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East Africa Region (MAA64003) Annual Report 2014

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World
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IFRC
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Overview

Throughout 2014, the regional office continued working in 15 countries in Eastern Africa and Indian Ocean Islands; Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Comoros, Seychelles, Mauritius, Rwanda and Burundi. The regional office supported the development of 6 emergency appeals and 15 DREFs in response to floods, disease outbreaks, terror attacks and population movement in Comoros, Madagascar, Seychelles, Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda.

A regional Accountability to Beneficiaries project was launched with 4 NS, PNS and IFRC to develop minimum standards for accountability, a supporting toolkit and training package to improve levels of Accountability to Beneficiaries in Red Cross Red Crescent programmes. The TERA SMS system has been established with Airtel in Kenya, there are ongoing negotiations to also include Safaricom in Kenya and ECONET in Burundi.

Beneficiary communication awareness and training sessions were held in Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya, South Sudan and Somaliland. Burundi and Rwanda Red Cross Societies have further been supported to roll-out mobile cinemas and radio shows to new branches. There were plans to roll out beneficiary communication activities in Uganda however due to the current situation, the focus shifted to South Sudan.

In 2014 an operational research on Early Warning Early Action (EWEA) mechanisms was conducted in collaboration with WFP, Save the Children and OXFAM, covering Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya. A regional workshop on EWEA was organized with the 11 NSs of the East African Region which led to a better understanding of the strengths but also the constraints and limitations of the NSs in reinforcing their actions in EWEA mechanisms. Sudan Red Crescent was supported in the fund raising and implementation of a flood EWEA project. Better coordination and learning mechanisms were initiated with the Partners National Societies in terms of workshops or working together like during the El Nino alert. Technical support was provided to Burundi Red Cross in the development of an elections contingency plan while the capacities of Uganda, Burundi and Kenya Red Cross Societies in the development and implementation of DRR projects related to drought and floods was reinforced.Additionally,a regional community resilience framework was developed.

Operations in Uganda were halted in December 2014 following allegations of corruption and mismanagement in 2013 which resulted in increased institutional challenges for the National Society. There were concerns regarding the integrity and effectiveness of URCS programmes finance and logistics management which resulted to a decision by IFRC, ICRC and PNS in-country to cease funding and support to the Uganda RC activities. This decision led the IFRC in consultation with PNS in country to close operational activities with effect from 15 December 2014.