ReliefWeb

This report covers the period 01/January/2010 to 31/December/2010.

In brief

Programme outcome: The National Society programmes are aligned with the strategic aims of the Strategy 2020 to save lives, protect livelihoods, and strengthen recovery from disasters and crises; enable healthy and safe living; and promote social inclusion and culture of non-violence and peace.
The capacity-building efforts are in line with the enabling action one to build strong National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Programmes summary:
The disaster management programme strengthened the coping capacities of people living in disaster prone areas by increasing community awareness of actions to take in case of a disaster. The Kazakhstan Red Crescent continued to build its own capacities to respond to emergencies by improving the staff and volunteers’ knowledge and skills in disaster management, building emergency stocks and maintaining technical resources, strengthening partnerships with public authorities and other stakeholders. In order to facilitate improving the national legal base in case of the international disaster response the National Society promoted the International Disaster Response Laws (IDRL) in front of the government.

The National Society provided assistance to people affected by small-scale disasters. Besides, the International Federation’s disaster response mechanism was activated once to provide funds from the IFRC’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to support the National Society in delivering immediate assistance to the most vulnerable people affected by floods in the southern Kazakhstan.

Within the HIV prevention programme, the Kazakhstan Red Crescent Society disseminated information about HIV among sex workers (SWs), injecting drug users (IDUs), people living with HIV (PLHIV), clients of SWs and general public. The tuberculosis (TB) prevention programme targeted people with tuberculosis on the continuation phase of treatment, their family members, and general population. The services provided include direct observation of treatment, social support to the clients with TB and raising awareness of TB. The National Society also provided services for the people with multi-drug resistant forms of tuberculosis (MDR TB) and TB/HIV co-infection. There was no funding received for the National Society community-based health and first aid (CBHFA) programme. However, the Kazakhstan Red Crescent received a contribution to support Influenza A (HINI) pandemic preparedness. This component implied raising awareness of the infection among the populations through relevant educational sessions and information campaigns.

As for the organizational development, the National Society governing board approved amendments to the statute done in line with recommendations from the Joint Statutes Commission. However, final feedback is awaited from the Commission before the National Society further process the statute with the justice ministry. In November the Red Crescent Society re-opened regional offices in Atyrau and Aktau cities thus revitalizing its presence in Atyrau and Mangystau regions.

The position of information officer in the National Society, who covers the principles and values programme, was filled only in July 2010. As a result, there was no proper coordination and many planned activities were not implemented. Tolerance, respect for diversity and the need to oppose xenophobia, discrimination and social exclusion were promoted at public campaigns, information materials, publications in media sources, and during round tables for partners and the general public within the migration component. The three Red Crescent information and education centres for migrants and their families rendered humanitarian assistance, provided diseases prevention and first-aid sessions, and consulted on legal, social and psychological issues.

Financial situation: The total 2010 budget is CHF 1,911,609 of which CHF 1,675,160 (88 per cent) covered during the reporting period (including opening balance). Overall expenditure during the reporting period was CHF 1,176,741 (70 per cent) of the budget. The implementation rate appears low because the regional DIPECHO grant was booked to the Kazakhstan disaster management programme. Besides, the operating timeframe of the Norwegian RC pledge for the country plan does not follow the calendar year: the pledge is meant for the period from September 2010 to November 2011.

No. of people we have reached: In total, 174,663 people benefited directly from the secretariat supported programme with the funds provided by the donors.

Our partners: The donors supporting the programmes multilaterally through the International Federation are the British, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian and Swedish Red Cross Societies, Ely Lilly, the European Commission and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Also, the UK’s Department for International Development (DfID) covers some regional level expenditures of the disaster management programme, mostly born in Kazakhstan. The total number of partnerships between the Federation regional representation, the National Society and community-based, national, government-based, international organizations, UN and developmental agencies exceeded 10.