ReliefWeb

Summary: CHF 41,159 was allocated from the Federation's Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF)to support the South African Red Cross Society (SARCS)in delivering immediate assistance to some 15,000 people affected by Rift Valley Fever (RVF).

The objective of the operation was to support the National Society Branches to effectively respond to the outbreak of RVF through promotion of hygiene and provision of health education to affected communities, along with distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE) to farm workers, in the three most affected provinces: the Free State, Northern Cape and Eastern Cape.

Some 250 farms in three provinces, with more than 1,100 farm workers and 3,000 families (over 15,000 beneficiaries) were reached. Information talks in 18 informal settlements reaching 1,096 homes with over 3,000 people were also held.

All indications are that the operation has helped prevent further infections of RVF among the farming communities. In the last 3 months of this operation, only eight additional human infections and no deaths were recorded. Although attribution is difficult to establish, it is assumed this is in part due to the success of the operation.

The Department of Health (DOH) as well as the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) assisted SARCS volunteers to access the farms and conduct health education. However, because DOH officials were engaged in 2010 Soccer World Cup events, access to some of the affected farms was delayed and a two-month extension was granted for completion of the planned activities. Of the DREF funds allocated, a balance of CHF 1,573 remained unused at the end of the operation and will be returned to DREF.

The major donors and partners of DREF include the Australian, American and Belgian governments, the Austrian Red Cross, the Canadian Red Cross and government, Danish Red Cross and government, the European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO), the Irish and the Italian governments, the Japanese Red Cross Society, the Luxembourg government, the Monaco Red Cross and government, the Netherlands Red Cross and government, the Norwegian Red Cross and government, the Spanish Government, the Swedish Red Cross and government, the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID), the Medtronic and Z Zurich Foundations, and other corporate and private donors. The IFRC, on behalf of the National Society, would like to extend thanks to all for their generous contributions.

Details of all contributions to the DREF for 2010 can be found on: http://www.ifrc.org/docs/appeals/Active/MAA00010_2010.pdf and for 2011 on: http://www.ifrc.org/docs/appeals/Active/MAA00010_2011.pdf

All operations-related appeals, reports, updates and information are available on the Appeals, plans and updates section of the web site: http://www.ifrc.org/en/publications-and-reports/appeals/