Attachments
This report covers the period of 1 November 2007 through 30 April 2008, but reports cumulative totals from December 2004 onwards.
In a world of global challenges, continued poverty, inequity, and increasing vulnerability to disasters and disease, the International Federation with its global network, works to accomplish its Global Agenda, partnering with local community and civil society groups to prevent and alleviate human suffering from disasters, diseases and public health emergencies.
In brief
Executive Summary: The reporting period saw the closure of the Canadian Red Cross office in the Maldives. The remaining Red Cross Red Crescent partners (American Red Cross, British Red Cross, French Red Cross and the International Federation secretariat) have achieved considerable milestones during the past six months.
Red Cross Red Crescent reconstruction programmes saw remarkable progress over the period. Defect liability periods were successfully concluded for housing projects on Kaafu Maafushi, Kaafu Guraidhoo, Laamu Maabaidhoo, Laamu Fonadhoo, Laamu Isdhoo, Laamu Isdhoo-Kalaidhoo and Thaa Madifushi. Training of community members on house maintenance was also conducted in Laamu and Thaa atolls. Further to the 80 houses handed over in Laamu Gan during the previous reporting period, two houses in Mukurimagu ward of the island were handed over in January 2008. The majority of houses in the remaining construction project in Raa Dhuvaafaru have been inspected and locked, with completion expected during the second quarter of 2008. Construction of 250 houses in Thaa Vilufushi is underway, with 35 per cent of the work complete, while work on the remaining 160 houses on Laamu Gan is progressing at a slow rate.
Works on waste water collection and disposal systems were completed in Kaafu Maafushi and Kaafu Guraidhoo islands, paving way for installation of household septic tanks. Training of community sewer operators is ongoing, with 17 operators trained during the period under review. Community consultation, participation and equity challenges have been identified and continue to be addressed in order to prevent tensions created by perceived or real imbalances in recovery assistance, especially in the southern islands.
As part of the recovery efforts, the Red Cross Red Crescent - particularly through the American Red Cross - has been implementing a psychosocial support programme which aims at improving the psychosocial wellbeing of tsunami-affected people. Over the reporting period, 234 community facilitators were trained and 86 psychological resilience activities were conducted.
Disbursement of livelihood grants by Red Cross Red Crescent partners was completed during the period. This includes associated capacity building and trainings. Whereas focus by the French Red Cross in Laamu Gan is now on monitoring, the British Red Cross livelihoods programme is on track for closure during June 2008.
Enhancement of risk reduction approaches to promote the resilience of communities against potential future disasters is being prioritized. This is being done through construction of hazard resistant housing, provision of rainwater storage capacity to ensure availability of safe drinking water during dry seasons, raising awareness in community-based risk identification, and health promotion. Training for island disaster management committees and disaster management task forces continued while first aid kits were distributed. This programme has now formerly been moved from the tsunami recovery programme to the long-term programme support under Appeal 2008-2009. Also part of the programme is effort to prevent and control dengue and chikungunya fevers.
Based on the current implementation rate, it is tenable that most of the pending Red Cross Red Crescent tsunami recovery activities, together with construction of community buildings and facilities on Raa Dhuvaafaru and assistance in resettling people from temporary shelter to their new communities, will be completed by the end of 2008. However, work associated with construction warranty, follow up, construction of remaining sewer systems and community facilities in the southern islands, and community resettlement support will remain.
Contact information:
For further information specifically related to the tsunami operation, please contact:
Federation country office in the Maldives: Per Jensnaes (head of country office), email: per.jensnaes@ifrc.org; phone +960.332.1987; fax +960.332.1951
Federation secretariat in Geneva: Lesley Schaffer, regional officer the Maldives and Sri Lanka, email: Lesley.schaffer@ifrc.org, phone: +41 22 730 4854, Priya Nair, grants officer (tsunami unit), email:
priya.nair@ifrc.org; phone: +41 22 730 4295