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IN BRIEF
THIS APPEAL SEEKS CHF 581,000 (USD 370,000 or EUR 395,000) IN CASH, KIND AND SERVICES TO ASSIST 8,000 BENEFICIARIES FOR 1 MONTH
Situation
At 15:40 local time on 4 June 2002 the Zeyoun Dam - close to Hama, 380km north of Damascus and on the Orontes River - collapsed flooding an estimated 60 sq. km with over 70 million m3 of water. Many crops and agriculture land were destroyed. Early warning of cracks developing in the dam wall enabled some evacuation. Latest reports from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent Society (SARC) indicate the following affected (although details continue to emerge that may changes these figures).
Villages Affected: six Zeyoun (2,500 pop), Mchit, Tell Wassat, Karkour, Jisr al Chour, Zicria
Estimated Homeless: 8,000
Estimated Killed: 10
Estimated Missing: 30/40
Estimated Injured: 20
Government Action: The government has requested international assistance and an OCHA UNDAC team is leaving for the area today. Contact has been made between the UNDAC Team and the Federation for coordination on the ground. A government emergency committee has been set up to investigate and coordinate the accident response.
Red Cross /Red Crescent Action: The SARC responded immediately with teams from nearby towns and headquarters and were on the scene within hours to assist those affected. The SARC sent 1,000 food parcels, 200 tents, 500 blankets and 100 kitchen sets from its stock through its branch in Edlib. The SARC through the regional delegation in Amman has asked the Federation for assistance (see below).
The Federation: The regional delegation in Amman has deployed two delegates, along with a French RC delegate at the delegation, to assist the SARC to complete a detailed assessment. They are in Syria now and will link up with the SARC and the UNDAC Team. In Geneva the Middle East North Africa (MENA) desk officer and the DMC head of operations are coordinating Federation support. The logistics department has set up a preliminary mobilisation table. CHF 200,000 from the disaster relief emergency fund (DREF) has been provided for immediate support.
The Arab Emirates RC has sent 200 tents and medicine to Syria.
Objectives: The Federation will provide immediate relief support for 8,000 beneficiaries through the SARC
Needs
Immediate Needs
The immediate needs are to support 8,000 beneficiaries with:
- Provision of essential shelter (tents), blankets, kitchen sets, food parcels.
- Distribution and management costs.
- Transport and logistics support.
- Basic personnel and support costs.
Coordination
The SARC will lead the operation with support as needed from the three delegates now in Syria. Beneficiary identification and subsequent relief distributions will be carried out by the society with Federation support as needed. A detailed assessment will be made by the SARC/Federation from which amendments may be made to this appeal either through a new Appeal or by an Operations Update.
All National Societies interested in responding with goods in kind to the appeal needs must contact the logistics department at the Federation secretariat in Geneva to ensure tracking and coordination.
Proposed Operation
Objectives and activities planned to reach the objectives
- Emergency support by identification and classification of the 8,000 beneficiaries.
- Provision of essential shelter, food, kitchen and blankets.
- Initial period of support for one month subject to amendments following detailed assessment.
- Food parcels will be procured and made up by the SARC in Damascus or nearby towns. (See attached budget for details).
Search and rescue
The SARC branch is on the ground and assisting S&R.
Health and care
One of the regional delegates is a medical specialist and will report on the overall health situation and any necessary amendments will be made to this appeal.
Water and sanitation
As above, the health delegate will report on the water & sanitation situation and any amendments will be made to this appeal.
Relief: distribution of food and basic non-food items
As noted above further details will be reported through Operations Updates.
Shelter
Through the provision of tents.
Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement -- Principles and priorities
To ensure initial support to the most vulnerable of the affected population, then other beneficiaries as identified.
Capacity of the National Society
The National Society has good capacity to manage the proposed operation with support from the regional delegation.
Monitoring and Evaluation
Will be carried out by the society with support from the RD Amman.
Capacity of the Federation
The Federation Delegation in Amman has sufficient support for the first phase. Depending on detailed assessment, additional support will be provided as requested. At this moment no additional delegates are required.
Budget summary
See Annex 1 for details.
For further details please contact:
Iain Logan, head of operations, Phone: 41 22 730 4984; Fax: 41 22 733 0395; email: logan@ifrc.org.
Evgeni Parfenov, desk officer, Phone 41 22 730 4325 email: parfenov@ifrc.org
All International Federation Assistance Operations seek to adhere to the Code of Conduct and are committed to the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response (SPHERE Project) in delivering assistance to the most vulnerable.
In line with the Minimum Reporting Standards, the first operations update on this appeal will be issued within 30-days of the launch and the second will be issued over the course of the operation; a final narrative and financial report will be issued no later than 90 days after the end of the operation.
This operation seeks to administer to the immediate requirements of the victims of this disaster. Subsequent operations to promote sustainable development or longer-term capacity building will require additional support and these programmes are outlined on the Federation website.
For support to or for further information concerning Federation operations in this or other countries, please access the Federation website at http://www.ifrc.org
Didier J. Cherpitel
Secretary General
Jean Ayoub
Director
Disaster Management and Coordination
Annex 1
| PRELIMINARY BUDGET SUMMARY APPEAL No. 15/2002 | ||
| Syria - dam collapse, flooding | ||
| TYPE | VALUE IN CHF | |
| RELIEF NEEDS | ||
| Family tents: 1,000 | 216,000 | |
| Blankets: 8,000 | 43,000 | |
| Food parcels: 2,000 | 100,000 | |
| Utensils & tools: 2,000 kitchen sets | 50,000 | |
| Other relief supplies | ||
| TOTAL RELIEF NEEDS |  | 409,000 |
| PROGRAMME SUPPORT | ||
| Programme management | 39,000 | |
| Technical support | 12,000 | |
| Professional services | 13,000 | |
| TRANSPORT STORAGE & VEHICLE COSTS | 60,000 | |
| PERSONNEL | ||
| Expatriate staff | 10,000 | |
| National staff | 20,000 | |
| ADMINISTRATIVE & GENERAL SERVICES | ||
| Travel & related expenses | 5,000 | |
| Information expenses | 5,000 | |
| Administrative & general expenses | 8,000 | |
| TOTAL OPERATIONAL NEEDS | 172,000 | |
| TOTAL APPEAL CASH, KIND, SERVICES | 581,000 | |
| LESS AVAILABLE RESOURCES (-) | NIL | |
| NET REQUEST | 581,000 | |