Appeal Coordinating Office
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150 route de Ferney, P.O. Box 2100 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland Tel: 41 22 791 6033 Fax: 41 22 791 6506 e-mail: [email protected] Appeal Coordinating Office Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary Assistance to Flood Victims EUCS-21 (Revision 1) Appeal Target: US$ 2,617,236 Balance Requested from ACT Network: US$ 1,620,561 Geneva, 18 September 2002 Dear Colleagues, The Czech Republic continues to struggle against the aftermath of the devastating floods that have been affecting the region for weeks, leaving deep scars on the country’s infrastructure. The affected population of Czech Republic is slowly recovering while continuing joint endeavours to accommodate the homeless and serve the most vulnerable categories of population. Through this revision of EUCS-21 Appeal, the joint ACT operation in Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary will gain additional support from ACT members The Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren (ECCB) and the Czechoslovak Hussite Church (CCSH). They have been actively responding to the emergency from the beginning and are now seeking additional financial support to undertake the following humanitarian projects: • Drying and cleaning of private homes • Psycho-social assistance • Food and non-food distribution • Temporary shelter and reconstruction For the sake of brevity, this revision includes only the proposals by ECCB and CCSH. For program information of other ACT members involved in the counter-flood program, please refer to the original ACT appeal EUCS-21. ACT is a worldwide network of churches and related agencies meeting human need through coordinated emergency response. The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland. Czech Republic, Slovakia & Hungary - Floods 2 EUSC-21 Appeal Revision 1 Project Completion Date: HIA/SD – 28 February 2003 OCCL – 28 February 2003 ECCB – June 2003 CCSH 31 March 2003 Summary of Appeal Targets, Pledges/Contributions Received and Balance Requested HIA/SD OCCL ECCB CCSH ACT ACT Co- Evaluat Total US$ Comm ord -ion &Monit. Total Appeal 706,662 298,500 1,176,025 366,049 4,000 6,000 60,000 2,617,236 Targets Less: Pledge Recd. 331,463 133,042 492,750 0 3,942 5,913 29,565 996,675 Balance Requested 375,199 165,458 683,275 366,049 58 87 30,435 1,620,561 from ACT Network Please kindly send your contributions to the following ACT bank account: Account Number – 240-432629.60A (USD) Account Name: ACT - Action by Churches Together UBS SA PO Box 2600 1211 Geneva 2 SWITZERLAND Please also inform the Finance Officer Jessie Kgoroeadira (direct tel. +4122/791.60.38, e-mail address [email protected]) of all pledges/contributions and transfers, including funds sent direct to the implementers, now that the Pledge Form is no longer attached to the Appeal. We would appreciate being informed of any intent to submit applications for EU, USAID and/or other back donor funding and the subsequent results. We thank you in advance for your kind cooperation. For further information please contact: ACT Director, Thor-Arne Prois (phone +41 22 791 6033 or mobile phone + 41 79 203 6055) or ACT Appeals Officer, Leila Dzaferovic (phone +41 22 791 6710 or mobile phone +41 79 757 9206) ACT Web Site address: http://www.act-intl.org John Nduna Acting Director ACT Czech Republic, Slovakia & Hungary - Floods 3 EUSC-21 Appeal Revision 1 I. REQUESTING ACT MEMBER INFORMATION The Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren (ECCB) Ceskobratrska cirkev evangelicka (CCE) II. IMPLEMENTING ACT MEMBER & PARTNER INFORMATION The Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren (ECCB) is the largest Protestant church in the Czech Republic, originating in the Czech Reformation and uniting in 1918. Today the ECCB has about 125,000 members in about 260 congregations. The ECCB is a member church of the WCC since 1948. An important and integral part of the life and witness of the ECCB is the social / diaconical work. Description of ACT Member’s Implementing Partners Diaconia (ECCB) established in 1989 is a Christian charity organisation which, as well as providing pastoral and spiritual guidance, is committed to serving and helping people in need. Its activities include service to the elderly and those with long-term illnesses; assistance to those who cannot manage alone as well as help to families who are looking after dependent family members; care for children deserted by their parents and young people with various afflictions; assistance to those living in difficult social circumstances. ECCB is organisationally broken down into individual centres (29) and the main headquarters. The headquarters assist the individual centres by providing organisational, co-ordinating and service assistance as well as protecting the interest of the Diaconia in co-operation with state and municipal government authorities, and with partner organisations. III. DESCRIPTION of the EMERGENCY SITUATION The disastrous flooding started 7 August in Southern Bohemia. From the very first day the ECCB Diaconia became involved in helping the affected people. From the beginning ECCB Diaconia was in touch with the regional and local crisis’ operation staff workers in the Czech Republic Integral Emergency System; ECCB Diaconia mobilised its centres, organised its volunteers into teams for the ADRA humanitarian organisation which started the first phase of damage clearance. As the flood waters continued to rise it became clear that these were the most disastrous floods for 150 years. The floods gradually reached western, central and northern Bohemia in the basin of the rivers Vltava, Berounka, Ohre, Luznice, and their tributaries later affecting the river Labe. Impact on Human Lives 99 towns with 263, 000 inhabitants were completely flooded. 406 towns and villages with 1,6 million inhabitants were partly flooded. 16 persons lost their lives and 220,000 inhabitants were evacuated. 7.1% of all villages and towns in Czech Republic were affected and 15,6% of the population of the Czech Republic was directly or indirectly affected by the floods. The post-trauma impact on the affected people is already visible with those who lost their homes and psychologists are warning that the figure of those who would need the psycho-social assistance will grow. Czech Republic, Slovakia & Hungary - Floods 4 EUSC-21 Appeal Revision 1 Description of Damages Final damage statistics are not yet available, but it is certain that many thousands of family houses were damaged along with many schools and churches etc. A preliminary estimate of the damages is around US$ 3-milliard. Locations for Proposed Response Czech Republic – South, Middle and Northern part of Bohemia. Communities yet to be determined. Diaconia ECCB has established ten bases with regional out-reach for the volunteers to work from. Co-operation with other organisations in the targeted locations is described below. Current Security Situation The operations (first phase of the disaster) carried out by the army, firemen and other units of the Integrated Rescue System were effective and viewed positively by the majority of the population. Also the level of communication and information to the inhabitants was good - this was one of the main reasons the death toll was not much higher. As the crises operations continue with removal of debris, the cleaning and drying processes it is obvious that the need is far beyond that which the local and governmental authorities are able to provide. The assistance of humanitarian organisations is needed urgently. At present the security is threatened by: • Risk of infections: in the Czech Republic there were not enough supplies of the Hepatitis vaccination. Consequently, not all volunteers received the vaccination and those who did only after intensive negotiations with the Ministry of Health Care and regional hygiene departments which prefer to provide vaccinations to professional bodies rather than voluntary humanitarian organisations. • One of the volunteers’ bases is based in a village located in close proximity to the chemical plant leaking dangerous chemical materials. In this respect the close co-operation with the professional rescue teams is necessary. IV. GOAL & OBJECTIVES The main goal of ECCB is to alleviate the suffering of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged groups (the elderly, handicapped, families with children and socially weak persons) affected by the floods and enable them to cope better with the aftermath of the disaster and losing their homes and possessions. Objectives: 1. Assistance in cleaning and drying houses or flats 2. Support in overcoming their post-trauma by psycho-social help 3. Supporting people with housing problems The present activities of Diaconia ECCB related to the floods The Co-ordination Centre was created at the ECCB Diaconia headquarters in Prague, where the staff members, together with the volunteers, are working. The ECCB Diaconia, in co-operation with the Commission of Synod Council for Humanitarian Assistance, organises help in the following activities: Organising volunteers In co-operation with the youth department of ECCB, young people were addressed via the Internet, phone and mass-media. ECCB is creating a database of volunteers who are sent out to various operations organised by ECCB Diaconia or partner organisations. The Co-ordination Centre also Czech Republic, Slovakia & Hungary - Floods 5 EUSC-21 Appeal Revision 1 addressed all ECCB congregations in the districts affected by floods as well as other ECCB centres and appealed to them for co-operation. In the period 8 – 28 August the overall number of volunteers co-ordinated by Diaconia ECCB in flooded areas was almost 900 people including 20 psycho-social workers and 60 Diaconia ECCB workers. The ECCB centres and several local churches located directly in flood areas or close to these areas were transformed into bases for organising help to the surrounding areas. The centres provide the volunteers with accommodation and other needs while assisting the local population.