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Kenya

ACT Appeal Kenya: Assistance to the victims of floods in Kenya - AFKE- 33

Attachments


Appeal Target: US$ 1,040,425
Geneva, 10 June 2003

Dear Colleagues,

Most parts of Kenya were engulfed in an unexpected heavy rainfall in mid-April which continued to the end of May and in some parts of the country is still continuing. The long rains which normally start in March and end in June, were almost two months late, but fell heavily causing severe flooding in many parts of the country. Seventeen districts were affected to varying degrees by the floods and the Government of Kenya reports indicate a death toll of 77 and displacement of over 60,000. According to official reports confirmed by ACT Nairobi Forum Members, the Lake Victoria basin was the most affected with over 50,000 displaced in Nyando, Migori, Kisumu, and Busia, districts, while the Tana River Plains accounted for 10,000 displaced. Despite the fact the flooding was not declared a national disaster by the president, an encouraging response to the humanitarian needs has been recorded from the government, UN, NGOs, multilateral donors and the local churches on the ground. However, there are still gaps that urgently need to be filled.

ACT Nairobi Forum members met on 22 May 2003 to strategize a response through an ACT appeal. It was agreed that Norwegian Church Aid (NCA)Nairobi Office would co-ordinate the appeal preparation and response for the Tana River floods in the eastern region of Kenya, while Church World Service/Kenya Office would co-ordinate preparation of the appeal for the western region. It should however, be mentioned that by the time this decision was made the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) had already submitted their appeal proposal to the ACT CO. Therefore, the ACK proposal is a stand-alone proposal in this appeal but with clear and distinct target beneficiaries in the western region without overlapping the target beneficiaries of NCCK and ELCK under the CWS proposal. ACT members in the appeal are proposing to assist people who have not been assisted yet and are suffering the effects of the floods through;

  • Relief food
  • Non Food Items ( blankets, cooking utensils, mosquito nets ect)
  • Shelter materials
  • Water and Sanitation facilities
  • Seeds
  • Health facilities
  • Counselling services for the traumatised


Project Completion Date:

CWS - 31 December 2003
NCA - 31 December 2003
ACK - 31 December 2003

Summary of Appeal Targets, Pledges/Contributions Received and Balance Requested

CWS (NCCK & ELCK)
NCA (CiDRi)
ACK
Total Target US$
Total Appeal Target(s)
197,224
383,596
459,605
1,040,425
Less: Pledges/Contr. Recd.
Balance Requested from ACT Network
197,224
383,596
459,605
1,040,425

Please kindly send your contributions to the following ACT bank account:

Account Number - 240-432629.60A (USD)
Account Name: ACT - Action by Churches Together
UBS SA
PO Box 2600
1211 Geneva 2
SWITZERLAND

Please also inform the Finance Officer Jessie Kgoroeadira (direct tel. +4122/791.60.38, e-mail address jkg@act-intl.org) of all pledges/contributions and transfers, including funds sent direct to the implementers, now that the Pledge Form is no longer attached to the Appeal.

We would appreciate being informed of any intent to submit applications for EU, USAID and/or other back donor funding and the subsequent results. We thank you in advance for your kind cooperation.

For further information : ACT Web Site address: http://www.act-intl.org

John Nduna
Acting Director, ACT

I. REQUESTING ACT MEMBER

  • Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) on behalf of ACT Nairobi Forum (ANF)

II. IMPLEMENTING ACT MEMBER & PARTNER INFORMATION

Description of ACT Member

The ACT Nairobi Forum (ANF) has mandated Norwegian Church (NCA) to be the Lead Agency and will directly be responsible for follow up on the project implementation and reporting procedures as required by ACT Geneva, while keeping the partners in Nairobi informed accordingly.

ACT Nairobi Forum, brings together Churches and Ecumenical Organisations based in Nairobi. These by extension work with various grassroots partners in the region by supporting their activities and closely co-ordinates activities with the government and other humanitarian organisations.

The ACT Nairobi Forum membership currently includes, Norwegian Church Aid, Dan Church Aid, Christian Aid, National Council of Churches of Kenya, Lutheran World Federation, Lutheran World Relief, Church World Service, the Anglican Church of Kenya and the Methodist Church in Kenya.

In Kenya, the ANF members have responded to various emergency interventions in the recent past, e.g. the El Nino floods of 1997-98 and later the 1999-2000 drought. Joint initiatives have consolidated the co-ordination efforts of the ACT Members in Kenya. The forum has gradually grown with the ACT members initially meeting on an irregular basis, but with the spirit of sustaining the forum.

From November 2000, the ACT members formalised the ACT Co-ordination by meeting more regularly which has led to formulation of terms of reference for the members. This Appeal, therefore attests the growing and gradual realisation of ANF efforts to co-ordinate emergency situation the region for better impact.

The lead agency, Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), has been involved in major and moderate emergency operations in many parts of the world for more than half a century. NCA operates in the Eastern Africa region covering Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, Burundi, Somalia, and Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, and Eritrea.

NCA has accumulated practical and strategic experience in handling emergencies in the region for over 30 years. The network resource and the long built institutional capacities are integral strengths. All these factors combined, and with close support of ANF members, give NCA confidence in leading this intervention.

Description of ACT Member's Implementing Partners

CiDRi - Tana River, Garissa and Ijara Districts

International Co-operation for an Integrated Rural Development (CiDRi) has defined its mission as, "to assist rural and pastoral communities in developing countries in their right to secure, consolidate and develop access to and use of resources critical to their livelihood and developing their capacity to manage those resources in an environmentally and economically sustainable manner."

CiDRi's policy is to encourage community participation, as well as working with partner agencies, taking care to work with, not undermine, local capacities and coping mechanisms.

Specifically in Kenya, CiDRi was appointed Lead Agency during the 2000 drought for Ijara district.

In this intervention, CiDRi will work closely with the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) member churches in Garissa and Tana River districts. Moreover, collaboration with the CRS - Community Nutrition Improvement Programme base in Tana River will be enhanced for further networking and grassroots co-ordination among all stakeholders. CiDRi will co-ordinate with NCCK Regional co-ordinators covering both Tana River and Garissa districts in order to maintain full participation and involvement of NCCK member churches within the project area.

III. DESCRIPTION of the EMERGENCY SITUATION

Situation Overview

ACT Nairobi Forum (ANF) has responded immediately to consider the flood concerns raised by churches which requested a professional assessment of the situation, to help them consolidate a co-ordinated appeal that would cover Tana River, Garissa and Ijara districts.

ANF has mandated NCA to be the lead Agency in this Appeal while CiDRi will carry out the co-ordination on the ground for the 3 districts and the grassroots churches will be the implementing partners in Tana River district and Garissa. CiDRi will also implement in Ijara district.

NCA commissioned CiDRi to evaluate the floods situation. A rapid appraisal exercise, covering Tana River, Garissa and Ijara districts was carried out between 18 - 20 May 2003.

TANA RIVER DISTRICT

Background Information

Tana River is one of the seven districts in the coastal province and is divided into three administrative divisions which also double-up as constituencies namely: Bura in the north, Galole in the middle and Garsen in the south.

The district is prone to flooding during the wet season or once it rains heavily in the upper reaches of the river. Seasonal rivers called "lagas" also provide water in the dry season - these are accessed by digging into the riverbeds.

The annual floods are part of the farming life and are looked forward to by the riverine communities as they irrigate the farms in addition to enriching their land with deposits of fertile soils from upstream. The unprecedented floods of late 1997 associated with the El Niño weather phenomenon, however, submerged many settlements in the district and those that survived had their infrastructure completely destroyed. The most affected areas were those along the river Tana where whole villages had to be relocated and new infrastructure put in place through emergency responses from relief and development organisations.

Current Emergency Situation

The district has experienced floods and drought respectively and now the riverine communities along Tana River have not only had their crops washed away but have been displaced due to the severity of the flooding.

Immediate Needs

  • Food and non food items.
  • Sanitation facilities.
  • Shelter - tents, mosquito nets.
  • Clean drinking water.
  • Seeds for planting after water start receding.
  • Day care for the under five children.
  • Medical care, immunization.
  • Pesticides- for agricultural crops.


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