Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Russian Federation: Flood relief and rehabilitation Situation Report No. 2

appeal no. 18/98
situation report no. 2
period covered: 7 July - 22 July 28 July 1998
The severe flooding which hit Yakutia from May has left thousands in need of basic relief items to ensure their survival. With the short agricultural season, and accessibility restricted to summer months, it is imperative that relief supplies be brought to the area now. The poor response to this appeal has already meant that the beneficiary list has had to be cut in half, with only the most urgent cases set to benefit.

The context

The north-eastern Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) is battling massive flooding along the main Siberian river, the Lena, and its tributaries. The rivers began overflowing in mid-May, and in the ensuing weeks reached their highest levels for 70 years. The flooding was brought on after unusually low temperatures in the upper reaches of the river, which produced up to twice the normal snowfall and a two metre deep ice layer. Then came a sudden rise in temperature and an extremely rapid snow melt.

The damage produced by such unprecedented flooding, multiple ice-jams and shoals of floating ice is enormous. Fifteen deaths have been reported; 51,295 people were evacuated. Initial estimates put the damage at approximately 1,300 million roubles (CHF 300,000,000).

The Sakha Republic covers a territory of some 3,200,000 sq km, one sixth of Russia's entire territory. It has a population of 1,003,300, with several groups of ethnic minorities, some of whom are among the 350,000 living within the flood stricken area. The Republic is partially Arctic, with permafrost conditions. The main means of transport - over a three-month navigation period - is by the River Lena and one of its tributaries, the River Aldan. The Trans-Siberian railway is 800 km away from the Republic's capital, Yakutsk. The nearest loading points from rail to river are at Ust-Kut and Neringi, where there are storage depots. Lengthy negotiations have been continuing regarding the airline, Sakha Avia, transporting assistance from Moscow to Yakutsk, however, complications have arisen over tax concessions which the company is seeking from the government. Very limited payloads (and an imprecise quantity per flight) render the air transport option both complicated and expensive.

Latest events

Following a six-day assessment mission to Yakutia by the Head of Moscow delegation, Information Delegate and a Logistics Officer from the Russian Red Cross (RRC) Central Committee, the Federation/RRC has made a concerted effort in both Moscow and Yakutsk to ascertain prices for transport and goods.

Immediately after the Red Cross mission, UNDP undertook an assessment for the implementation of a co-ordination mechanism and the establishment of a "Recovery and Redevelopment Centre" (see UNDP mission report - 16t July)

The Federation/RRC mission travelled to four affected villages in two districts to talk to flood victims, and confirmed the difficulties regarding logistics: the furthest village visited - some 600 km from Yakutsk - took two-and-a- half hours to reach by helicopter, the quickest transport available. With the Lena and Aldan rivers largely back to their original courses, the process of drying out, reclaiming and clearing houses and land continues. The flood affected area (more than one million sq. km) where many people are still living in tents, suffered high winds and unseasonably low temperatures in mid July: down to approximately 5 degrees centigrade at night. Warmer weather has since returned.

While the immediate distribution of food, clothing etc will assist in the short term, it is evident that the scale of the destruction requires long-term rehabilitation/reconstruction in addition to a build-up of stocks for the coming winter, since practically no agricultural activity has taken plane throughout the short planting season.

Other findings from the mission:

• a high incidence of respiratory diseases among the affected population; many are still living in tents because their houses have either been destroyed or are still damp; the older population have been subject to stress, following the disaster;

• contamination of fresh water could bring disease (latrines have been flooded and in many areas there is no piped water supply); since water filters are largely unknown, it is proposed that a limited quantity of relevant medicines be provided against an outbreak;

• the future nutritional health of the affected population is at risk (with the loss of food stocks and inability to cultivate crops); furthermore, in Sakha (Yakutia) the incidence of TB is three times higher among children than elsewhere in Russia;

• the surviving livestock are in poor condition (3,720 animals died in the floods).

Red Cross/Red Crescent action

The RRC Central Committee, working together with the Federation, has obtained tenders for clothing and food products, bed linen sets and other items. Initially, it was hoped that companies might tender for all the items, in order to speed up the delivery, however, this was not possible because of the diversity of goods required. As well as estimates from companies abroad tenders were made in Moscow, Kazan, Yakutsk and Irkutsk. The option of importing foreign goods had to be ruled out because of customs difficulties and costs (Russia's Commission for Humanitarian Aid is due to have its next meeting on 14 August - the deadline for barges to begin distribution). The purchase of 2,000 clothing sets (warm jackets and trousers for men and women) is being made in Moscow, together with 4,000 bed-linen sets and 2,000 blankets. These goods are being sent by rail to the river port of Ust-Kut in the week ending 24th July. Purchases of food (tea, macaroni, wheat flour, sugar, canned beef, condensed milk and baby formula)

will be made in Irkutsk, then transported by rail to Ust-Kut where RRC and Federation representatives will check loading of the barges. It is anticipated that a satellite phone and hand held transceivers would assist in the delivery operation, in order to forewarn the leaders in the respective villages about the arrival of assistance, so that unloading and distribution can be organised quickly and efficiently.

Earlier, a Russian Red Cross (RRC) consignment of 20 tons of clothes, bed linen and hygiene items were sent from Moscow to the disaster area.

A further consignment of goods, purchased with CHF 60,000 released from the Federation's Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) has now been distributed, through the mechanism of inviting village leaders to come and collect assistance from a warehouse in Yakutsk (and organising their own barge transport). This method cannot be used for the larger quantity of items envisaged in this Appeal.

The timetable for the operation (15 August - 15/20 September) is dictated by the weather and navigability of the rivers. The water level drops significantly in August in the River Aldan, where many targeted beneficiaries live, then starts to freeze in September. Only light motor vehicles can use the frozen river before mid December, when heavier load bearing trucks can travel.

Timetable

25 July:
Conclude contracts with suppliers of relief items; recruit personnel

15 August:
Assistance goods to be assembled in Ust-Kut, distribution team board barge

15 August-15 September:
Distribution of all assistance will be made throughout the affected areas up to 15 September, when the navigational period on the rivers ends.

15 September-15 November:
Monitoring effectiveness of operation and identification of probable additional needs

Concluding Phase: November-December 1998

Finalise distribution of food and other assistance when roads and rivers are passable (hardened with ice).

Co-ordination

The RRC Central Committee and Yakutia RC Committee are working together, with the participation of the Moscow delegation of the International Federation.

The establishment of a UNDP office in Yakutsk will assist in co-ordination with the three government bodies tasked with carrying out humanitarian activities. The Red Cross aims to charter barges for the distribution of aid, and intends to share, wherever appropriate, any space available to other aid organisations.

Outstanding needs

Since the launch of the Federation Appeal on 23 June, National Societies, ECHO and governments have announced contributions covering 57 per cent of the total amount sought.

This low response, together with the added costs of transport, (up to 20% of funds received) and the fact that the government lacks resources to assist, means that the amount of goods purchased has had to be drastically limited. On current estimates, only half the 20,000 beneficiaries originally targeted will be assisted -- and will not necessarily receive both food and clothing. Further funding is urgently needed for the purchase of relief items if the timetable of the operation, dictated by weather conditions in the area, is to be implemented.

External relations - Government/UN/NGOs/Media

The assessment team held meetings with the President of Sakha Republic and several of his ministers (a Deputy Prime Minister, who supervises two government commissions assigned to provide and distribute humanitarian aid, Foreign, Health, Social Welfare and Trade and Transport, as well as Sakha's head of Emercom - Ministry for Emergencies). These meetings provided useful information as well as confirming good collaboration with the authorities, which already existed in the distribution of relief items by the Red Cross before the launch of this Appeal. The selection of the beneficiaries will be worked out together with the Social Welfare Ministry.

Since the Appeal launch, media response has been good, with several representatives (including the BBC and CNN as well as Russian journalists) expressing interest in travelling to the affected areas. There has been an eager reaction to video and photographic material gathered. The local press covered the visit.

Conclusion

Since the return of the assessment team both the magnitude of the disaster and the urgency of delivering assistance has been confirmed. The specified timeframe -- during the short navigational period along the River Lena and its tributaries -- as well as the severe winter ahead demand prompt action. It is therefore crucial that sufficient funds be transferred immediately, to ensure that some of the 20,000 beneficiaries selected by the Red Cross as being most in need of help, receive the scheduled relief items they need for basic survival.

The people of Yakutia are a self-reliant population, but their resources and resilience are now stretched to the limit by the necessity of helping neighbouring villagers who lost everything in the floods. Dwindling stocks of food and materials are becoming a problem for those close to the flooded areas as well as for those who were directly affected.

Renny Nancholas
Director
Europe Department

Peter Rees-Gildea
Director
Operations Funding and Reporting Department

REQUESTED IN APPEAL: CHF 1,620,000