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DPR Korea: Flash Floods/Typhoon Appeal No. 22/02 Operations Update No. 2

Pays
RPDC
Sources
IFRC
Date de publication


This Ops Update is intended for reporting on emergency appeals.
The Federation's mission is to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity. It is the world's largest humanitarian organization and its millions of volunteers are active in 178 countries. For more information: www.ifrc.org

Budget Revision
Launched on 9 August 2002 for CHF 903,000 for four months for 22,500 beneficiaries.
This budget revision seeks CHF 947,300 (USD 631,955 or EUR 646,800) for 26,000 beneficiaries
Period covered: September

IN BRIEF

Appeal coverage: 34.8%
Related Appeals: East Asia regional programmes (01.30/2002)
Outstanding needs: CHF 617,424

Sumamry: Donor response has been slow. The appeal has been slightly revised in the light of operational developments. The DPR Korea Red Cross continues to assist those most in need after the flash flooding and typhoon.

Summary

Western provinces of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) have been affected by floods and landslides provoked by exceptionally heavy rains which fell several hours 4-5 August, 2002. The runoff from the rain immediately caused sever flash flooding. Among the most severely affected areas are the current Red Cross operational areas, where homes and fields have been destroyed due to the flash floods and land slides.

For a second time, in a less than a month, DPR Korea has been affected by floods triggered by torrential rainfalls. Disastrous effects caused by the passage of a Typhoon Rusa that has hit the Korean peninsula over the period of 31 August - 01 September 2002 have been felt in Kangwon province of DPR Korea.

The DPRK Red Cross Society and its branches in the affected areas are now responding to the disaster by providing needed emergencies services and relief goods to the affected communities. The National Society, in cooperation with and supported by the Federation's Delegation, seeks to provide immediate assistance for the most affected people in the ongoing operational areas.

The Situation

The torrential rain primarily impacted on 4-5 August the western parts of the country (Kaechon, Dokchon and Anju) the main cities in South Phyongan Province and Nyongwon, Eunsan, Mundok and Sukchon. Approximately 120-227 mm of rain fell in a 3-5 hour duration, resulting in 23,000 people being left homeless and 6,681 partially affected. South Hwanghae Province, the rice-bowl of the country, was also hit by 340-380 mm of heavy rain in less than 10 hours. Flash floods from the mountains swept scores of villages in North Phyongan Province too.

Similarly, floods triggered by Typhoon Rusa on 31 August and 1 September have caused damage to parts of Kangwon Province. According to Flood Damage Rehabilitation Committee (FDRC), a Government body, the worst affected areas were the counties of Tongchon and Kosong (For information: Kosong is not accessible area for international organisations), which received between 300 to 510 mm of rain, over a 5 to 10 hour period on the morning of 1 September. Flooding was made worse by a tidal surge of up to 1.5 m early on the morning of 1 September. In some areas, wind gusts of 25m per second were reported. According to the initial assessment conducted by the DPRK Red Cross and the Federation, among the thousands of affected people 2,925 people (717 families) become homeless only in Tongchon county. According to the DPRK Red Cross reports three people perished while 7,401 have been left homeless in two counties of Kangwon Province including severely affected Kosong County, which is inaccessible to resident international organisation.

The Red Cross initial assessment to some affected areas shows the following statistics.

Place
Injured
Affected Family
Affected Person
Province
City/county
homeless
Partly
homeless
partly
South Phyongan Anju
27
407
1,392
1,953
6,681
Dokchon
126
1,200
6,256
5,400
28,152
Kaechon
267
2,453
769
11,774
3,537
Sub-total
420
4,060
8,417
19,127
38,370
Kaesong Municipal City Kaesong
61
138
2,004
685
9,819
Sub-total
61
138
2,004
685
9,819
North Phyongan Kujang
9
132
-
594
-
Pakchon
110
-
495
-
Unjon
60
-
270
-
Jongju
58
-
261
-
Sub-total
9
360
-
1620
-
South Hwanghae Chongdan
-
170
-
696
-
Yonan
-
107
-
535
-
Baechon
6
96
-
480
-
Sub-total
6
373
-
1,715
-
TOTAL

]
4,931 [
23,147
Affectedby Typhoon Rusa
Kangwon Tongchon
21
717
-
2925
-
GRAND TOTAL
5648
26072

According to the assessment, in affected areas houses and scores of public buildings have been submerged, leaving thousand of houses destroyed and more than 26,000 people homeless in affected four province and one municipal city. Due to an early warning by the Red Cross and local authorities, a timely evacuation was organized. More than several kilometres of roads and railways, number of bridges, communications network, 3,700 hectares of paddy and non-paddy fields have been seriously damaged in the city. The situation in Dokchon and Kaechon, which are surrounded by high mountains is even more critical. Populated towns and villages situated in between valleys were washed away by flash floods and landslides, leaving thousands of people homeless and destroying railways, main roads and thousands hectares of croplands. In South Hwanghae Province most of the croplands were reported to be damaged.

Similarly, Typhoon Rusa assessment indicates that the early warning system, which was implemented by the local authorities and the local Red Cross branches after the flood disaster that affected the same areas in October last year, has had a positive impact from their experiences and two Disaster Preparedness workshop conducted by the Federation, in timely evacuating residents from areas at risk thus reducing the number of injuries. No death case reported in this county itself.

The Response so far

Government Action

The Government of the DPRK immediately sent cabinet members to the affected areas and began emergency measures to cope with the sudden disaster. The Government relief management agency, the Flood Damage Rehabilitation Committee (FDRC) was on alert to control and coordination the relief activities. Army servicemen were moblilized to provide search and rescue assistance and to reinforce and repair the embankments. Provincial and local authorities are mobilising human and material rescues to restore the cut telecommunications and transportation in the worst affected areas.

The FDRC mounted an operation to assess the actual situation through its provincial network and seeking emergency support from international aid agencies present in DPRK by arranging field visits to the worst affected areas. The Government action is mainly focused on mitigating the disaster scale and rehabilitation of infrastructure including railway, main roads and communication facilities. Given that the Government is concentrating on the rehabilitation of infrastructure, it is unlikely that the Government will not be in the position to provide emergency support to the homeless.

Red Cross/Red Crescent Action

Provincial and city/county Red Cross branches have promptly launched the response activities by mobilizing their volunteers, even though their resources are limited. First aid posts were set up in the villages along with rehabilitation sites to provide medical assistance to the wounded victims. Anju City Red Cross Branch rapidly mobilized and deployed more than 310 volunteers for the rescue, evacuation and first aid service. Some 189 people were saved by an inflatable boat run by the Red Cross rescue team, and homeless people have been temporarily evacuated to the higher ground or are sharing houses with other families.

Following the Typhoon 31 August & 1 September, an Inter-Agency assessment mission to Kangwon Province took place on 2 September, whereas DPRK Red Cross and Federation teams were the first to reach the affected areas. The mission, which included representatives from the Federation, WFP, UNDP, UNICEF, MIA, and the British Embassy, inspected flood damage in Tongchon and Anbyon counties. The mission did not visit the severely affected Kosong County, which is inaccessible to resident international organisations. In Tongchon County local co-operative farms including Red Cross volunteers had reacted in the meantime by collecting from their villages food items representing two weeks food ration and distributed it to the victims. The National Society and the Federation Delegation have immediately released available relief stock from regional warehouse of Wonsan city, Kangwon Province. DPRK Red Cross working in close collaboration with FDRC in inaccessible Kosong county.

The DPRK Red Cross and the Federation Delegation decided to release the following pre-positioned DP stocks from the Central DP warehouse in Pyonygang and from the regional warehouses according to closer distance, to the flood victims in all areas. The total distribution so far:

Province
City/County
Families
Beneficiaries
Blanket Pcs.
Kitchen Set
Water Container Pcs.
WPT tablets
Plastic Sheeting Rolls
FA kit
South Phyongan Anju
407
1'953
4'737
407
2'206
259'020
10
50
Kaechon
2'453
11'774
11'774
2'453
1'657
1'059'660
100
150
Dokchon
1'200
5'400
5'400
1'200
1'200
486'000
50
90
North Phyongan Kujang
132
594
594
132
132
53'460
12
Pakchon
110
495
495
110
110
44'550
20
Unjon
60
270
270
60
60
5'400
10
Jongju
58
261
261
58
58
5'220
10
Kaesong Kaesong
138
685
685
138
138
61'650
13
South Hwanghea Chongdan
170
700
700
170
170
63'000
15
Yonan
107
535
535
107
107
48'150
10
Beachon
96
480
480
96
96
43'200
10
#Kangwon Tongchon
717
2'925
2'925
717
717
175'500
TOTAL
5'648
26'072
28'856
5'648
6'651
2'304'810
160
390

# Kangwon Province is recently affected by Typhoon Rusa.
* 2 hospital tents (small size) dispatched to Anju city.
** In Anju city 2784 blankets, 1392 water containers and 200430 water purification tablets were distribute( to severely affected people other than homeless.

Co-ordination

The FDRC was established in 1995, as the main co-ordination body for international humanitarian aid for DPR Korea. Local FDRCs have been established in the field and Red Cross branches are working closely with them.

Co-ordination meetings were arranged on a weekly basis between the UN agencies, the Federation and international NGOs working in DPRK.

The Intended Operation

Assessment of Needs

Joint DPRK Red Cross and Federation assessment teams went to Anju city on August 5th and to Kaechon and Dokchon on the 6th to assess the scale of damage and the actual needs of affected people. Other team assessed the disaster scale in South Hwanghae province on 6 August. DPRK Red Cross and Federation delegation also assessed the disaster in Tongchon county of Kangwon Province on 2 September. After th assessment of a month later disaster in east coast of the country Federation decided to revised the preliminal emergency appeal number 22/02 in order to also cover latest disaster.

Immediate Needs

The overall goal of this revised relief operation is to meet the most elementary household requirements for some 26,000 women, men and children affected by the in South and North Phyongan Provinces, Kaeson~ City, South Hwanghae Province and Kangwon Province. Immediate needs include the supply of non-food relief items including first aid kits, water and sanitation materials, blankets and cooking sets.

Anticipated Later Needs

Later needs will focus on continued delivery of non-food and medical supplies, as well as maintaining and increasing the operational response capacity.

Red Cross Objectives

- Provide emergency relief assistance in the form of 28,900 blankets and 5,700 cooking sets to 26,000 homeless and 2900 severely affected people in the Red Cross targeted areas.

- Minimise the risk of the outbreak of water-born diseases in the targeted areas by providing 23 million water purification tablets and 11,300 collapsible water containers to the affected families.

- Strengthen the capacity of the Red Cross First Aid service in the communities with the provision of 400 first aid kits to the branches.

- Support medical treatment for the disaster victims with the provision of 300 package of dressing materials for hospitals.

National Society/Federation Plan of Action

Emergency Phase: August - October 2002

Release of emergency non-food relief supplies from central and regional warehouse will be finished by the end of September.

Local and regional purchase of cooking sets, first aid kits and dressing materials will take place and the DPRK Red Cross, supported by the Federation delegation will undertake the tendering process. Procurement of blankets, collapsible water containers and water purification tablets will undertake by the Federation Secretariat in Geneva.

The Red Cross trained first aiders are providing essential services to the flood/typhoon victims together with hospital doctors and FA posts.

Phase Two: November - December 2002 .

Pre-positioned DP stock of the National Society will be replenished by the end of the year.

Lesson learnt workshop will be held in each affected province by mid of December 2002.

Capacity of the National Society

The DPRK Red Cross has its headquarters in Pyongyang and provincial and city / county branches in the affected areas. Red Cross branches are running first aid posts and have a good human resources including more than 15,000 Red Cross youth volunteers in the affected areas. The National Society has 5 regional and one central DP warehouses in different parts of the country that keep relief items for 12 thousand families, out of which almost 5000 family package were distributed immediately.

Present Capacity of the Federation in DPRK

The Federation's 2002 annual operational budget is CHF 12.4 million and its delegation comprises ten international delegates including: a head of delegation, a health co-ordinator, three health delegates, a disaster preparedness and response delegate, a water and sanitation delegate, wat/san technician, a logistic delegate and a finance delegate. The Federation employs 20 local staff. The operation funded through this revised appeal is being taken care of by resident DP&R delegate and/or monitored by one relief delegate and the existing delegation as the operational areas coincide with the existing programme areas and previously experienced area. The regional Delegation in Beijing will provide logistics support.

Evaluation

Proposed activities and indicators to monitor and evaluate the overall effectiveness of DPRK Red Cross and the Federation flood relief activities include:

  • End-user monitoring through household-level visits and interviews ensures women, men and children can provide feedback on the effectiveness of the assistance;
  • Monitoring and final evaluation activities providing information on the effectiveness of the programme in meeting the needs of the RC beneficiaries.

Budget summary

See Annex 1 for details

For further details please contact:

Per Gunnar Jenssen, Head of Delegation. Phone : 008502 381 34 90, email ifrckp02 @ ifrc. org.

Aurelia Balpe, Federation Desk Officer; phone: 4122 730 43 52; email: balpe@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 father information concerning Federation operations in this or other countries, please access the Federation website at http://www.ifrc.org

John Horekens
Director
External Relations

Simon Missiri
Head
Asia Pacific

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