Tajikistan Act Appeal for Extreme Winter 08
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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 Appeal E-mail: [email protected] Coordinating Office Tajikistan Severe Weather - ASCE81 Appeal Target: US$ 169,540 Balance Requested: US$ 139,540 Geneva, 19 March 2008 Dear Colleagues, Tajikistan is experiencing its harshest winter in three decades with unusually low temperatures. T he cold weather over the last months and the ensuing shortage of electricity ha ve crippled the population, particularly in urban areas which depend on electricity for heating, cooking and water supply. Children and the elderly are among the most vulnerable people being hit by these conditions. As a result of heavy snowfalls, roads between several districts were blocked, which has also reduced local supplies of food and other basic commodities. According to media reports, 303 babies and 12 young women have died as a result of this situation over the last month (Source: Asia Plus). Many antiquated water lines had broken or become clogged. Meanwhile heating and electricity have been restored In Dushanbe, but in the higher altitudes, extreme cold and power outages prevail. There is a risk of flooding and mudslides and outbreak of typhoid as a result of precarious health conditions. The World Health Organization (WHO), together with other agencies, has identified critical food and non-food items are needed to mit igate against immediate, life threatening conditions. These items include wheat flour and vegetable oil in particular, warm clothes for children and the elderly, blankets and sleeping mats, jerry cans for carrying and storing water, flashlights, batteries, candles, matches, generators and fuel, and medicines. ACT member Christian Aid is based in Dushanbe in the ACT Central Asia office. Together with its local partner organizations , Christian Aid is planning relief assistance of food in urban areas, woodstoves and coal to schools and hospitals, information campaigns on the dangers related to using wood/coal burning stoves in homes, and seeds for rural communities whose crops have been destroyed by frost, The implementing partner Agency of Support of Development Process, (ASDP) in cooperation with Youth Group on Protection of Environment (YGPE) and the Centre of Assistance and Progressive Development (CAPD) is planning to provide heating and cooking facilities as well as food to some 660 families in the Northern region. Mehrangez will implement in coordination with Youth Eco-Centerr and Zumrad similar activities in the Southern region. The partners will also pursue their work in Disaster Risk Reduction by instigating media campaigns and capacity building to the local communities. Christian Aid will support its partners with close support in administration and monitoring. ACT is a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergencies worldwide. The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland. Severe Weather in Tajikistan 2 ACT appeal ASCE81 Project Completion Date: 19 October 2008 Reporting schedule: Reports due ACT CO Christian Aid Final narrative & financial 19 December 2008 Audit 19 January 2009 Summary of Appeal Targets, Pledges/Contributions Received and Balance Requested Appeal Target 169, 540 US$ Less: Pledges/Contr Recd 30,000 US$ Balance Requested from ACT Alliance 139,540 US$ Please kindly send your contributions to either of the following ACT bank accounts: US dollar Account Number - 240-432629.60A IBAN No: CH46 0024 0240 4326 2960A Euro Euro Bank Account Number - 240-432629.50Z IBAN No: CH84 0024 0240 4326 2950Z Account Name: ACT - action by Churches Together UBS AG 8, rue du Rhône P.O. Box 2600 1211 Geneva 4, SWITZERLAND Swift address: UBSWCHZH80A Please also inform the Finance Officer Jessie Kgoroeadira ([email protected]) and the Michelle Yonetani (m [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, John Nduna (phone +41 22 791 6033 or mobile phone + 41 79 203 6055) or ACT Program Officer, Michelle Yonetani (phone +41 22 791 6035 or mobile phone +41 79 285 2916) John Nduna Director, ACT Co-ordinating Office Severe Weather in Tajikistan 3 ACT appeal ASCE81 Emergency Response Programme for the victims of Severe Weather in Tajikistan I. IMPLEMENTING ACT MEMBERS & PARTNER INFORMATION ACT member: Christian Aid (CA)/ACT Central Asia (ACT CA), Tajikistan Christian Aid (CA)/ACT Central Asia in partnership with DanChurchAid (DCA), Interchurch Organisation for Development Co-operation (ICCO) and Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) has prioritized Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) as one of the key areas of intervention1. ACT CA/Christian Aid has been supporting local partners implementing development programmes in the region since 1997 and disaster preparedness and mitigation programmes sinc e 2004. As part of the regional strategy, ACT CA focuses on the following priorities: Democratisation and widening political space, Access to basic services with a rights based approach, Organisational and institutional development of NGOs, HIV/AIDs, Fair economic development, Secure livelihoods and Disaster risk reduction. ACT Central Asia (ACT CA) through its local partners has implemented different emergency mitigation programmes. For example , ACT CA through Kyrgyz partner DCCA (Development and Cooperation in Central Asia) implemented an emergency response programme to rehabilitate the community members of Jany- Budalyk” after a major landslide in Kyrgyzstan in 2004-2005. Since 2004, Christian Aid/ACT CA has been funding different partners in the northern part of Kyrgyzstan and in 2006 and 2007 Christian Aid received DIPECHO (DMP funding arm of ECHO) funds, to implement community based DMP/DRR programmes. Since there is a great demand to reduce the risk of disasters in this part of the world, an ACT appeal for DRR was launched in 2007. Recently it has been agreed to pilot ACT Development organisational structure in the region along with other ACT members working in the region. For this, Christian Aid is responsible for leading the ACT Development National Forum in Tajikistan while the responsibility for this is with DCA in Kyrgyztsan. Christian Aid will ensure that the programme adheres to the Sphere Standards in the implementation phase and will also focus on building the capacity of the partner organisation’s staff in this regard. Christian Aid and partners will also adhere to the ACT Policies and Guidelines including the Humanitarian Code of Conduct. Local Implementation Partners: ASDP Nau (Agency of Support of Development Process, Nau) ASDP-Nau is a non-governmental, non-profit, non-political public organization. Its main goal is to provide sustainable development measures and facilitate the socio-economic development of the population of Sogd oblast, Republic of Tajikistan. Established in April 24, 1999, ASDP Nau is implementing Community Development Program in Aini. Their programme focuses on community mobilization through creation of informal groups such as self-help groups, women groups, villages’ organisations. ASDP worked in collaboration with FAO in 2000-2001 to carry out a humanitarian programme, specifically focusing on food for work. YGP E (Youth Group on Protection of Environment): YGPE works in the Sughd region of northern Tajikistan ensuring participation of civil society in local developme nt, access to information (including disaster information) and exchange of information with local and international agencies about disaster mitigation and preparedness. YGPE works in close co-operation with the government authorities, non governmental and international organizations. YGPE/Orhus Centre implements DMP/DRR projects and provides advice, and information on successful projects and lessons learned from other DMP/DRR projects in other countries. They are working with local population of the cities of Khujand, Kanibadam, Severe Weather in Tajikistan 4 ACT appeal ASCE81 Kayrakkum, Chkalovsk and Spitamen region, Ferghana valley. They are currently implementing an ACT appeal focussed on DRR programmes Centre of Assistance and Progressive Development (CAPD): CAPD has been involved in advocacy campaigns for human rights and also for land rights and have also got good experience in community mobilization. For the last two years, they have started implementing community based DRR programmes. Christian Aid funds some of their core development programmes. Mehrangez (Lead Partner) Mehrengez is a Tajik women's NGO created in 1997 to assist village women in the Khatlon region. Since 1997, Mehrengez has been running a micro-credit and skills development project for vulnerable men and women in the villages of Bokhtar district. In March, 1997, when refugees came back from Afghanistan, Mehrangez implemented an emergency programme with the support of Norwegian Refugee C ouncil. Following an organisational development process in early 2003, Mehrengez have shifted the ir focus towards more participatory community development approaches based on the self- help group model. Both ICCO and Christian Aid are funding some of the core development programmes of Mehrangez.