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Southern Africa Regional Programmes No. MAA63001 - Annual report 2010

Countries
Angola
+ 9 more
Sources
IFRC
Publication date
Origin
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This report covers the period 01/01/10 to 31/12/10

In brief

Programme outcome: In line with the strategic aims of Strategy 2020, the expected outcome of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)’s Southern Africa Regional Representation Office (SARRO) is strengthened capacity of the ten National Societies (NS) in the region to deliver services aimed at enhancing community resilience to disaster and public health emergencies, with protected livelihoods and strengthened capacity to recover from disasters and crises, whilst promoting healthy and safe living, social inclusion and a culture of non-violence and peace.

Programme(s) summary:

Disaster Management:
The multiple hazards in southern Africa called for a comprehensive disaster management system that addresses diverse humanitarian challenges and vulnerabilities. Of particular significance was the SARRO-coordinated launch of the Zambezi River Basin Initiative (ZRBI), which is a community-based programme aimed at increasing the resilience and preparedness of communities living along the Zambezi River basin in seven countries, through various programmes implemented by the NS. The seven NS, with the support of Swedish Red Cross, USAID and Global Alliance on Disaster Risk Reduction (GADRR) have been strengthening the institutional capacity of branches along the Zambezi river basin, under the first phase in the rollout of the ZRBI. Reports indicate that the investments in preparedness have resulted in progressively reduced morbidity and mortality.

With the coordination and technical support of the regional DM unit, NS developed and operationalised the disaster management master plans (DMMP) as a framework and road map for DM programme development. The DMMP systems approach provided a platform for strengthening coordination between Movement partners, governments, humanitarian agencies, donors and the communities on disaster preparedness, risk reduction and response.

The regional DM unit also assisted NS in carrying out emergency simulation exercises on natural and man-made hazards in Namibia, Mozambique, Lesotho and Malawi in preparation for the 2010 floods season. The DM unit helped NS to update disaster contingency plans based on the lessons learnt from the 2008 and 2009 disaster trends in the region. The process resulted in improved disaster response operations during the year.

In order to promote social inclusion and a culture of non-violence and peace, SARRO supported South African, Lesotho, Swaziland and Zimbabwe Red Cross to start up the “UBUNTU Initiative”.
The initiative aims at strengthening NS capacity in humanitarian service in response to cases of urban violence, as well as to design programmes that encourage harmony and defuse tension between the host community and immigrant populations. This is against a background of the 2008 xenophobic attacks in South Africa that resulted in over 62 deaths and 100,000 people displaced or returned back to countries of origin.

Eight NS continued the implementation of the food security (FS) strategies, which are aligned to their national agricultural policies. The FS interventions are formulated in line with the IFRC long-term food security strategy (LTFS), which promotes sustainable food and livelihood security for vulnerable households in rural and urban areas.

In disaster response, SARRO assisted NS in the launch of IFRC-supported disaster emergency relief fund (DREF) operations including: Malawi Earthquake and Measles, Mozambique Floods and Cholera, Zambia Cholera and Floods, South Africa Rift Valley Fever and Civil Unrest.