Romania: Floods Minor Emergency 05ME039

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In Brief

MINOR EMERGENCY NO: ME 05ME039

CHF 240,938 (USD 186,000 / EUR 156,000) HAS BEEN ALLOCATED FROM THE FEDERATION'S DISASTER RELIEF EMERGENCY FUND (DREF) TO RESPOND TO THIS OPERATION. UNEARMARKED FUNDS TO REPAY DREF ARE ENCOURAGED.

Several flood related reports have been released by the Federation recently, please see, following list: http://www.ifrc.org/where/appeals/allappeals.asp

For the latest operation update on the separate Romania floods emergency appeal (05EA009): http://www.ifrc.org/cgi/pdf_appeals.pl?05/05EA00902.pdf

The situation

With the country still recovering from a previous major wave of flooding, heavy rains have caused further flooding and destruction in 15 counties (Arad, Arges, Bistrita-Nasaud, Calarasi, Constanta, Dollj, Giurgiu, Gorj, Hunedoara, Olt, Prahova, Teleorman, Tulcea, Valcea and Vrancea) in Romania during the first week of July, affecting 169 localities. According to official information from the Ministry of the Environment, between 1-6 July, 6 people died, one child is missing, 2,002 people were evacuated, 7,229 houses, 9,926 households, 44,737 hectares of agricultural land and 6,140 wells were damaged.

The number of dead birds and animals is estimated at 8,932, posing an increasing health threat to the population in the affected areas. Infrastructure was also affected. Several hydro-technical installations (18 smaller barrages, 2 defense dams, 2 shore defenses and 2 water pumping stations) were damaged exacerbating the disaster. The floods also affected 147 bridges and 149.23 km of national, county and village roads.

The great number of infected wells has caused severe water shortages, es pecially within the communities isolated by the floods. The authorities responded by distributing water with military trucks in the affected area. Sewage systems are also compromised in the flooded localities.

According to data released by the national electric company until July 2, a total of 289 power stations were affected by the floods, causing power shortages in 89 localities. The company deployed 30 repair teams in the affected area to minimize the effects of the damage, but until 14:00 hours local time, on 2 July, 59 localities were still without electricity. The continuing rain and in some areas the raising water levels have hindered the repair efforts.

The most severely affected counties are Olt and Teleorman in the such as this one in Branceni. south of the country. The situation is developing quickly. Information received from the county's crisis management team by the Teleorman Red Cross branch at 09:00 hours on 4 July indicated that some 6,600 people had been evacuated from flooded villages and several other villages were on alert, pending evacuation.

According to the branch's evaluation, confirmed by the assessment made in a part of the affected area by Romanian members of the International Federation's Regional Disaster Response Team (RDRT), one person was killed in the floods, 2 are missing, 4,728 houses and 6,133 households were affected, 55,265 hectares of agricultural land are under water. Of the affected houses, 291 are destroyed, while another 1,502 are severely damaged. The water also destroyed 31 dams and affected 66 main bridges and 108 small bridges. The total number of affected people is estimated at 10,000 and while the official reports received on 6 July show 1,038 evacuated people, the Romanian Red Cross assessment puts this figure closer to the initial estimations of the local RC branch (6,600 people). The assessment was started by the team sent from the National Headquarters and is ongoing, being conducted by the volunteers of the local branch. Further information is expected in the coming days. Teleorman is a county where agriculture is the main occupation, with 68% of the population living in rural areas. Severe food shortages are to be expected in the near future because of the destroyed crops.

In Olt county the latest official information (6 July, 8:00 hours local time) is 3,589 houses, 6,010 households and 11,112 hectares of agricultural land were affected. Until now 1,253 people have been evacuated from their homes. The infrastructure is severely damaged Dobrotesti: Destruction in the path of the roaring with 5,214 wells, 89 bridges and 97.7 km of waters - a familiar sight throughout the county. county and village roads affecte d. The reports show that damage has doubled since the previous day and the extent of the destruction increases by the hour. The situation is under control for the moment, as the immediate needs of the affected people are covered by the authorities and the local Red Cross branch, but as the situation is worsening further help will be needed. The rain continues in the affected area, while the weather forecast for the next ten days is bad, with a high chance of rain and thunder storms.

In the other 13 affected counties , the situation has been kept under control by the authorities and local Red Cross branches, as damage is less. In the most severely affected 3 counties (Arges, Constanta and Giurgiu) the local branches conducted their own assessments and intervened according to the existing needs using local resources, supporting the authorities' efforts. However the situation is expected to deteriorate further, as rain continues in most of the affected area.

Red Cross and Red Crescent action

The largest operation has been launched by the Olt branch of the Romanian Red Cross. During the first day of flooding, the branch assisted 98 flood victims, using the entire emergency stock available in its warehouse. It also used a part of the funds available in its disaster response account to purchase mineral water for the affected people, as local wells may be contaminated. In order to meet further needs the branch has requested support from the Targoviste regional disaster relief warehouse through the National Headquarters. Following this request 200 blankets and one Red Cross tent were dispatched on 5 July to the affected area.

The RC branch from Teleorman County also requested assistance from the National Headquarters as the growing number of flood victims is far beyond its disaster response capacity. Based on this request, an assessment team from the National Headquarters, including Romanian members of the Federation's Regional Disaster Response Team (RDRT) started an assessment in the area on 5 July to evaluate the situation and to plan the response strategy. The assessment covered 6 out of the 68 affected localities and is being continued by volunteers of the local RC branch. The preliminary results of the assessment confirmed the initial evaluation of the local RC branch regarding the extent of the damage, which seems to be much higher than the official figures indicate (see previous Section for Didesti: Red Cross assessment team discussing with details). Further information will be available evacuated people at a collective center shortly, as the assessment data flows in from the other affected localities.

Meanwhile the Teleorman Red Cross branch started to assist the evacuated people using the entire stocks in its emergency warehouse, with blankets, bed linen, clothes and footwear. Following the assessments and in response to the branch's requests for assistance, the National Headquarters will send on 7 July a first relief shipment to the county, containing 500 blankets, 500 bed linen, 300 rubber boots, 300 packs of washing powder, 2,000 soaps, 100 sets of sport clothes, 200 jerry cans, 100 pairs of footwear and 2 water purification units for the villages of Mereni and Contesti where 2,000 people are isolated without a clean water supply.

In the other affected counties the situation has been kept under control by the local authorities, and waters are receding quickly. However the local branches are keeping their disaster response teams on standby and are in permanent contact with their respective counties' crisis management teams, being prepared to meet the possibly emerging needs using the content of their emergency warehouses. The National Headquarters is also prepared to immediately respond to any incoming assistance requests from its branches operating in the affected area.

As the Romanian Red Cross is already heavily involved in a major relief operation following the April-May floods in Timis County, which aims to assist 1,200 affected families for up to 6 months, the response capacity for this emergency is severely compromised, warehouse stocks being mostly depleted and financial resources scarce.

The needs

The outstanding needs, based on the official numbers of the evacuated people in Olt and Teleorman County are:

• Tents - 650
• Sleeping bags - 2,300
• Rubber boots - 2,300
• Washable diapers - 2,160
• Blankets - 2,300
• Jerry cans - 1,300
• Thermometers - 180
• Basins (bathing babies) - 180
• Basins (washing) - 650
• Kitchen sets - 650

These needs are expected to grow as the final number of beneficiaries (affected people in the two counties) will be significantly higher. The number of beneficiaries is to be established following the collection of all the data from the ongoing field assessments over the coming days.

Coordination

Other NGOs with concrete plans to operate in the area are Caritas Romania - with a distribution of 400 packs containing bla nkets, food and hygiene items - and World Vision Romania, which will distribute in Olt County at the end of the week food items, water, washing powder and soap. The exact area of distribution and item list will be available in the following days from this organization.

The Romanian Red Cross relies on the support of the German Red Cross to obtain the necessary tents for this emergency.

For information specifically related to this operation please contact:

Romanian Red Cross: Radu Lihaci, Disaster Preparedness Coordinator; phone: +40 21 317 40 32, +40 21 317 05 59, Fax: + 40 21 312 84 52, email: dezastre@crucearosie.ro and Daniela Uta, PR & Fundraising Coordinator, phone: + 40 21 317 05 59, Fax: + 40 21 312 84 52, email: pr@crucearosie.ro

Regional Delegation, Slobodanka Curic, Regional Disaster Management Coordinator; email: ifrchu41@ifrc.org, phone: + 387 59 260 383, mobile: + 387 65 665 747

In Geneva: Erja Reinikainen, Federation Desk Officer, Europe Department, Geneva: email: erja.reinikainen@ifrc.org, phone: + 41 22 730 49 20; fax: +41 22 733 03 95

All International Federation assistance seeks to adhere to the Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO's) in Disaster Relief and is committed to the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response (Sphere) in delivering assistance to the most vulnerable.

For longer-term programmes in this or other countries or regions, please refer to the Federation's Annual Appeal. For support to or for further information concerning Federation programmes or operations in this or other countries, or for national society profiles, please also access the Federation's website at http://www.ifrc.org