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Afghanistan: Earthquake Appeal No.10/02 Operations Update No. 5

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Афганистан
Источники
IFRC
Дата публикации


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In Brief

Appeal No. 10/02; Operations Update no. 5; Period covered: July 2003 to December 2003; Appeal coverage: 100.4%; (click here to go directly to the attached Contributions List, also available on the website).

Appeal history:

Launched on 12 April 2002 for CHF 2,921,000 for nine months to assist 80,000 beneficiaries.

The appeal was revised in Operations Update no. 3 issued on 30 January 2003, with a reduced budget of CHF 2,235,984 and an extension of the operation to July 2003. A second revis ion was made in Operations Update no. 3 issued on 9 July 2003. The budget was changed to CHF 2,454,839, prolonging the operation to 31 December 2003. Operations Update no. 5 details a third revision with an extension of the operation of five months to 31 May 2004. The Final Report is therefore due on 31 August 2004.

Disaster Relief Emergency Funds (DREF) allocated: N/A

Outstanding needs: None.

Related Emergency or Annual Appeals: 01.52/2003 Afghanistan

Operational Summary: Twenty-one months after an earthquake stuck the market town of Nahrin and its surrounding areas, the Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) with support of the Federation is continuing its reconstruction efforts. Good progress has been made with the completion of three of five primary schools (with the remaining two virtually finished). The clinic construction is 68 percent complete. Unfortunately, work on both the school and clinic projects was halted in December 2003 due to harsh winter conditions. It is now estimated that the schools can be completed by the end of March and the clinic by the end of May 2004.

The ARCS temporally clinic, established during the first hours after the disaster struck, continues to offer valuable health services to the vulnerable population.

The operation carries over CHF 288,235 (contributed by the Japanese Red Cross Society) into 2004, to be used as follows: schools and clinic construction commitments, water wells, storage and transport, additional non-food items for disaster preparedness stocks and furniture/equipment for clinics.

All International Federation assistance seeks to adhere to the Code of Conduct and is committed to the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response in delivering assistance to the most vulnerable. For support to or for further information concerning Federation programmes or operations in this or other countries, or for a full description of the national society profile, please access the Federation's website at http://www.ifrc.org

Background

Following the earthquake, which devastated the city of Nahrin in Baghlan province on 25 March 2002 killing 800 people and leaving 10,000 homeless, the Federation launched the Afghanistan Earthquake Appeal (no.10/02) on 12 April 2002.

Nahrin district is 74 km (2.5 hours) from Puli-Khumri, which is the main city of the province, and 264 km (5.5 hours) from Mazar -i-Sharif. The district consists of approximately 90 villages. The largest and most affected by the earthquake were Nahrin New and Old City, and the village of Jilga. Nahrin district has a population of approximately 10,000 families.

Virtually all immediate needs were covered by the emergency relief operation within ten days after the disaster. The ARCS health emergency mobile unit (EMU) was on the scene within 24 hours of the earthquake providing emergency health care to people. The ARCS, with support of the Federation, also provided food and non-food items, which were distributed to affected families within the first few days after the disaster.

The emergency appeal has foc used on recovery and rehabilitation for 80,000 beneficiaries affected by the earthquake.

Operational developments

The Afghan Red Crescent supported by the Federation, continues to contribute to the lengthy recovery of basic living standards for the people of Nahrin. It is continuing to provide much-needed health services through a field health clinic and a mobile health team. In addition, the overall capacity building of the national society is being enhanced, especially in the areas of disaster preparedness and response.

Due to operational constraints (see Operations Update nos. 3 and 4), the long cold winter and flooding in the area, delayed planned construction activities, resulting in the project having to be extended until the end of May 2004.

Red Cross and Red Crescent action - objectives, progress, impact

Health

The temporary emergency health clinic set up shortly after the earthquake in 2002 has continued to operate in Nahrin, staffed by a head doctor, male nurse, health educator and pharmacist.

From July to the end of October 2003 the temporary clinic saw a total of 6,569 patients for consult ation and treatment (average 13 per cent were children under the age of five years and 41 per cent women). The main health problems were related to respiratory tract infections and skin infections, caused as a result of poor living conditions. Since the beginning of the relief operation in 2002, the clinic has conducted a total of 24,192 consultations. Health education was offered to all on various topics including nutrition, diarrhoea prevention and mine awareness (see http://www.ifrc.org Afghanistan 2003, web story "Tent clinic dispenses care to quake-hit Afghans"). The clinic will continue to provide the much needed health services and will relocate once the new permanent clinic construction is completed.

The new clinic under construction in Lakan Kheil, Aab Khana section of Nahrin district, 13 km west of Nahrin New City will serve 3,500 families. Lakan Kheil is one of the largest villages in Aab Khana section. Construction is in progress and 68 per cent of works were completed by early December 2003, when heavy snowfalls and freezing temperatures made it difficult to continue. The low temperatures and absence of facilities to continue construction in sub-zero temperatures meant work had to be halted. There was also an unavailability of an additive required to be added to cement in cold conditions to allow it to set properly and construction is expected to be completed by the end of May 2004.

From July until the end of October 2003, the mobile clinic operating out of Pul-i-Khumri in the Nahrin area saw 6,242 patients for consultation and treatment and offered health education. The main focus for the health messages was on hygiene and sanitation issues as well as respiratory tract infection, diarrhoea, birth spacing, worm infections, mine awareness and history of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Major health problems seen were diarrh oea diseases and respiratory tract infections. The mobile unit did not operate in Nahrin in November and December as it was engaged in other operations in the northern region of Afghanistan. To October 2003, the mobile clinic had conducted over 19,000 consultations.

Rehabilitation

The construction of three of the five schools has been completed with the remaining two very close to completion The construction project has experienced a number of delays, including difficulties imposed by harsh weather conditions, as outlined in Operations Update no. 4.

In September 2003 a further issue arose with the construction company, which claimed an additional cost of USD 74,039 because of an under-estimation of the original bill for the quantities of materials. Construction halted while this matter was examined. The company offered to continue construction for the original amount but this would have meant the buildings would not have been completed. This happened despite the fact that all companies were advised, at the initial tendering stage and through the written tender advertisement document, to modify accordingly the bill of quantity if and when under/over estimation occurred. Upon examination of the claim, the ARCS /Federation confirmed the authenticity of the observations. It was also ascertained that the quoted prices were indeed the same as at the time of tendering and that the overall costs of the schools were still within the Afghanistan average construction prices of around USD140 per square metre. To avoid further delays of the project, a compromise was therefore agreed upon and the construction contract was extended to 31 December 2003.

The quality of construction is among the highest of schools in the area. By December 2003, two six-classroom and one eight-classroom schools had been completed. Of the remaining two, construction work stopped due to winter conditions. However only painting work remains and this is expected to be completed by the end of March 2004 without any additional charges by the contractor.

Furniture for the schools has been procured through the Federation delegation's logistics department and locally through the ARCS planning department. Furniture has been delivered to the schools, currently conducting classes in temporary accommodation and tents.

Drilling of wells in Gawi and Joy Kalan is in progress and is being followed up by the Nahrin field officer and the Mazar sub-delegation.

Disaster Preparedness (DP)

Relief materials distributed by ARCS during the emergency phase have largely been replenished and some 1,000 rolls of plastic sheeting and 10,000 blankets are stored at the national society warehouse in the northern region. This will significantly strengthen the Afghan Red Crescent disaster preparedness capacity and ensure rapid and effective response to similar disasters in the future.

Branch capacity in the disaster-prone areas has been strengthened with by technical assistance. This has included the provision of computers which will improve the branches' ability in reporting, stock recording, data collection and analysis. The delivery and handing over of the equipment to the branches was facilitated by the Federation Mazar office.

Telecommunications

The Federation delegation arranged a telecommunications network for the ARCS branch in Pul-i-Khumri. High frequency radio equipment has been already installed and the relevant staff trained in its use and maintenance. The network will enable the national society to receive timely information about disasters and better coordinate response activities. The branch in Pul-i-Khumri is a part of wider communication network supported by the Federation which will have strong impact on the ARCS disaster management capacity building. The telecommunication network will be linked to an emergency operational centre, which is being established at central level in Kabul.

National Society Capacity Building

The process of establishing a proper volunteering base in the earthquake affected area has continued. Approximately 100 volunteers trained in community based first aid in Nahrin cover 148 villages, all equipped with first aid kits. The volunteers pass health education and basic disaster preparedness messages to their communities and conduct disease prevention activities. The Afghan Red Crescent, supported by Federation, now has more than 15,000 volunteers trained in community based first aid and basic disaster preparedness across the country. An established volunteer base in the earthquake affected areas will form the basis for successful implementation of community based dis aster preparedness activities which ARCS will expand in 2004.

The first group of trainers, including Afghan Red Crescent staff and volunteers from the northern region, were trained in community based disaster preparedness in Kabul. Training was conducted by a staff-on-loan from the Nepal Red Cross Society.

Federation Coordination

The Federation/ ARCS are among several humanitarian organisations conducting recovery and rehabilitation efforts in the quake-affected area. On construction issues, the Federation/national society holds regular consultations with government authorities and other agencies, in particular the Swedish Committee which is involved in construction of schools in Nahrin. The Federation/Afghan Red Crescent regularly attend coordination meetings in Kabul and sub-delegations with Ministries of Public Health, Education and other government bodies, as well as WHO, UNICEF, UNAMA and other UN agencies and non-governmental organisations involved in health and relief activities.

Remaining challenges:

  • Completion a new ARCS clinic in Lakan Kheil and provision of furniture.

  • Finalise the construction of two target schools in the earthquake affected area and supply the schools with basic furniture, water and sanitary facilities.

  • Continue Afghan Red Crescent capacity building initiatives, strengthening its volunteer network in disaster-prone areas.

ANNEX 1

Afghanistan - Nahrin earthquake
APPEAL No. 10/2002
PLEDGES RECEIVED
24/02/2004
DONOR
CATEGORY
QUANTITY
UNIT
VALUE CHF
DATE
COMMENT
CASH
REQUESTED IN APPEAL CHF
2,235,984
TOTAL COVERAGE100.4%
AMERICAN - RC
224
USD
361
14/05/2002
CANADIAN - GOVT/RC CIDA/IHA
99,000
CAD
102,326
22/05/2002
CYPRUS - RC
5,057
08/04/2002
CHINA/HONG KONG - RC
150,000
HKD
32,001
10/04/2002
DANISH - RC
1,715
USD
2,764
10/06/2002
PROGRAMME SUPPORT
JAPANESE - RC
1,170,865
04/06/2002
KOREA REPUBLIC - RC
10,145,130
WON
12,773
11/04/2002
KOREA REPUBLIC - RC
24,800
30/04/2002
PRIVATE DONOR - KOREA REP.
2,257
23/07/2002
MALTESE - RC
723
02/12/2002
MONACO - RC
15,000
EUR
21,990
26/03/2002
POLAND - RC
1,000
USD
1,656
04/04/2002
PRIVATE DONORS
389
06/08/2002
SLOVAK - RC
70,000
SKK
2,436
08/04/2002
SWEDISH - GOVT
350,000
SEK
56,350
20/06/2002
RELIEF ITEMS REPLENISHMENT
SWISS - RC
80,000
06/08/2002
SWISS - PRIVATE DONOR
25,000
EUR
36,563
05/04/2002
SUB/TOTAL RECEIVED IN CASH
1,553,311
CHF
69.5%
KIND AND SERVICES (INCLUDING PERSONNEL)
DONOR
CATEGORY
QUANTITY
UNIT
VALUE CHF
DATE
COMMENT
AMERICAN - RC
7,794
USD
12,562
14/05/2002
NEW EMERGENCY HEALTH KIT 10'020 BLANKETS, 1 RUBBHALL,
DANISH - RC
46,300
USD
74,622
10/06/2002
TRANSP. & INSUR.
JAPANESE - RC
558,785
04/06/2002
BASIC HEALTH CARE UNIT
JAPAN
DELEGATE(S)
46,653
SUB/TOTAL RECEIVED IN KIND/SERVICES
692,622
CHF
31.0%
ADDITIONAL TO APPEAL BUDGET
DONOR
CATEGORY
QUANTITY
UNIT
VALUE CHF
DATE
COMMENT
SUB/TOTAL RECEIVED
CHF

Project Summary Financial Statement by Appeal

All Donors.

Period: January of 2002 through December of 2003

Appeal: 10/02 - AFGHANISTAN EARTHQUAKE (12/04/2002 - 31/12/2003)


INCOME
EXPENDITURE

Voluntary Contributions.

Project
Opening
Selected Donors
Others
Transfers
Other Income
Total Income
Supplies
Capital
Transport
PS
Personnel
General Expenditure
Transfers
Provisions
Total Expenditure
Closing
PAF507 - Afghanistan - Nahrin Earthquake
1,548,900
1,548,900
550,961
240,152
83,306
127,234
192,107
66,813
1,260,573
288,327
10/02
1,548,900
1,548,900
550,961
240,152
83,306
127,234
192,107
66,813
1,260,573
288,327
Grand Totals
1,548,900
1,548,900
550,961
240,152
83,306
127,234
192,107
66,813
1,260,573
288,327
end of report

For further information specifically related to this operation please contact:

In Afghanistan: National Society President/Secretary General Afghan Red Crescent Alhaj Qrabig Izdyar, ph +93 873 682 33059

In Afghanistan: Head of Federation delegation Kabul Ali Hassan Quoreshi Phone, +93 70 278 372, fax 873 382 280534, email: hod.kabuldel@wireless.ifrc.org

In Geneva: Jagan Chapagain, Regional Officer, Asia Pacific Depar tment, Phone: +41 22 730 4316; Fax: +41 22 733 03 95; E-mail: jagan.chapagain@ifrc.org