Attachments
A. Situation analysis
Description of the disaster
At least four people were killed and thousands were affected by flash floods occurred as a result of heavy rains and strong winds on 9-12 May 2016 in nine districts of Tajikistan. According to the feedback and reports received from the Red Crescent Society of Tajikistan's (RCST) response teams and Governmental Emergency Committee sources, some 1,598 households were affected countrywide, where the mainly affected households are in Rudaky 1,146 families (5,730 people) and Panjekent 147 families (735 people).
The affected population's houses were partially or totally damaged and they lost their food stocks and home properties as well. Storage buildings, stocks for cooking/heating (e.g. firewood), cooking utensilsand bedding/clothes of the most affected households were destroyed or lost.
Some 1500 people, including women and children in Rudaky district were evacuated by CoES and local authorities to the safer place at their relative’s houses and in public facilities. The exact number of displaced or affected by both Panjekent and Rudaky floods/mudflows is yet to be identified. CoES Deputy Chairman together with the Rescue and Military Units are working at the place and continue evacuation of the population to the safer areas.
The disaster caused significant damage to houses, arable land, bridges and local infrastructure. Tens to hundreds of livestock have been killed. The disasters also damaged a significant number of household belongings, including stored food within the houses.
The Dushanbe – Khorog Highway has also been closed due to flooding/mudflow at several junctures.
The neighbouring unaffected villages are trying to help by bringing some food for the affected population.
Summary of the current response
Overview of Host National Society
The Red Crescent Society of Tajikistan received a formal letter from the CoES requesting the National Society to provide assistance to the affected population. The major fields of the necessary support is provision of non-food items and hygiene kits. Moreover, CoES stressed for an urgent need for a diesel fuel for cleaning of debris that filled most rivers, flood diversion canals, community roads and households.
In total, the RCST`s districts’ branch deployed their 72 staff and volunteers, including three members of the RCST National Disaster Response Team, 48 Local Disaster Committee members/volunteers, the Disaster Management Officer for Sughd province and three district branch staff. The Red Crescent Society mobilized its staff and volunteers to conduct rapid assessment, rendering first aid (based on needs) and to help the affected people during the evacuation from the affected area to schools, mosques and neighbouring villages.
Currently, a first aid point is being setting up by the RCST in Rudaky administrative centre to support most affected people, based on their urgent needs.
The Red Crescent Society of Tajikistan is working closely with the Governmental Emergency Commission and the UN agencies – REACT partners, to provide relief assistance to the most affected and most vulnerable households. At the same time, the RCST is coordinating its activities with the IFRC Secretariat’s Country Representation in Tajikistan, which is providing technical and financial support in carrying out the planned operation.
RCST has active DRR operations through its branches in both affected areas (Penjikent and Rudaki districts) for the last 10 years. Starting from 2005 several DIPECHO project phases are being implemented in the most areas of Penjikent which are located in prone to natural disaster places. Within these years, around 14 LDMCs were established in Penjikent district. The LDMC mainly work with vulnerable communities on DRR including dissemination of information, conducting simulation exercises both in community and school levels, strengthening capacity of both RC branch and CoES through provision of LDMC sets and Search and Rescue equipment. Around 10 small scale mitigation projects in kind of riverbank reinforcement, tree planting, and mudflow/channel cleaning were implemented in this district which essentially decreased the level of threats to the population. In spite of many progress achieved in this district on DRR and preparedness, the district is located in mountainous area and many communities located in remote directions from the district centre which make it difficult to provide timely response.
Rudaki district is one of the closest to the capital of the country, Dushanbe city. The district is considered as one of the biggest and several communities laid along rivers Elok and Kofarnihon. In spite of many riverbank reinforcement activities implemented both by Government and NGOs, every year some communities are being flooded by these rivers due to high precipitation within May-June. Thanks to DRR public awareness activities of RCST and other organizations, no causalities happened during the recent disaster.
Also good progress is that fact of early warning of population and timely evacuation of population during the first hours of disaster.
The lessons learned from previous response operations have been taken into account by the RCST Disaster Management Unit and applied/used in current operations for better and affective response to the needs of affected population. The first achievement is better and in time coordination between governmental authorities, UN agencies and REACT. The needs assessment, verification and further correction of data related to the numbers and needs of affected people and who is doing what, significantly improved during the current response.
The joint assessment is still ongoing in all affected areas. As soon as the State Commission on Emergency finalizes the detailed assessment, the Government will prepare a response/recovery plan.