Increase local community, civil society and Red Cross Red Crescent capacity to address the most urgent situations of vulnerability.
- Reduce intolerance, discrimination and social exclusion and promote respect for diversity and human dignity.
Contact information
For further information specifically related to this operation please contact:
In Indonesia: Indonesian Red Cross (PMI): Arifin M. Hadi (head of disaster management division); mobile: +62.811.943.952; phone +62.21.7992325 ext. 222; fax: +62.21.7995188; email: arifinmhd_dm_pmi@yahoo.com
In Indonesia: Federation country delegation: Bob McKerrow (head of delegation); phone: +62.21.7919.1841 ext. 104; fax: +62.21.79180905; email: bob.mckerrow@ifrc.org;
In Bangkok: Federation regional office: Alan Bradbury (acting head of regional office), phone: +66 26661 8201 ext 100, or Michael Annear (head of regional office disaster management unit), phone +66 817539598, emails: alan.bradbury@ifrc.org or michael.annear@ifrc.org
In Kuala Lumpur: Asia-Pacific Zone office: Amy Gaver (disaster management delegate), email: amy.gaver@ifrc.org, phone: +603 2161 0892, fax: +60 3 2161 1210, mobile: +60 12 220 1174; or Jeremy Francis (regional logistics coordinator), email: jeremy.francis@ifrc.org, phone: +60 12 298 9752, fax: +60 3 2168 8573
In Geneva: Federation secretariat: Christine South (Asia Pacific operations coordinator), email: christine.south@ifrc.org, mobile: +41 79 308 9824, phone: +41 22 730 4529.