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Belarus: Extreme winter condition DREF operation n° MDRBY002 Final report

Countries
Belarus
Sources
IFRC
Publication date
Origin
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CHF 25,631 was allocated from the IFRC’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) on 25th January 2013 to support the Belarus Red Cross Society in delivering immediate assistance to some 5,000 beneficiaries.

Summary: Freezing weather killed four people in Belarus in January 2013 when frosts went down to minus 25 degrees Celsius. Northern winds of six to seven meters per second aggravated the severe frosty conditions. As soon as the harsh winter weather started, Belarus Red Cross immediately mobilised its trained volunteers at the regional branches` level. A total of 255 volunteers were engaged in the action. The activities within the DREF supported operation “Extreme Winter Conditions” were running in 45 towns of Belarus.

During two months, the DREF allocations supported the Belarus Red Cross in assisting a total of 6,095 people including 1,521 homeless. Key activities of Belarus Red Cross response teams included the following:

  • setting up 190 Red Cross distribution and warming-up stations to assist the affected population;

  • deployment of six Red Cross emergency response teams at places where the homeless gather;

  • search and rescue of people missing in severe winter conditions;

  • assisting with the communication between the affected people and the authorities.

This operation was successfully completed by 25 March 2013.

The major donors and partners of 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.

On behalf of the Belarus National Society, the IFRC would like to extend their thanks to all donors and partners for their generous contributions.

CHF 25,631 was allocated for the implementation of the operation. The utilisation rate is 98.5%. There is a remaining final balance of CHF 391 left, which will be returned to the DREF.