Attachments
Glide number: FL-2021-000061-MYS
A. SITUATION ANALYSIS
Description of the disaster
Heavy rainfall was experienced in Sabah on 20 May 2021. This heavy rainfall has caused the two districts (Beaufort and Tenom) to be inundated. This occurred due to the overflowing of the banks of the Pagalan River and Pada River caused by strong water currents and exacerbated by poor drainage in these two districts. People fled from their homes and were evacuated to temporary shelters. The total number of people affected by the flood had reached 1,552 families (5,782 people) in these two districts. No casualties were reported based on the released information from the Social Welfare Department (JKM) as of 25 May 2021.
The government has opened 39 temporary shelters in these two districts and provided food, water, and blankets to the affected people. Other local NGOs and private sectors also offered water and food for the people in the temporary shelters with the coordination of the MRCS Sabah Team. A total of 47 villages in Tenom and 75 villages in Beaufort were affected by the floods.
Summary of response
Overview of Host National Society
The Malaysian Red Cross Society (MRCS), in cooperation with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), closely monitored the situation and was coordinating the response with the Government of Malaysia (GoM) through the respective Sabah State and State Civil Defence Force (Flood Response Taskforce) at state and municipal levels.
MRCS volunteers in Sabah state throughout the affected areas were activated since 20 May 2021 and throughout the operation. MRCS Sabah mobilized its district network to work alongside the authorities in addressing community needs. Comprehensive online monitoring and discussion were held daily for better information and coordination in the field.
To meet the immediate needs of families in relief centres, MRCS Sabah released 174 hygiene kits from prepositioned stocks for immediate distribution to families in relief centres in the first two weeks of the response. Furthermore, the Sabah MRCS team conducted necessary field assessments in the affected areas of the two districts (Tenom and Beaufort). MRCS identified the worst affected villages in Tenom and Beaufort to be targeted for this response. In total, 13 villages in the Tenom and Beaufort Districts were targeted for this flood response. Villages were selected based on damages caused by the flood and the damage severity. This operation has reached 1,274 households (6,167 people, with an average of five family members per household), with 1,100 households receiving multipurpose cash grants and COVID-19 prevention kits and 174 households receiving hygiene kits. The operation started in June 2021 and was completed by 31 August 2021.
During this operation, MRCS followed the existing government and movement guidance related to the COVID-19 crisis. During the Movement Control Order (MCO), MRCS staff and volunteers were still allowed to operate as the National Society provided essential services to people. MRCS was still able to offer planned assistance under the DREF operation, including distributing hygiene kits, COVID-19 prevention kits, and cash assistance to the targeted affected people. MRCS Sabah coordinated well with government agencies as most government agencies and district officers were aware of the branch's responsibility and support.
Overview of Red Cross Red Crescent Movement in-country
The IFRC Asia Pacific regional office (APRO) in Kuala Lumpur has a dedicated team based at the national headquarters,alongside MRCS. The IFRC Malaysia support team cooperated closely with their MRCS counterparts at the headquarters to monitor the situation and improve readiness measures. The IFRC continues to assist the MRCS in implementing the Red Ready Programme, with a current emphasis on developing cash readiness at the National Society's headquarters and branches. IFRC (APRO) ensures that the MRCS and their states branches have full operational capacity and can respond to any disaster.