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Tajikistan: Food Deficit Appeal No. 26/01 Operations Update No. 4

Countries
Tajikistan
Sources
IFRC
Publication date


Launched on 21 August 2001 for CHF 6,795,218 for 9 months. Programme has been extended for 4 months, and will now end on 30 September, 2002.
Disaster relief Emergency Fund (DREF) allocated: CHF 150,000

Beneficiaries: 130,000

Period covered: 25 April 2002 to 15 June 2002; last Ops Update (no. 03 issued 25 April, 2002; Next Ops Update (no. 6) expected : September 2002

"At a Glance"

Appeal coverage: 130.4%

Related Appeals: 01.52/2002, Central Asia 2002 Annual Appeal

Outstanding needs: None

Summary/Update: Interagency cooperation to deliver assistance continues, with the effective coordination of WFP. In addition, a cooperation agreement with UNICEF addressing school sanitation and hygiene promotion among schoolchildren and surrounding communities is progressing. In the Khatlon region, the Federation/RCST relief team with Oxfam is developing an early-warning system on food security. This component of the programme will be implemented jointly by a number of agencies. The current programme has been extended to the end of September 2002, allowing the International Federation and RCST to achieve the initial set objectives.

Operational Developments

As was announced in the previous programme update, considering late donor funding confirmation for certain programme objectives and also due to logistical delays in delivery of food supply for various programme components, it was agreed by the delegation to extend the current programme until 30 September. At present, the appeal food and clothes distribution operations, as well as public health education activities are ongoing. The water and sanitation component of the appeal received funding from DFID for rehabilitation of small scale irrigation systems in drought affected areas in the south of the country. For more details, please see below.

The International Federation is currently conducting an evaluation of its two successive relief operations in response to the ongoing drought (emergency appeals no 26/00 - Tajikistan drought, and 26/01 - Tajikistan food deficit). The evaluation is carried out by an internal evaluation team, in cooperation with a number of partner-National Societies. It is expected to review the effectiveness and impact of the two operations, but also to give recommendations on the future of the Federation and RCST emergency response.

The Government of Tajikistan has issued an appeal to International Organisations on 7 May 2002 requesting financial assistance to fight the effects of recent natural disasters. According to the Government authorities the estimated damage caused in March and April 2002 is some 75 million Tajik Somoni (28 million USD).

In the last months , various agencies’ field reports have indicated a threat of a major locust infestation in Sughd and Khatlon regions, which may seriously jeopardize the forthcoming wheat harvest. The threat comes as a result of a combination of factors, including high temperatures and humidity, as well as wheat-rich fields. Interagency coordination for response to this new threat is underway.

Red Cross and Red Crescent action

Relief distributions

Objective 1: To provide 130,000 vulnerable people with essential food items for six months.

In Khatlon region a food distribution round has been finished in the middle of April, and the implementation of the final part of the WFP Agreement of Food For Work Activities is continuing. According to the signed agreement, some 2,700 beneficiaries are involved to clean irrigation canals in their respective communities. This activity had progressed well, when torrential rains set in the beginning of May. Flash floods occurring all over the region, clogged the canals that had been cleaned, and the work had to be re- started. However, the fact that these canals were relatively clean when the rain set in, mitigated the effects of the floods, as the canals lead much of the superfluous water away.

In addition, another Food For Work proposal has been submitted to WFP for mobilizing a community to get clean drinking water. The community will lay a total of 850 meters of piping from the well they are using, to the village. The pipes will be supplied by local authorities, food for work by WFP and the RCST with the Federation support will lead and supervise the work.

In Sughd, the last cycle of food distribution has been completed on 26 May, and a total of 74,714 beneficiaries have received two rations of food. Distributions in Sughd have been problematic due to delays in delivery of wheat flour and oil from suppliers, combined with the fact that the beneficiary list prepared by local authorities required considerable changes, as 100% monitoring in one rayon showed that there had been cases of re- distribution of food after households have received their rations.

On stock remained 2,940 Kg of wheat flour purchased from DFID - funds transferred from the Drought Appeal. This amount of wheat flour will now be distributed between institutions in Sughd, ranging from a TB hospital to orphanages. The shelf- life of the wheat flour is expiring in a month, and the Delegation will ensure that no institution will receive more than one month’s worth of consumption.

Since the main part of the programme is over, the Delegation is reorganizing and rationalising its management setup. From 20 June, the relief delegate will take over as a relief Coordinator, responsible to finalize the programme until the end of September. That includes food for work activities, collect and- redistribute of the seeds component that were part of the Drought Appeal (26/00); finalize clothes distributions and ensure proper final reporting to donors.

Objective 2: To assist 65,000 schoolchildren between seven and fifteen years of age with winter clothes and shoes.

The last bales of Swedish Red Cross donated clothes were received in Kulyab on 3 May. It was repackaged, and the Khatlon district branch made distribution lists and submitted to the regional NS branch for approval. The NS, together with the Delegation field office carried out joint distributions. A total of 17, 711 beneficiaries received clothes. All together 28,560 people have received Swedish clothes in Khatlon region. Since the start of the programme in October, a total of 41,000 people have received clothes in Khatlon region.

In Sughd, the field office is awaiting the last bales of 20 tonnes from the Swedish Red Cross. This distribution will be reported on in more detail in next update.

As for the shoes distribution, this component was removed from the Appeal in April/May because of low donor response. Only Norwegian and Hellenic Red Cross Societies made donations, 1,500 and 900 pairs of shoes , respectively. Should there be further contributions to the appeal, the component may be reinstated. In this case, the Delegation would receive an additional 20,000 pairs, out of which 35% would go to Khatlon, while 65% will go to Sughd. This difference in allocation because of climatic variations between the two regions.

Health

Objective: To improve community health through education, better hygiene and safe drinking water in health facilities.

A total of 150,000 booklets concerning diarrhoeal diseases were printed and will be distributed to all health care institutions in drought - effected areas of RRS, Khatlon and Sughd regions by the end of June and beginning of July. Health care staff of institutions in the programme areas will conduct health education campaigns in management and prevention of diarrhoeal diseases.

The procurement of the hygienic ( toilet soap - 60,000) and medical (ORS - 300,000) supplies is in progress and 1000 water filters will be procured and distributed to primary health care units located in drought affected areas for the purpose of increasing theier capacity to respond timely and effectively to any outbreak of water-born diseases.

An additional 180 primary health care units will be supplied with adult scales and 250 with baby scales to support the facilities in developing nutrition surveillance system.

In order to increase accessibility to basic health care services for vulnerable population in drought affected regions, primary health care units (SVA) and out-patient departments of CRH will be supplied with 765 essential drug kits in June, 2002, containing two basic medicines and two medical supplies. The medicines were procured from savings from the ECHO programme, improvement of health services in Tajikistan through provision of essential medical supplies to health institutions, public health education and first aid training.

Water-sanitation

Objective: To improve people’s access to safe drinking water and small-scale irrigation through food-for-work activities.

Following the completion of the ECHO funded contract, DFID confirmed funding for the rehabilitation of small scale irrigation systems in the south of the country. This programme will be implemented by the RCST with the support of the Federation and in cooperation with WFP, under their Food for Asset Activities programme. The RCST water and sanitation team is collecting data on the villages to be considered within the project. After the finalisation of the initial assessment, activities and programme implementation will start shortly. The first phase of the programme - community mobilisation and procurement for the programme are already underway.

National Society Capacity Building

The Federation is building the capacity of the National Society through implementation of its programmes. The National Staff programme personnel is trained in management of programmes and organizational management, revising of the programs and reporting. In May a Central Asia Regional workshop on disaster management was held in Kyrgystan; five staff from NS participated. This workshop will be followed up by a training in leadership. In addition the branches have been given own budgets and are being trained by Delegation finance department in budget management and control leading towards increased transparency and accountability.

Coordination

Interagency cooperation continues, with the effective coordination of WFP. In addition, a cooperation agreement with UNICEF addressing school sanitation and hygiene promotion among schoolchildren and surrounding communities is progressing (pending confirmation from the Federation Secretariat). In the Khatlon region the Federation/RCST relief team is developing (with Oxfam) an early-warning system on food security. This component of the programme will be implemented jointly by a number of agencies.

Outstanding needs

The current programme has been extended to the end of September 2002, allowing the International Federation and the RCST to achieve the initial set objectives.

For further details please contact: Michaela Told Phone: 41 22 730 4424; Fax: 41 22 733 03 email: told@ifrc.org

All International Federation Operations seek to adhere to the Code of Conduct and are committed the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response (SPHERE Project) delivering assistance to the most vulnerable.

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’s website.

For further information concerning Federation operations in this or other countries, please access the Federation website at http://www.ifrc.org.

John Horekens
Director
Division of External Relations

Lynette Lowndes
Head
Europe Department

Tajikistan Food Deficit
ANNEX 1
APPEAL No. 26/2001
PLEDGES RECEIVED
30.07.2002
DONOR
CATEGORY
QUANTITY
UNIT
VALUE CHF
DATE
COMMENT
CASH
TOTAL COVERAGE
REQUESTED IN APPEAL CHF
>
6'795'218
130.4%
BRITISH - GOVT/DFID
27'990
GBP
66'490
04.10.2001
PROGRAMME MGT & CONTROL
BRITISH - GOVT/DFID
237'600
GBP
554'606
04.04.2002
CANADIAN - GOVT/CIDA
594'000
CAD
623'403
19.11.2001
CANADIAN - GOVT/CIDA
95'400
CAD
99'340
14.03.2002
CHINA, HONG KONG - RC
7'496
10.09.2001
FINNISH - RC
50'456
EUR
76'643
01.10.2001
FINNISH - RC
62'734
EUR
92'520
27.12.2001
GERMAN - GOVT/RC
301'573
EUR
444'760
29.11.2001
130 MT SUNFLOWER OIL, 496 FAP-KITS, TRANSPORT
HELLENIC - RC
5'000'000
GRD
22'290
07.09.2001
HELLENIC - RC
5'000'000
GRD
21'705
24.10.2001
ICELANDIC - RC
6'800'000
ISK
112'472
12.11.2001
IRANIAN - RC
962
USD
1'610
04.09.2001
PSB FOR IN-KIND
JAPANESE - RC
10'000' 000
JPY
139'010
05.10.2001
MONACO - RC
80' 000
FRF
18'344
21.08.2001
NORWEGIAN - RC
100' 000
NOK
18'400
02.11.2001
NORWEGIAN - GOVT/RC
1'291' 263
NOK
241'190
15.11.2001
PRIVATE DONORS
2'095
29.11.2001
PRIVATE DONORS
1'206
09.01.2002
SWEDISH - GOVT/RC
1'300'000
SEK
213'590
30.08.2001
SEK 300'000 REGIONAL WATSAN
WFP
90'856
USD
152'502
27.12.2001
WFP
25'085
USD
42'105
10.10.2001
WFP
38'728
USD
65'005
30.01.2002
SUB/TOTAL RECEIVED IN CASH
3' 016'782
CHF
44.4%
KIND AND SERVICES (INCLUDING PERSONNEL)
DONOR
CATEGORY
QUANTITY
UNIT
VALUE CHF
DATE
COMMENT
FINNISH - RC
Delegate(s)
40'246
01.10.2001
FINNISH - RC
58'950
EUR
86'939
27.12.2001
16'175 KG USED CLOTHES, TRANSPORTATION
IRANIAN - RC
19'250
USD
32'215
04.09.2001
10'000 KGS RICE, 3'000 KGS EDIBLE OIL, 3'000 KGS DATES, 5'000 KGS SUGAR, 4'000 KGS CANNED FOOD, 5'000 KGS PULSES
NORWAY
Delegate(s)
37'782
SWEDEN
Delegate(s)
3'285
WFP
1'812'383
USD
3'042'085
27.12.2001
5113 MT WHEAT FLOWER, 83 MT VETABLE OIL, 41 MT SALT
WFP
532'115
USD
893'155
10.10.2001
1680 MT WHEAT FLOWER, 156.8 MT VEGETABLE OIL, 281 MT SALT, 100.8 MT GREEN PEAS
WFP
1'016'989
USD
1'707'016
30.01.2002
2780 MT WHEAT FLOWER, 51.2 VEGETABLE OIL, 27.9 MT SALT, 52 MT SUGAR
SUB/TOTAL RECEIVED IN KIND/SERVICES
5' 842'723
CHF
86.0%
ADDITIONAL TO APPEAL BUDGET
DONOR
CATEGORY
QUANTITY
UNIT
VALUE CHF
DATE
COMMENT
SUB/TOTAL RECEIVED
CHF