This report covers the period of 01/01/2006 to 31/12/2007 of a two-year planning and appeal process.
In brief
Programme summary: In 2006 and 2007, the Red Crescent Societies of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, with support from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies' regional representation for central Asia, worked to reduce vulnerabilities and build capacities within the areas linked to the Global Agenda. The programme objectives have, to a high degree, been achieved. However, while some have been moving forward at a smooth pace, others faced challenges. For instance, changes in the leadership and staff of the National Societies had an inevitable knock-on effect on programme continuity and the development processes.
Among the highlights of the past two years is a new service that was made available for people with TB/HIV co-infection at three sites in Kazakhstan through the Red Crescent multidisciplinary teams formed for this purpose. Also, the design of the regional community-based first-aid project was modified based on the recommendations of an external evaluation; the focus shifted from traditional first-aid training to community health for rural communities. A regional contingency plan was developed- with a large-scale urban earthquake as its scenario- and when rolled-out is expected to facilitate effective Red Crescent response and proper coordination between the actors in time of emergency.
All five National Societies in the region, including Tajikistan, have adopted their revised statutes, dividing the functions of governance and management, and three have already started implementing the statutes. However, the impact of such division will need to be assessed, and this is planned for the coming year. An initiative linked to the new operating model of the International Federation - Operational Alliances - has been taking shape in the Kyrgyzstan Red Crescent. This National Society and another two - of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan - joined the Red Cross Red Crescent Global Alliance on HIV. This was an important step, but major developments will only happen in the coming year.
Goal: In line with the Global Agenda goals, the International Federation's secretariat supports the Red Crescent Societies to reduce the vulnerability of communities in central Asia to health risks and disasters, tackle discrimination and intolerance, and develop the National Societies' capacities to become well-functioning and to effectively provide services to the people.
Needs: Total 2006-2007 budget was initially CHF 8,173,000 (USD 7,310,376 or EUR 4,953,333). The revised two-year appeal target is CHF 10,530,471 (USD 9,419,026 or EUR 6,382,104) (out of which 72 per cent covered). The 72 per cent coverage of the total appeal budget affected the principles and values programme most, with changes also being made to the plans of the health and care and the disaster management programmes. The implementation rates varied between programmes and are lower for programmes that carried over certain funds to 2008 following the donor funding cycle, which is different from the appeal time frame.
No. of people we help: 1,318,095 people benefited directly from the programme interventions of the International Federation's secretariat in 2006 and in 2007.
|
Programme
|
Number of beneficiaries
|
| Health and Care | 429,950 |
| Disaster Management | 831,440 |
| Principles and Values | 20,095 (plus estimated 200,000 through media sources) |
| Capacity Development | 36,610 |
| Total | 1,318,095 |
Our partners: In 2006 and 2007 the International Federation's regional representation and the National Societies
worked with more than 80 government-based, local non-governmental and international organizations, the United Nations (UN), developmental agencies and partners inside the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
Current context
Prevailing high international prices throughout 2007 for food crops such as grain contributed to a rise in retail prices of basic foods like bread, pasta, meat and milk, generating inflationary pressure on domestic food markets. The sharp rise in prices affected the entire central Asian region, with lowincome populations bearing the heaviest burden, largely because their diets consist of a very high proportion of cereals. Apart from deepening the vulnerability and consequently raising demands on humanitarian assistance, the price hike increases operational costs and negatively affects the budgets of Red Crescent programmes. This notably affects especially the health and care programme that has components of social aid (nutrition).
Addressing the issue of high food prices, the Red Crescent Society of Kyrgyzstan initiated an operation to assist the most vulnerable children in residential institutions with supplementary food rations during the winter months. The International Federation's Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) released 58,286 Swiss francs for that purpose in December 2007.
It was also in Kyrgyzstan that the major natural disaster to affect the region in the past two years - an earthquake in the Kochkor region- struck at the end of 2006. An emergency appeal was launched to support the National Society's earthquake response operation, also partly funded by the DREF in its early phase. Click here for reports on this and other National Society response operations. Over time, the volatile political situation in Kyrgyzstan called for extra efforts from the National Society to ensure effective cooperation with, and support from, the government bodies to its regular programme activities, particularly those involving public gatherings. In neighbouring Uzbekistan, the change of leadership and senior staff reshuffles in the Red Crescent slowed down programme activities orrestrained certain organizational development initiatives.
Contact Information
For further information on this Appeal, please contact:
Central Asia Regional Representation:
Drina Karahasanovic, Regional Representative, Almaty, phone: +7727 291
41 56; fax: +7727 291 42 67; email: drina.karahasanovic@ifrc.org
Europe Zone Office: Leon Prop, Deputy
Head, Budapest, phone: +361 248 33 00; fax: +361 248 3322; email: leon.prop@ifrc.org