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Azerbaijan: Earthquake DREF operation n° MDRAZ003, Final Report

Countries
Azerbaijan
Sources
IFRC
Publication date

Summary:

The earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale struck the south-western part of Azerbaijan, Zaqatala and Gakh, on 7th May 2012. As the first result, 3,124 residential houses and public buildings were either destroyed or seriously damaged. Following this earthquake, strong and regular aftershocks were again registered in both Zagatala and Gakh regions which further increased the number of destroyed and damaged buildings. Finally over 6,506 houses and public objects suffered from the earthquake; 680 houses were completely destroyed and the inhabitants` property was buried under the debris. 6,949 families were evacuated and put up either in tents or nearby houses.

The Azerbaijan Red Crescent immediately responded to the earthquake with active participation in the process of evacuation, tents establishment (nearby destroyed /damaged house or in establishment tent camp) and relief distribution as members of the operative teams under the Ministry of Emergency. Also they distributed relief items for 30 families (150 people) from the National Society`s central warehouse and purchased from their own funds: 150 blankets, 150 mattresses, 300 towels, 150 bedding sets, and 30 gas stoves.

Based on the needs assessment of the affected families, the AzRC focused on the most vulnerable 3,500 people (700 families, among which 450 families were from Zaqatala and 250 families from Gakh), whose houses and property were completely damaged, to support them during their coping with the consequences of the disaster.

This operation was implemented over a four month period and timely completed with a Beneficiary Satisfaction Survey to assess the beneficiaries’ overall opinion about the quality of the relief operation and assistance delivery method, which was crucial for effective facilitation of post-distribution monitoring activities that aimed ultimately at the improvement of the Movement’s accountability to the people affected by disasters.

The major donors and partners of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC)
Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) include the Australian, American and Belgian Governments, the Austrian Red Cross, the Canadian Red Cross and the Canadian Government, the Danish Red Cross and the Danish Government, the European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO), the Irish and the Italian Governments, the Japanese Red Cross Society, the Luxembourg Government, the Monaco Red Cross and the Monaco Government, the Netherlands Red Cross and the Netherlands Government, the Norwegian Red Cross and the Norwegian Government, the Spanish Government, the Swedish Red Cross and the Swedish Government, the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID), the Medtronic and Z Zurich Foundations, and other corporate and private donors.