UNDAC Mission Report to the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) in the Russian Federation 14-20 June 2001

UNITED NATIONS DISASTER ASSESSMENT AND COORDINATION (UNDAC)

RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)

Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) has a status of a constituent Republic of the Russian Federation since April 27, 1922, when the Yakut Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was established

Territory
3,103.2 thousand sq km

Climate
Sharply continental with a temperature range of 100 degrees from +40 in summer to -60 in winter.

Main Rivers
Lena, Aldan, Vilyui

Natural resources
Diamonds, gold, tin, tungsten, mercury, iron ore, coal, natural gas, and oil

Population
About 1 million (644,500 in cities and 356,200 in rural areas as of January 1, 1999); 120 nationalities, including the indigenous Sakha (382,000 according to the 1989 census data)

Capital
Yakutsk (6,875 km from Moscow)

Main towns
Mirny, Neryungri, Nyurba, Pokrovsk

Transport
Main airports in Yakutsk, Mirny; airfields in most of the towns
Main river ports in Yakutsk, Lensk, Olyokminsk, Khandiga
Federal roads 'Lena' (Yakutsk - Bolshoi Never) and 'Kolima' (Yakutsk - Magadan)
Railroad line Berkakit - Aldan, 297 km long

Industry
Mining (diamonds, coal, gold, tin) - 69,5 % of industry
Industry of construction materials (bricks, cement, etc.)
Timber & wood processing industry

I. BACKGROUND

Floods struck villages and towns along a 1,500 km stretch of the Lena and the Aldan rivers in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) 14-23 May 2001. These, however, were not ordinary floods. Mounds of ice, up to sixty cubic metres or about the size of a house's ground floor, swept through many of the rivers' settlements at speeds of up to 120 km per day. The natural disaster was the worst of its kind in over one century and appears to lie in a combination of factors: a) the unusually harsh winter marked by consistent temperatures below 50o Celsius; b) little snow in Yakutia; c) heavy snows in areas of Irkutsk Oblast upstream on the Lena river; and the sudden onset of a hot spring.¹ As thick ice melted, it created jams up to 80 km long and acted as a dam. As the water level increased, pressure on the ice rose. Consequently, water and ice started to move and swept through areas up to 2 km inland thereby destroying virtually everything in its path. According to the Government of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), ten of the republic's regions were affected, three severely, bringing misery to 40,500 persons in 57 towns and villages and destroying some 5,000 buildings. Material damages are estimated at RUR 7.4 bln (about US $250 mln), of which RUR 5.8 bln (about US $190 mln) occurred in Lensk. In light of the disaster the republican government sought federal and then international assistance.

II. PURPOSE OF THE MISSION

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote to the Under-Secretary-General of Humanitarian Affairs in early June, and on 14 June a United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team, accompanied by four other professionals, arrived in Yakutsk.² The team's terms of reference were to assess the profile of the population in the most affected areas, take note of federal, regional, and international relief efforts, review to what extent there are gaps in the provision of relief, and make recommendations on addressing remaining emergency needs. In addition, the team aimed to note disaster preparedness and contingency planning and make any relevant recommendations. (See annex 2 below.) This report, which the team made to the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in the Russian Federation, and which was discussed with the Government of the Russian Federation, outlines the team's visits and findings recommendations, and proposed plan of action. Several annexes provide precise details on the itinerary, lists the persons met, and so forth. The report is to be discussed with the donor community in Moscow and Geneva, thereby bringing the natural disaster's consequences and urgent relief needs to the attention of the international community at large.

III. Overall Findings

On 25 May the Government of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) issued Resolution 305 establishing an inter-agency commission to take charge of humanitarian aid and reconstruction. This decision was mirrored at the federal level on 28 May when the Government of the Russian Federation established a commission to oversee the reconstruction of housing, utilities, and social sector assets. The work of the regional commission has been useful in mobilizing and coordinating assistance, and in synthesizing the various sources of information about the situation. The team observed that information provided by authorities and local residents generally coincided and provided a basis for this report and the recommendations herein.³

In order to provide additional assistance, and as a complement the ongoing work of the federal and regional governments, the Russian Red Cross (RRC) and the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) have issued appeals for international assistance.

While the impact of this natural disaster has already been unprecedented for the population of Yakutia, it is quite possible that the disaster's full impact will strike only in September with the onset of the next winter. This is not a winter which people can survive in temporary shelter or 'winterised tents'. Temperatures fall and remain at minus 40o Celsius for several months. The people most at risk are those who lived in houses destroyed by water and ice, or in first-floor flats damaged by water. The main locations and numbers of beneficiaries are outlined in the table below.

Authorities and the population said that winter-proof shelter would have to be in place by September if they were to survive the winter. In terms of relief assistance people stated that their requirements included: multi-fuel stoves, winter clothing and shoes for children, mattresses (and bed linen and winter blankets), and food for children. Bulk commodity food supplies, medicines, or support in water and sanitation were neither cited as a priority nor consistently mentioned. The team noted considerable stress amongst many of the people they interviewed and parents explained that their children were suffering from trauma.

The required logistics to deliver and handle both food and non-food items exist. Cargo can be delivered by rail from any part of Russia (or abroad) to Ust-Kut in Irkutsk Oblast, neighbouring Yakutia, and, from mid-May to mid-October, transported down the Lena river to the port of Lensk or further downstream to Yakutsk or Khandiga, on the Aldan river. The port of Lensk, which was damaged during the flood and then repaired in two weeks, works around the clock and can handle up to 4,000 MTs of cargo per day. Between the end of October and end of December airlifts to Mirny and road transport south to Lensk can be used. From the end of December until the end of March the Lena and Aldan rivers' ice is thick enough to bear trucks with over 20 MTs of cargo. In the case of Lensk food should be delivered in shipping containers because there are no storage facilities available. Finally, Yakutsk has an international airport and has a good road south to the railhead at Neryungri.

It was apparent from conversations with the local population and members of the regional government that there is a strong community spirit amongst the population at large. This should make it easier to plan, implement, and ensure the appropriate end-use of assistance.

Early warning measures appeared to be in place but were not fully appreciated before the crisis struck. While disaster preparedness seems to be strong, in particular within the Ministry of Emergencies (EMERCOM), there could be even more interaction between local authorities and communities in this sphere.

Over 4,000 6-18 year-old children are in the process of being evacuated for one or two months, thanks in part to the generosity of neighbouring subjects of the Russian Federation and countries such as Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

While not part of the team's mission, the local administration in Tomponsky region informed the team that forest fires were raging nearby. Restricted time prevented the team from visiting these sites. The team did, however, see forest fires in the Lensk region. These are, according to local authorities, cause for concern.

IV. AREAS VISITED⁵

A) Lensk Region

Description

The city of Lensk lies 1,000 km upstream from Yakutsk. (The distance in 'line of sight' is about 800 km.) The city serves as the main port on the River Lena for Alrosa, a diamond company some 280 km north in the Mirny area. Indeed, from Lensk cargo ships travel along the Lena to Ust-Kut, where cargo is transferred onto the Trans-Siberian railway. The city's population of about 30,000 inhabitants is the largest along the Lena, besides Yakutsk, in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). Lensk has an airstrip which is used for internal flights.

What happened

A first wave of flooding struck Lensk on 17 May. Later, at about 2 a.m. on 18 May, by when the river had risen some 20 metres above its usual level and three metres higher than predicted, water and ice thrust over the dams in Lensk almost completely flooding the town. The tide of ice burst its way through the city.

Consequences

7 people died and vast tracts of the town's one-storey buildings and houses were destroyed (see photo below). Multi-storey buildings were heavily damaged on the first and second floors. 12,000 persons were left homeless. Muria, a village 20 km downstream, has been largely destroyed; the village of Saldikyol, 60 km downstream, has largely vanished. Of its 187 houses, none remain salvageable.

National and International Response

The plight of Lensk caught national and international attention. President Putin and Minister Shoigu visited the site and indicated that residents would be cared for. A Commission for Humanitarian Assistance, headed by the First Deputy Chair of the Sakha Government, Alexandr Akimov, has been put in place and meets daily to address the people's needs and to resolve issues related to the estimated RUR 5.8 bln (about US $200 million) in damages. The city has been declared an alcohol-free and seven-day workweek zone.

During the past month, the government and the diamond company, Alrosa, have cleared up much of the mess, repaired the port, restored 1/3 of the electricity capacity, rebuilt roads and bridges, re-established telecommunications, re-opened all hospitals and the tuberculosis (TB) convalescent home, chosen and started preparing sites for new housing, and provided thousands of people food and water. The Russian Red Cross (RRC) has provided some basic relief items to the most affected households.

The situation in villages such as Saldikyol differs: besides tending to the immediate needs of the 200 resident by providing them an outdoor camp with tents and some food and potable water, there are no plans to re-build the village because it lies destroyed and has no viable economic future (see photo below). Its residents will have to move either within or out of the republic, a move that they appeared to understand. Muria's population, which cultivates the area's prime agricultural land, faces the struggle of rebuilding much of its village in situ and re-locating the rest 3 km in-land on ground which has already been selected. The work has started on both aspects: land is being tilled and sown in the village, and a site in the forest nearby has been cleared to house the first new dwellings although actual construction has yet to start.

For its part, the international community's response to the situation in and around Lensk has been limited mostly to the work of Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF)- Belgium, which has provided some basic relief items such as hygiene items, mattresses, and bed linen, as well as supported primary health care. The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA)-Germany is about to begin a modest relief programme and the International Federation of the Red Cross plans to continue to support the RRC.

B) Tomponsky Region

Description

The region is rich in gold and coal and hosts the River Aldan which cuts through it serving as its main artery by boat in the summer and as a road when frozen in the winter. Khandiga, the main town with 8,000 of the region's 18,000 people, is 640 km by river or 370 km 'line of sight' east north east of Yakutsk. There is also an airstrip for internal flights 72 km from Khandiga.

What happened

Floods and ice swept through the villages of Bordoi, Keskil, Novi Saidi, and Stari Saidi, and affected the embankment of Khandiga.

Consequences

231 buildings were affected, of which 124 were totally destroyed or lie beyond repair. The hamlet of Bordoi was almost completely swept into the river. Some 450 people are homeless or without shelter, and have lost all of their belongings including cars, equipment, furniture, and so forth. 28 out of 34 different types of river transport, on which much of the population's livelihood depends, were lost. Cranes used to unload ships have been 'displaced' into the forest. The peer in Khandiga was destroyed. 600 heads of cattle and 5,000 chickens died.

National and International Response

The regional authorities have sent 3 helicopters and 2 Antonov-12s of aid, including canned meat, 400 piglets, and 1,000 chickens, for 1,800 people. It was reported that RUR 11,500,000 (about US $400,000) has been allocated to build 50 houses, and that more funds are to be made available to build 70 flats. For the time being, the homeless are being sheltered in communal buildings in Khandiga, or are living either with friends and family or in sheds erected from the debris. A rudimentary port has been created.

C) Yakutsk and Khangalasky and Megino-Kangalasky Regions
(Dargelakh, Kalangassy, Kapitonovka, Kitil Dura, Sirdakh, Tulagino, Edei, and Zhatai villages and the city of Yakutsk)

Description

With Lensk and other towns and settlements under water and devastated by ice, attention focussed downriver on Yakutsk and its surrounding towns and villages. The regional government took immediate preventive measures to ensure the safety of the 400,000 residents in the area. These measures, which were largely successful thanks to the round-the-clock efforts of the provincial authorities and population at large, included: i) elevating the existing dam in Yakutsk by 50 cm; ii) creating a dam 6 km long and 2 metre high; iii) moving people and their belongings (including livestock) to higher land; iv) building temporary shelters for and providing basic assistance to people who had moved. Before the mission began the team was unaware of the damage in the greater Yakutsk area, and, while not as severe as in other areas, it made a strong impression on the team members.

What happened

Floods in most of the areas mentioned above.

Consequences

Some 3,500 people were affected and evacuated. Over 650 houses were flooded. Less than 10% were completely destroyed. Long-term damage was relatively small.

National and International Response

The federal and regional government are working actively inter alia to: fortify the existing dam; raise the road linking Yakutsk to Zhatai; rebuild destroyed sections of road, for example in Edei and Kapitonovka; re-establish electricity in villages such as Kangalas. The village of Kitil Dura has flooded four times during the past five years and, after discussions with the local administration, residents are being relocated to higher ground. Many of the costs are to be covered by the federal budget. To date, very little international assistance has arrived in these areas.

V. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Since the floods and ice struck villages and towns along the Lena and Aldan rivers, local communities, regional, and federal authorities have done a significant amount of work to provide relief and prepare for the winter which is only three months away. Existing logistics and distribution systems, such as those of the local administration, and the RRC, appear to be reliable and should be used and built on, in particular because of the lack of time to establish new structures.

It is unlikely that sufficient winter-proof shelter for the 17,000 most affected persons will have been built by September. While the federal and regional authorities should focus their efforts on the immediate construction of adequate shelter for people who lost their homes, measures need to be taken to re-locate complete families to areas of their choice before winter strikes. The international community should support the planning process if requested to do so, as part of preparedness measures.

It is urgent to provide families who lost their belongings basic relief items such as winter clothes and footwear, family parcels with hygiene items and detergent, and with multi-fuel stoves, mattresses, towels, blankets, and bed linen. In addition, foods which require little preparation or cooking, such as macaroni and porridge, should be provided.

Purchase of relief items is possible in the Russian Federation and should be encouraged to stimulate local economies. Distances in the region are vast and local purchase is therefore preferable.

While there are currently no food shortages many families have planted their potato crop one month later than they usually would have. A successful potato crop will be critical to the population's food security during the coming winter. In August, the extent to which the crop is progressing, compared to previous years, should be monitored. If the crop's success is in doubt, appropriate food aid should be mobilized.

The extent to which there is a federal or regional compensation programme for people who lost their vehicles or agricultural machinery is unclear. Such programmes would be very useful. In addition, the federal and regional governments should create a credit system enabling families to replace agricultural machinery and boats that they lost during the floods.

Early warning, protective, and preparedness procedures need to be enhanced with the active participation of local communities.

VI. PLAN OF ACTION

There are three lines of action that are based on the findings, conclusions, and recommendations above: the provision of relief items; cooperation with the regional and local authorities; and advocacy on behalf of civilians in need and the international agencies aiming to support them.

Provision of Relief

Concerning the provision of relief, the team felt that given the federal and regional government's emphasis on the re-establishment of infrastructure and shelter, the role for the international community should rest at the household level. In particular, it is appropriate to support families during the upcoming winter by providing them multi-fuel stoves, plastic sheeting, mattresses, bed linen sets, winter blankets, and a family parcel comprising hygienic items, a Jerry can, candles and matches, and some food stuffs. For children, the focus should be on winter coats, hats and gloves, and winter boots. Basic education kits should be provided to schools. A very preliminary budget for such inputs, which could be distributed by existing structures and monitored by two missions to the region, is outlined below.

Cooperation

The United Nations Development Programme could enhance its ongoing work with the Government of Sakha (Yakutia) on early warning and preparedness procedures, and ensure that local communities, in particular women's groups, are active participants. The Government of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) has already set aside US $60,000 of its own funds to cooperate with UNDP and, as such, it could be the case that no funds are needed for this activity. A further activity mentioned above concerns a monitoring mission in August to review the progress of the potato crop. This could take place, or be part of, one of the two broader programme monitoring missions which are planned.

Advocacy

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) should work with donors to mobilize resources and promote an adequate response to the RRC and IFRC appeals, as well as to the supplementary request for international donors to provide funds for the proposed programmes outlined above. No funds are needed for this activity.

Annex I. List of Team Members (in Alphabetical Order)

Mission Team Members:

Mr. Walter Jaeggli (Switzerland)
Mr. Toby Lanzer (United Kingdom), Team Leader
Mr. Mati Raidma (Estonia)
Mr. Simo Wecksten (Finland)

Associated Team Members:

Emercom of Russia
Mr. Vladimir Boreiko (Russian Federation)

Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation / Swiss Disaster Relief

Mr. Dieter Dreyer (Switzerland)
Mr. Hans Ryter (Switzerland)

World Food Programme

Mr. Koryun Alaverdyan (Armenia)

Annex 2. Terms of Reference
Mission to Siberia: 14-20 June 2001

Background

In light of the floods in eastern Siberia, in particular in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the Government of the Russian Federation wrote to the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC) requesting international assistance. The ERC has mobilized a United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team to visit the affected region 14- 20 June.

Team composition

The UNDAC team comprises four specialised emergency managers, including the head of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Russian Federation, who will work in support of the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator (HC) in the Russian Federation. One member of the Russian Ministry of Emergencies (EMERCOM of Russia), two members of Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation / Swiss Disaster Relief and one from the World Food Programme will be associated with the UNDAC team.

The team will work closely with and consult to the maximum extent possible:

• representatives of the relevant ministries of the federal and regional government;
• international and local non-governmental organisations (NGOs); and
• members of the affected population.

Areas to be visited

After consultations with the Government of Yakutia in Yakutsk, site visits are planned to take place in Lensk and in settlements along the Lena River between Yakutsk and Lensk.

Objectives

The team will assess the profile and condition of the affected population, paying particular attention to needs in the following sectors: food aid; agriculture (crops and livestock); shelter and non-food items; health; water and sanitation; education; environment; and infrastructure.

The team will take note of local, regional, national (governmental and Russian Red Cross), and international (IFRC and MSF Belgium) relief efforts, review to what extent there are gaps, and make recommendations on addressing remaining emergency needs.

The team, given the long and harsh winters in the affected region, will note disaster preparedness and contingency planning needs and make relevant recommendations.

Output

The team will report daily on the progress of its work to the HC and OCHA headquarters.

The team will discuss its findings with the Russian Government and the UN Country Team in the Russian Federation on Thursday 21 June. The team will prepare a final report, to be cleared by the HC, and bring its contents to the attention of the international donor community in briefings in Moscow on Thursday 21 June and Geneva on Friday 22 June.

Moscow, 13 June 2001

Annex 3. Itinerary

Thursday 14 June

1500: Briefing with United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator

1800: Team meeting in Moscow

2030: Flight to Yakutsk

Friday 15 June

0815: Arrival in Yakutsk; met by representative of Foreign Ministry

1030: Meeting with Alexander Ogly, Deputy Prime Minister

1200: Press conference

1500: Assessment trip to Yakutsk and its surrounding areas accompanied by Yuri Kravtsov, Head of Protocol Department of the Ministry of Foreign Relations, and Semion Afanassev, Deputy Minister of EMERCOM Yakutia

1600: Assessment trip to Darkelakh, Zhatai (meeting with Anatoli Kislenev, Head of Zhatai administration), Kangalassy (destroyed water purification plant), Tulagino (meeting with Viktoria Sharinova, Head of Tulogino administration), Kapitonovka, and Edei (meeting with Maksim Solovyov, Head of Edei administration)

2200-0130: Team meeting: preparing of UNDAC field situation report and sending it to OCHA Geneva

Saturday 16 June

0900: Team meeting;
Discussions with EMERCOM officials

1150: Helicopter flight to the Tomponsky region: flight over affected area (Bordoi, Kaskil, Khandiga, Novi Saidi, and Stari Saidi)

1400: Landing in Khandiga, conducting assessment in Khandiga, and meeting with Dmitry Savvin, Head of regional administration, and his staff

1500: Assessment trip to Bordoi by boat (completely destroyed village)

1700-1835: Assessment trip along the Aldan River

1850 - 2035: Flight to Yakutsk by helicopter

2130: Official dinner with Sergey Matyanov, Controller of Humanitarian Aid in the Representative Office in the Far East of the President of the Russian Federation, and Valery Sukhoborov, Deputy Head of the Far East regional centre of EMERCOM Russia

Sunday 17 June

Morning: Team meeting

1300: Meeting with Alexander Migalkin, Minister of Foreign Relations, and Nikolay Baramugin, Deputy Head of Kandalasky region

1450-2000: Field trip to Khotuchi village (on the other side of the Lena river), visit evacuation camp, meeting with Nikolay Soldatov, Head of Khotuchi administration

2000-2145: Meeting with Anatoly Dobriantsov, Head of Megino-Kandalasky region

2300-0155: Return to Yakutsk by ferry and road

Monday 18 June

0835: Flight to Lensk accompanied by Alexander Migalkin, Minister of Foreign Relations

1200: Meeting with Vadim Polushin, Deputy Minister of EMERCOM Yakutia, and Alexander Samortsev, Chief of SAR team of Lensk region

1230-1400: Helicopter assessment flight over Lensk, Muria, and Saldikel: landing in Muria and Saldikel, meeting with local populations; flying over forest fire area;
Return to Lensk by car

1700: Meeting with Alexander Akimov, 1st Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Republican Emergency Response Commission, and his staff

1900-2100: Team meeting

2130-0000: Meeting with Herve de Ribaucourt, Desk Officer, MSF-Belgium, Brussels

Tuesday 19 June

0830: Team meeting; split team into two groups

0930: Group A meeting with Ms. Yulia Peskovskaya, Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, and press conference

0930: Group B meeting with local officials; site visits; logistics assessment

1500-1550: Visit local market: review food prices and food availability

1925: Flight to Yakutsk

Wednesday 20 June

0800: Meeting with Nadezhda Gavriliyeva, Chairperson of the Russian Red Cross Society, Yakutia republican Committee

1200: Flight to Moscow

1230: Arrival in Moscow

1430: Preparation of mission report

Thursday 21 June

0830: Meeting with Heads of UN Agencies

1000: Meeting with Mr. Vyacheslav Vlasenko, Chief of the Department of International Cooperation, EMERCOM of Russia

1200: Donor debriefing

1740: Flight to Geneva

Friday 22 June

1200: Debriefing with OCHA Geneva staff

1500: Donor debriefing in Geneva

Annex 4. People Met (in Alphabetical Order)

Annex 5. Abbreviations and Acronyms

Footnotes:

¹ Some people in the region's capital, Yakutsk, noted that the lack of systematic dredging could have caused water levels to rise but the overwhelming reasons provided were extreme cold quickly turning into spring.

² The team comprised four members of United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC), one of whom is currently the head of the OCHA Office in the Russian Federation. One staff member of the Russian Federation's Ministry of Emergencies (EMERCOM of Russia), two members of the Government of Switzerland's 'Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation / Swiss Disaster Relief', and one representative of the UN's World Food Programme in the Russian Federation accompanied the team. (See annexe 1 below.)

³ Despite the natural disaster which befell the republic and the unexpected costs associated therewith, the government continues to disburse salaries to its employees and pay social welfare entitlements to the relevant people. This is especially useful for employees, pensioners, and the like who sustained losses during the natural disaster.

⁴ A complete itinerary can be found in annexe 3, and a list of persons whom the team met lies in annexe 4.

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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

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