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Appeal Russia/Siberia Emergency Flood Relief

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Appeal Russia/Siberia Emergency Flood Relief 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] Coordinating Office Russia/Siberia Emergency Flood Relief – EURU11 Appeal Target: US$50,000 Geneva, 20 June 2001 Dear Colleagues, Further to our recent updates on floods in central parts of Russia, we draw your attention to Siberia, the area seen to be the most affected by this year’s spring flooding. The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) is of particular concern where over 40,000 people have been evacuated from towns and villages. Due to the magnitude of the disaster, the Government of the Russian Federation has been able to respond only to a minimum of the needs emerging out of this new crisis. They have strongly urged the international community to help in providing assistance to those most severely affected by the floods, many of whom have been forced to flee their devastated homes. ACT member, the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) is already making significant efforts to alleviate the suffering of Russians who faced floods in the central parts of the country earlier this spring. They are seeking additional funding in order to assist the severely affected population of Lensk, East Siberia, by delivering the following humanitarian aid: § Food parcels § Non-food items (clothes, blankets, stoves) ACT is a worldwide network of churches and related agencies meeting human need through coordinated emergency response. The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland. Russia – Emergency Flood Relief 2 Appeal EURU-11 Russia – Emergency Flood Relief 3 Appeal EURU-11 Project Completion Date: 31 July 2001 Summary of Appeal Targets, Pledges/Contributions Received and Balance Requested US$ Total Appeal Target(s) 50,000 Less: Pledges/Contr. Recd. 0 Balance Requested from ACT Network 50,000 Please kindly send your contributions to the following ACT bank account: Account Number - 102539/0.01.061 (USD) Account Name: ACT - Action by Churches Together Banque Edouard Constant Cours de Rive 11 Case postale 3754 1211 Genève 3 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 Co-ordinator, Thor-Arne Prois (phone ++41 22 791 6033 or mobile phone ++ 41 79 203 6055) or ACT Appeal Officer, Leila Dzaferovic (phone +41 22 791 6710 or mobile phone ++41 79 672 0549) ACT Web Site address: http://www.act-intl.org Ms. Geneviève Jacques Thor-Arne Prois Rev. Rudolf Hinz Director ACT Coordinator Director WCC/Cluster on Relations LWF/World Service Russia – Emergency Flood Relief 4 Appeal EURU-11 I. REQUESTING ACT MEMBER INFORMATION § Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) II. IMPLEMENTING ACT MEMBER INFORMATION For the last 12 years the Russian Orthodox Church has participated in various international diaconal, social and emergency projects in Russia, as well as in other countries – Tajikistan, Moldova, Belarus, Ukraine, Estonia, Ethiopia and Serbia. The social service of the Church is carried out in every parish – assistance for the needy in various forms, education of children and care for elderly are an integral part of the Church’s mission. In the last years the Russian Orthodox Church has also gained experience implementing ACT emergency programs. From 1995 such programs have been implemented in Chechnya and North Caucasus (Daghestan, Ingushetia, North Osetia, Stavropol region), in 1999 the Russia Winter Assistance Program for needy children was carried out and in 2000 – emergency aid for IDPs in Serbia. ROC also implemented the RRF flood projects in Moldova (1994 -1995) and in Tajikistan (1998). In June 2001 ROC will finalise the implementation of the RRF project on assistance to the floods victims in the region of Nishniy Novgorod. The aid program proposed in this appeal targets the flood victims in East Siberia/Russia and will be implemented by ROC through parishes in the Diocese of Yakutsk and Lensk, which are already active in assisting the affected people. The Russia Round Table/Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate on behalf of the ROC will participate in the following project. III. DESCRIPTION OF THE EMERGENCY SITUATION The hard, snowy Russian winter and long spring of 2001 resulted in severe flooding in many regions, with thousands of people struggling to save their lives and property from the spring floods. According to the Russian EMERCOM the spring floods of 2001 are the heaviest for over a decade. Local authorities and Russian EMERCOM have taken emergency measures in an attempt to minimize the damage - 150,000 pieces of machinery for banking soil and transportation of people were organised, 600 explosives and air-bombs were used to break ice on the rivers to prevent ice dams. However, in some regions the governmental measures proved insufficient and thousands of people found themselves overwhelmed by the floods, losing crops and property. Such a tragedy were the floods in the Republic of akha-Yakutya (Yakutya) in East Siberia in May 2001 which experienced some of the worst flooding in decades. Mid-May the town of Khandyga with a population of around 7,000 was the first to be flooded. A mass of water and ice washed away most of the houses and other buildings including the Orthodox Church of Saints Peter and Paul. The next casualty was the town of Lensk, which was completely inundated with 3,331 houses being totally Russia – Emergency Flood Relief 5 Appeal EURU-11 destroyed. The total population of this region is 31,000 of which 20,000 persons had to be evacuated. 26 schools, kindergartens and hospitals were severely damaged and electric and telephone lines were destroyed. The neighboring villages of Batamay, Saldykel, Nyuya, Natora, Turukta were also flooded. The suburbs of the Yakut capital Yakutsk - Dyrkylakh and Zeleny Lug – were flooded severely affecting 1,000 houses and forcing the evacuation of 5,000 people. Other parts of the city were saved from flooding by the urgent action of strengthening and building up a dam as well as the air force bombing the ice on the river Lena. However, in spite of this over 80 villages and towns were flooded affecting 45,700 Yakutians and 7 persons died. Over 11,000 houses were flooded, 6 thousand of them totally destroyed. 963 industrial and social buildings, roads, bridges and dams severely damaged. Telephone and electric lines were broken/disrupted, thousands of hectares of agricultural land under water and many head of cattle drowned. Damage is estimated at over 7 billion Rubles – around USD241 million. 46,000 Yakutians have lost their homes and possessions with many people still living on the roofs of their flooded houses as they have nowhere to escape to. Those evacuated by EMERCOM boats and helicopters have temporary shelter but are in need of potable water, food and warm clothes. The local authorities do not have enough resources to assist people even with the most basic necessities. In some places Russian EMERCOM have distributed tents, drinking water and bread in limited quantities, however most of the affected have not received any assistance. The Russian President announced during his visit to Yakutya, that the flood victims will get assistance in the reconstruction of their houses. Meanwhile, the affected are in dire need of emergency assistance: food, potable water, warm clothes, blankets and heating. 45 ROC parishes in Yakutya are utilizing their limited resources and distributing clothes and food to the people. These parishes will participate in the implementation of this proposal. IV. GOAL & OBJECTIVES Goal: To alleviate the suffering and offer some hope to the victims of flood by providing emergency distribution of food and non-food items; development of capacity for emergency assistance of local parishes dealing with flood. Objectives: § to alleviate the need for food, warm cloths, blankets and heating among victims of the flood, § to create a network of the local diaconical and emergency initiatives of parishes, § to develop the local capacity for emergency assistance, V. TARGETED BENEFICIARIES The targeted beneficiaries include 3,000 persons - 525 families with two or more children severely affected by floods and representing the most vulnerable social groups in Lensk region. These people have low incomes (under 0,5 USD/day) and suffer from hunger and cold weather. Their property has been severely damaged or destroyed and, as they do not have relatives or finances to leave the flooded area, they remain Russia – Emergency Flood Relief 6 Appeal EURU-11 in their damaged/destroyed property. Beneficiaries will be reached by implementation of the following project activities: # Project Activity Number of Description of beneficiaries beneficiaries 1 Distribution of Food Parcels 3,000 3,000 persons/525 families in Lensk region 2 Distribution of Non-Food Parcels 3,000 3,000 persons/525 families in Lensk region jackets, gum boots, blankets, heating stoves) VI. PROPOSED EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE § Food kits to be distributed among victims of flood Implementation period: June 2001 (or upon arrival of funds) Beneficiaries: 3.000 persons/525 families in Lensk region Supplies: The first stage will involve a market analysis to reveal the lowest prices for quality foodstuff. Purchases will be made locally or in the neighboring Russian regions. The supplier will be fully liable for quantity and quality of products.
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