150 route de Ferney, P.O. Box 2100 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland Appeal Tel: 41 22 791 6033 Fax: 41 22 791 6506 E-mail: [email protected] Honduras Coordinating Office Tropical Depression 16 - LAHD91 Appeal Target: US$ 824,486 Total requested: US$ 501,877 Geneva, 15 January 2009 Dear Colleagues, On 16 October 2008, Tropical Depression 16 made landfall in Central America and caused heavy rains from northern Costa Rica to Southern Mexico. The Northern, Western and Southern regions of Honduras were heavily hit by strong rains over several days. The Government of Honduras declared a state of emergency on 20 October and formally requested humanitarian assistance. A red alert was declared in the Departments of Copán and Ocotepeque, a yellow alert in Francisco Morazán and Cortes. Floods and landslides were registered throughout the affected regions, damaging and destroying houses, infrastructure and crops. An important number of families had to take refuge in shelters. The Permanent Commission for Contingencies (COPECO) indicated a number of 34 deaths, 16 persons missing, 42,304 evacuated, 68,716 directly affected persons and a total of 12,429 inundated houses. A total of 101,107 ha of crops were affected. COPECO has been coordinating relief activities and distributed humanitarian aid through its regional emergency committees. The international response includes ongoing actions from United Nations organizations, the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO), the Red Cross, Oxfam, and others. ACT members Christian Aid, Comisión Cristiana de Desarrollo, Dan Church Aid, Swiss Interchurch Aid (HEKS) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) responded to the crisis phase through ACT Rapid Response Fund number 31/2008 issued on 11 November 2008. The implementation was executed by ACT members’ partners ADEPES, Vecinos Mundiales, CASM, OCDIH, ASONOG and CDH. The response included the distribution of food and non food items, hygiene kits, medicines and clothes. The present appeal consists of a revised crisis phase of three months, which implementation is now almost finished, and a post-crisis phase to respond to the important needs in term of infrastructure and land rehabilitation. The rehabilitation phase specifically includes distribution of seeds, seedlings and tools for agriculture, rehabilitation of water tanks, fumigation and cleaning campaigns. Additionally, psychosocial training for community leaders, recreational activities for children and youth as well as disaster preparedness trainings aiming at a better recovery within the communities and reducing disaster risks in the future. 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. Honduras – Tropical depression 16 2 LAHD91 The implementation of the appeal will take place under the same organizational arrangement as the RRF, under the leadership of Christian Aid. Memorandum of Understanding will be signed between the ACT members as well as their partners. Project Completion Date: 31 October 2009 Reporting schedule: Interim narrative & financial: 31 May 2009 Final narrative & financial: 31 December 2009 Audit: 31 January 2010 Summary of Appeal Targets, Pledges/Contributions Received and Balance Requested Appeal Target 824,486 Less: Pledges/Contr Recd 322,609 Balance Requested from ACT Alliance 501,877 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 Programme Officer Michael Zschiegner ([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, Michael Zschiegner, (phone +41 22 791 6420 or mobile phone +41 79 608 8133) John Nduna Director, ACT Co-ordinating Office Honduras – Tropical depression 16 3 LAHD91 I. IMPLEMENTING ACT MEMBER & PARTNER INFORMATION The implementation will be carried out under the coordination and responsibility of Christian Aid as the coordinating member of the ACT Honduras Forum. The ACT Honduras Forum was constituted on 2 December 2002 and includes all ACT members in the country: Christian Aid, DanChurchAid (DCA), Swiss Church Aid (HEKS), Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and Christian Development Commission (CCD). Beside the ACT members, the ACT Honduras forums includes a network of 22 local ACT members’ partners: 1) OCDIH, 2) CAMS, 3) ASONOG, 4) Iglesia Episcopal (ANGLIDESH), 5) Iglesia Luterana (Lutheran Church), 6) CDH, 7) VMH, 8) ADEPES, 9) UNICORAAS, 10) COFEMUNH, 11) ENMUNEH, 12) DIAKONIA, 13) COMAL, 14) COPRODEDPIY, 15) ERIC, 16) RADIO PROGRESO, 17) Red de CODEMAS, 18) MANCONORTE, 19) MANBOCAURE, 20) FUNDACIÓN BASILEA, 21) COPA, 22) PATRONATO DE LOS VALLES. The present appeal will be implemented through the following ACT members’ partnersl: 1. ACT Southern Partners Network, specifically formed for the appeal, which includes ADEPES (Development Association),World Neighbours, CDH (Human Development Centre) and ACT member CCD (Christian Development Commission) 2. CASM (Mennonite Social Action Commission) 3. OCDIH (Christian Organisation for the Integral Development of Honduras) 4. ASONOG (Association of Non Governmental Organisations) The majority of the ACT members and partners have participated emergencies response. About 50% of the implementing members and partners had their first emergency experience during hurricane Mitch response; at least three members have emergency and rehabilitation programs and participated in projects on strengthening local capacities for risk management. There are at least 4 NGO’s that have developed capacities in the field of emergency prevention and attention for the target population in their influence zone. These actions include the identification of the type of response according to the type of threat, the elaboration of strategic plans and the development of an alert system. Six years after having founded ACT in Honduras there are now at least 150 persons within all organisations staff members that have been trained in risk management, Sphere standards and Code of Conduct, damage assessment and analysis of needs, contingency planning and other tools related to risk management. These staff members coordinate with local, national and international institution, such as: SINAGER (National System for Risk Management), COPECO (National Permanent Contingency Commission), UNETE team (United Nations), OFDA/USAID and the Group for Humanitarian Response in Honduras. II. DESCRIPTION OF THE EMERGENCY SITUATION The tropical depression No. 16 as well as other low-pressure system affected the Central American region from the beginning of October. It was particularly heavily felt on the whole Honduran territory and the eastern part of Guatemala. In the mountainous regions of the Eastern, Southern, Western and North-Western areas of Honduras, rainfalls between 40 and 60 millimetres in 48 hours caused soil saturation, rise of water levels, floods and landslides. On October 20, the Honduran President declared a state of emergency during the session of the Minister Council. COPECO maintained red and yellow alerts on the affected regions as the National Honduras Meteorological Services informed that the heavy rainfalls would last several days due to the influence of two low pressure systems: one at the Honduran Gulf and another one southeast of El Salvador. Honduras – Tropical depression 16 4 LAHD91 The following table show the final figures of the emergency impact: Deaths 50 Damaged bridges and fords 169 Missing persons 18 Destroyed bridges and fords 109 Sheltered persons 50 291 Damaged sewer systems 448 Victims 68,716 Destroyed sewer systems 67 Affected persons 322,158 Damaged schools 68 Evacuated persons 50,676 Destroyed schools 6 Flooded houses 8,457 Affected hospitals and Health Centres 1 Damaged houses 3,090 Damaged public buildings 6 Destroyed houses 2,474 Destroyed public buildings 4 Affected roads 1,183 Agricultural area affected 101,107 manzanas III. DESCRIPTION OF THE DAMAGE IN THE AREA OF PROPOSED RESPONSE Western Region In two departments of this region, the damages were caused by flooding and landslides, resulting in loss of houses, 2 destroyed schools, a destroyed suspension bridge as well as crop losses. As a result many families had to be evacuated and stay in shelter. Because of destroyed roads, access to and from some of the communities was impossible for several days. In the department of Lempira, the affected communities are: San Manuel Colorete, Chachate, Mercedes las Flores, Sensenti, la Llorona, Talgua and El Salieron. In the department of Copan damages occurred in the municipality of Cabañas where 10 communities were cut off due to the flooding