Appeal no: 20/2000 BANGLADESH: FLOODS 6 October 2000

THIS APPEAL SEEKS CHF 3,796,936 TO ASSIST 771,000 BENEFICIARIES FOR 3 MONTHS

THIS APPEAL REPLACES THE PRELIMINARY APPEAL OF 18 AUGUST

Summary

Since the launch of the preliminary appeal for floods in Bangladesh on 18 August, the scope of the disaster has broadened and, at the same time, worsened in severity. In addition to the flooding and river erosion of the three main river basins of the Brahmaputra/Jumuna, Padma/Ganges and Meghna, a tidal surge in the Bay of Bengal at the end of August and the recent inrush of water from West Bengal which surged into the western districts of Bangladesh have inflicted further damage.

In quantitative terms, the number rendered homeless by these phases of the disaster currently stands at well over 3 million, as opposed to 1.27 million reported on 18 August, and is increasing on a daily basis. The number of seriously affected districts has risen from 22 to 32, half of the 64 administrative districts in Bangladesh.

The problems brought about by the river basin flooding and erosion reported in August have been compounded by tidal surges and the massive encroachment of waters from West Bengal, not along normal water courses, but across swathes of land tens of kilometres wide, into an area that has seen no serious flooding since 1945. The widespread destruction of housing in this latest phase of the catastrophe has necessitated a recasting of the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society’s (BDRCS) strategy for alleviating the suffering of the most vulnerable and thus a revision of the preliminary appeal.

The Disaster

(1) River Basin Flooding and Erosion appeal no. 20/2000 2

Flooding resulting from the monsoon over Bangladesh, India, Bhutan and Nepal continues to cause severe river erosion. Much of the soil in Bangladesh is composed of silt that is easily eroded by the rush of floodwaters. Erosion occurs throughout the year, but can reach disastrous levels just after the annual monsoon floods. Hundreds of thousands of people are displaced every year, only a small proportion of whom are rehabilitated. The rest either attempt to build shacks in already heavily populated villages, migrate to the slums of overcrowded cities, or become embankment dwellers by setting up shelters on the sides of the embankment roads with little or no access to clean water or proper sanitation. The number of such displaced persons increases year by year.

In the Brahmaputra/Jumuna basin the worst affected districts are Lalmonhirhat, Nilphamari, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Bogra, Sirajganj, Jamalpur and Tangail. Continuous rains and flooding in the past three months in these districts have exacerbated the ongoing process of river erosion that has left over 100,000 families homeless and destroyed huge areas of farmland.

In the Padma/Ganges basin the worst affected districts are Chapai-Nawabganj, Rajshahi, Pabna, Kushtia, Rajbari, Faridpur, Manikganj and Shariatpur. This year, the annual monsoon began six weeks early causing unusually severe and continuous river erosion in the Ganges river basin. Tens of thousands of families have lost their homes with the districts of Kushtia, Manikganj, Faridpur and Shariatpur particularly affected. Huge areas of farmland have gone under water causing serious economic and employment losses.

The worst affected districts in the Meghna river basin are Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Narsingdi, Chandpur, Noakhali and Bhola.

(2) Tidal surges On 31 August, Sandwip island in the Bay of Bengal was engulfed by a violent tidal surge, flooding the main town and surrounding villages with five feet of water. With the assistance of the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) disaster preparedness volunteers, the government moved 15,000 inhabitants to the safety of cyclone shelters. The government has reported that some 110,000 people were affected by the tidal flood, 5,000 acres of cultivated land were totally destroyed and an additional 10,000 acres were damaged. Some 4,000 houses were destroyed and 6,000 were damaged. Government sources also state that 90 people were injured. On 5 September the area was struck by a second tidal wave.

(3) Flooding in the western districts In the early hours of the morning of 22 September, villagers in Mehepur District were awoken by the tide of flood water from West Bengal, India, surging into their homes. In panic and darkness, they fled with their families in search of higher ground, leaving their belongings behind. The same disaster occurred in Chuadanga, Jhenidah, Jessore and Satkhira districts, all adjacent to West Bengal in India and having the following in common:

Ÿ There has been no serious flooding in this area since 1945, thus people were unaware of the best course of action to take in a flood disaster. Ÿ The housing is very different to that found in the major river basins of Bangladesh -- walls are constructed of mud, often 45 cms thick and the roofing beams, purlins and rafters are of thick and heavy bamboo. When water reaches a depth of only a few centimetres, the mud at the base of the walls liquefies and the heavy walls collapse. A further consequence is that, if the houses are reconstructed in the same fashion, it will take many months to complete the work, taking the inhabitants well past the end of the cold season. Ÿ The area is generally flat and has few of the rivers, canals and water courses found in the rest of the country. The effects of this are two-fold: there are very few boats in the area and thus the people face difficulty in saving their belongings, and the flood waters will recede slowly as there are few natural channels for the water to exit the area. appeal no. 20/2000 3

Ÿ Agriculture (especially jute production) accounts for virtually all of the local economy. The area is awash with rotting jute plants in stagnant water which further increases the probability of outbreaks of gastro-enteritis.

In these five districts, 99 of the 188 unions were under water as of 4 October. This latest flooding has also struck the erosion-affected districts of Kustia, Rajshahi and Chapai-Nawabganj and the previously unaffected Magura district.

As this appeal is being written, the catastrophic situation in the southwest district of Satkhira, where 500,000 people are known to have taken refuge in temporary shelter, is worsening following the recent breach of two protective embankments. All 12 unions of this district are under water and there are fears of the imminent collapse of more embankments.

The Response so far

Government Action w Up to 22 September and the onset of the disaster in the western districts, there was sporadic action by district administrations to provide relief for the flood victims. This aid consisted mostly of food and shelter materials for the most vulnerable. Engineering units of the Bangladesh Army were engaged in shoring up threatened embankments.

After 22 September, the tempo of government assistance increased considerably. Army and police units have been actively engaged in rescue work and local government authorities have responded. On 1 October, the Prime Minister announced that the government would distribute extra food through the Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) programme. However, VGF covers only approximately 40% of those in need. Overall, because of the magnitude of the disaster, governmental response to date has been inadequate in meeting the challenge.

Red Cross/Red Crescent Action w The Bangladesh Red Crescent Society and the Federation Delegation updated its operational framework in response to floods in mid June 2000 and again in early September. The framework takes into account the current status of personnel, material assets, financial and public relations resources, and outlines planned BDRCS and Federation responses to a major flood disaster in the areas of food, health and shelter.

Joint teams of BDRCS/Federation/bilateral personnel have constantly monitored the evolving emergency through an extensive series of ground, river and aerial surveys following the advent of heavy rains in mid-June. These surveys have enabled the BDRCS and the Federation to be on the spot at the height of the crisis, thereby encouraging the local BDRCS volunteers and helping in predicting developments at local level.

An initial survey conducted by BDRCS Community Based Disaster Preparedness (CBDP) Units found that on 11 August, approximately 1.26 m people were homeless because of the river erosion caused by the flooding. The survey found that the majority of people affected were day labourers, fishermen and farmers whose means of subsistence have been lost. The survey concluded that the BDRCS/Federation should procure emergency complementary food rations for 200,000 people for two months (3,840 MT of basic foods) and provide emergency medical care for one month. A further conclusion was that the BDRCS/Federation should play an advocacy role in encouraging other NGOs to carry out rehabilitation work. Operations are taking place on this basis.

Following the tidal surge which hit the island of Sandwip and other areas in the Bay of Bengal, there was an emergency issue of 66 MT of food to the area, sufficient to feed 2,235 families for 15 days. Four appeal no. 20/2000 4

medical teams, each consisting of a doctor, a paramedic, a paramedic volunteer and a female volunteer, were deployed to the area.

The massive volumes of water which inundated the western districts of Bangladesh forced more than 1.5 million people from their homes. As of 3 October, the BDRCS/Federation had distributed 186 MT of emergency food rations to 40,000 families, or 200,000 people. By the same date, the Federation had purchased 950 MT of basic foodstuffs, all of which will be distributed by 14 October.

The disaster in the western districts has necessitated the provision of shelter and other non-food domestic materials, together with oral rehydration salts (ORS) and water purification tablets. Local building practices make it impossible for the flood-affected to rebuild their thick-walled mud houses before the onset of the cold season. ECHO is being asked to provide CHF 775,000 to cover non-food needs. Four medical teams have been sent to the western districts to help combat outbreaks of water-borne diseases and four more are on standby awaiting the arrival of funds before deployment.

Other Agencies’ Action w The World Food Programme (WFP) has held two co-ordination meetings with other UN agencies and international organisations at which the Federation was represented. A number of NGOs are active in the present crisis. MSF is concentrating on its traditional medical role while CONCERN and Oxfam, using local partners, are focusing on the provision of food, water and sanitation, temporary and long-term shelter and providing seeds for the planting of vegetables in later October/early November. Local NGOs have been distributing what aid they can.

Co-ordination w The BDRCS and the Delegation are in continuous liaison with government authorities, local and international organisations, NGOs, and national umbrella organisations such as the Association of Development Agencies in Bangladesh and the Bangladesh Disaster Forum (a network of local and international relief organisations). Liaison continues with the ICDDR.B (an international centre specialised in diarrhoeal diseases) which informed the Delegation that MSF Holland is concentrating its efforts on a diarrhoeal treatment centre in Chuadanga. Meetings have been held with MSF, Oxfam and CONCERN. The National Society and Delegation are also keeping donors in Bangladesh and donor National Societies informed of developments. Regular contact is being maintained with the ECHO representative for Bangladesh. A BDRCS/Federation-produced 13 minute video explaining the phenomenon of river erosion will be premiered to the diplomatic community, international organisations and NGOs on 9 October. In a recent co-ordination meeting of the Federation, CONCERN, Oxfam and the ECHO representative, the three organisations stated that operations would now be severely curtailed given the lack of funding.

The Operation

Assessment of Needs l Before the appeal was launched, an extensive series of surveys was undertaken by joint BDRCS/Federation teams, and volunteers were alerted and prepared for action. When disaster struck, branches immediately distributed their small stockpiles of relief items, utilised CBDP funds to purchase more and started local fund raising activities. Successful attempts were made to have the media, including the BBC, play an advocacy role on behalf of over one million affected people.

Immediate needs l 18 August - 3 October 2000 -- erosion relief In line with the operational framework, BDRCS, supported by the International Federation, began the initial two-month emergency relief operation targeting 200,000 of the most vulnerable people in the worst-affected districts of the three most threatened river basins. Districts receiving relief were: appeal no. 20/2000 5

Kurigram, Gaibandha, Lalmonhirhat, Nilphamari, Bogra, Chapai-Nawabganj, Pabna, Sirajganj, Tangail, Munshiganj, Chandpur and Shariatpur. 240 MT of rice and 48 MT of lentils were distributed to 12,000 families during this period.

Second Phase l 29 August - 18 September 2000 -- Sandwip operation In response to the tidal surge in the Bay of Bengal on 5 September, 55 MT of rice and 11 MT of lentils were distributed to 2,235 families in Sandwip, Chittagong and Hatiya.

Third Phase l 22 September - 3 October 2000 -- western Districts disaster Following the extensive flooding in the western districts, emergency food relief was distributed as follows.

Date District Amount Item Families For 24 Sep Mehepur 5 MT rice 1,000 3 days 25 Sep Mehepur 12 MT rice, lentils 2,000 3 days 25 Sep Chuadanga 5 MT rice 1,000 3 days 25 Sep Chuadanga 12 MT rice, lentils 2,000 3 days 27 Sep Mehepur 6 MT comp. rice, molasses 2,000 1.5 days 27 Sep Chuadanga 6 MT comp. rice, molasses 2,000 1.5 days 28 Sep Jhenidah 10 MT rice 2,000 3 days 28 Sep Jessore 6 MT comp. rice, molasses 2,000 1.5 days 28 Sep Satkhira 6 MT comp. rice, molasses 2,000 1.5 days 29 Sep Jhenidah 6 MT comp. rice, molasses 2,000 1.5 days 29 Sep Jessore 10 MT rice 2,000 3 days 29 Sep Satkhira 10 MT rice 2,000 3 days 29 Sep Chuadanga 10 MT rice 2,000 3 days 29 Sep Mehepur 10 MT rice 2,000 3 days 29 Sep Chapai-N 6 MT comp. rice, molasses 2,000 1.5 days 29 Sep Rajshahi 6 MT comp. rice, molasses 2,000 1.5 days 3 Oct Jessore 12 MT rice, lentils 2,000 3 days 3 Oct Satkhira 12 MT rice, lentils 2,000 3 days 3 Oct Chuadanga 12 MT rice, lentils 2,000 3 days 3 Oct Mehepur 12 MT rice, lentils 2,000 3 days 3 Oct Kushtia 12 MT rice, lentils 2,000 3 days

Further immediate needs l Further immediate needs to assist the most vulnerable victims of the flooding and river erosion are for food: flattened rice, molasses, rice and lentils and non-food items including ORS, water purification tablets, plastic sheeting, jerry cans, sarees and corrugated iron sheeting.

Red Cross/Red Crescent Objectives l { Through provision of emergency food relief and health care, to alleviate the suffering of 771,000 of the most vulnerable, homeless, flood victims who have lost possessions and livelihoods and have no means of sustaining themselves during the coming months appeal no. 20/2000 6

National Society/Federation Plan of Action

Distribution of food and non-food items is planned as outlined below:

Food items Flattened rice 65 MT by end Oct for 26,000 families for 1.5 days Molasses 13 MT by end Oct for 26,000 families for 1.5 days Rice 140 MT by end Oct for 28,000 families for 3 days Lentils 28 MT by end Oct for 28,000 families for 3 days Total 246 MT by end Oct for 54,000 western district families

Rice 1,665 MT by end Nov for 28,000 families for 60 days Lentils 333 MT by end Nov for 28,000 families for 60 days Total 1,998 MT by end Nov for 28,000 returned families

Rice 525 MT by end Nov for 17,500 families for 30 days Lentils 105 MT by end Nov for 17,500 families for 30 days Total 630 MT by end Nov for 17,500 families affected by river erosion Grand total 2,874 MT for 99,500 western district and families affected by river erosion

Non-food items Water purification tablets 2,000,000 tablets by end Oct ORS 100,000 doses by end Oct (The above two items are to be distributed by medical teams in the field) Plastic sheeting 18,200 families by end Oct Jerricans, plastic (10 litre) 18,200 pieces by end Oct Sarees 18,200 pieces by end Oct Corrugated iron (CI) sheeting 2,400 bundles by end Nov

Medical teams The BDRCS/Federation intends to deploy a further 26 medical teams to the worst-affected districts for a one-month period in addition to four teams which are already in the field.

Beneficiary selection will be carried out by BDRCS life members, Red Crescent youth and CBDP volunteer squads. Where possible, food and non-food items will be procured locally and transported to district units for local distribution amongst the displaced population and those people who may have been able to return to rebuild their homes. Relief distributions will be carried out in co-ordination with the local authorities to ensure that BDRCS relief efforts are complementary to those of other organisations. Delegates deployed by the Federation will assist the BDRCS in carrying out the operation.

Capacity of the National Society and the Federation in Bangladesh l The BDRCS has 34,000 well-trained CBDP volunteers and a membership of more than 350,000 people. It has extensive experience in responding to flood emergencies, and can rely on technical assistance from the Federation Delegation in Bangladesh, as well as other Federation resources. Should the present emergency worsen, as it may during the forthcoming autumn cyclone season, the BDRCS/Federation will reassess the situation. Should the need arise, BDRCS will request the Federation to help mobilise resources from the region.

Evaluation l appeal no. 20/2000 7

Implementation of the operation will be monitored by senior BDRCS staff and the Federation Delegation in Bangladesh. Standard Federation reporting will continue to be issued.

Budget summary

See Annex 1 for details.

The BDRCS and the Federation have fully committed the funding contributed in response to the preliminary appeal. Rapid donor response to this full appeal will therefore enable the BDRCS and the Federation to provide timely assistance. Further funding is essential in order to pursue the relief activities.

Conclusion

Although there are signs that the monsoon is waning, floodwaters from India are still entering Bangladesh and inundating new areas. Rains continue and a low pressure area over the Bay of Bengal on 2 and 3 October brought considerable amounts of rain. Increasing numbers of people are expected to be affected by expansion of the flooded areas in the next few days. With the fall of water levels in the major river basins, erosion is worsening. Floods and river erosion have already seriously affected over three million people adding to the vast numbers of displaced who have not been rehabilitated in past years. There is an urgent need to secure immediate financial support for this appeal which will enable the BDRCS/Federation to fulfil its mandate of helping the most vulnerable who have lost their homes, possessions and means of survival.

Jean Ayoub Didier J. Cherpitel Acting Under Secretary General, Secretary General Disaster Response & Operations Coordination

This and other reports on Federation operations are available on the Federation's website: http://www.ifrc.org appeal no. 20/2000 8

ANNEX 1 BUDGET SUMMARY (revised) APPEAL No.20 /2000 BANGLADESH - FLOODS 2000

TYPE ORIGINALREVISEDVARIANCE

RELIEF NEEDS CHF

Clothes & textiles451,240451,240 Plastic sheeting85,17685,176 Rice (2,700 MT)1,536,0001,139,400(396,600) Lentils (540 MT)896,000634,612(261,388) Rice (55 MT)21,89021,890 Cheera48,40048,400 Gaur16,88016,880 Water & sanitation46,65046,650 Medical & first aid 33,000219,787186,787

TOTAL RELIEF NEEDS 2,664,035

PROGRAMME SUPPORT Programme management222,057256,02733,971 Technical support66,47276,64110,169 Professional services73,71784,99411,277

TRANSPORT STORAGE & VEHICLE COSTS 134,400169,80735,407

PERSONNEL Expatriate staff55,00055,0000 National staff53,00053,0000

ADMINISTRATIVE & GENERAL SERVICES Travel & related expenses10,00015,0005,000 Information expenses8,50022,50014,000 Administrative & general expenses10,00027,63017,630 Monitoring & Evaluation10,00025,00015,000 BDRCS Capacity Building/Institutional Development185,000347,301162,301

TOTAL OPERATIONAL NEEDS 1,132,901

TOTAL APPEAL CASH, KIND, SERVICES 3,293,1463,796,936503,790

LESS AVAILABLE RESOURCES (-) 904,537

NET REQUEST 2,892,399 appeal no. 20/2000 9

BANGLADESH - FLOODS 2000 ANNEX 1

APPEAL No.20 /2000 PLEDGES RECEIVED 10/06/00

DONORCATEGORYQUANTITYUNITVALUE CHFDATECOMMENTPLEDGE

CASH TOTAL COVERAGE REQUESTED IN APPEAL CHF ------> 3,293,146 27.5%

AUSTRIAN - RC25,000 EUR 38,933 20.09.00 0010020 BRITISH - RC45,000 GBP 113,400 25.08.00 0008186 BRITISH - RC55,000 GBP 142,450 25.08.00 FOOD & OPERATIONAL NEEDS

CANADIAN - RC20,000 CAD 23,068 15.09.00 0009166 FINNISH - RC33,637 EUR 52,864 24.08.00 0008164 ICELANDIC - RC200,000 ISK 4,295 22.09.00 0009184 JAPANESE - RC162,000 24.08.00 0008148 KOREA, REPUBLIC - RC20,000 25.08.00 0008162 LIECHTENSTEIN - RC50,000 02.10.00 0010041

SWEDISH - GOVT/RC1,250,000 SEK 233,875 18.08.00 FLOOD RELIEF OPERATION

SUB/TOTAL RECEIVED IN CASH 840,885 CHF 25.5%

KIND AND SERVICES (INCLUDING PERSONNEL)

DONORCATEGORYQUANTITYUNITVALUE CHFDATECOMMENT

TENTS, BLANKETS, RICE, TEA, OIL, IRANIAN - RC37,169 USD 63,652 23.09.00 CLOTHES, SLIPPERS, SOAP

SUB/TOTAL RECEIVED IN KIND/SERVICES 63,652 CHF 1.9%

ADDITIONAL TO APPEAL BUDGET

DONORCATEGORYQUANTITYUNITVALUE CHFDATECOMMENT

SUB/TOTAL RECEIVED 0 CHF

THE FOLLOWING PROJECTS ARE LINKED TO THIS APPEAL: