Appeal Tel: 41 22 791 6033 Fax: 41 22 791 6506 E-Mail: [email protected] Bolivia Coordinating Office

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] Bolivia Coordinating Office Food security for flood affected families – LABO81 Revision 1 Appeal Target: US$ 147,489 Total Requested: US$ 122,504 Geneva, 21 April 2008 Dear Colleagues, On 24 January 2008, the Bolivian Government declared a state of National Emergency as a consequence to the constant and heavy rains produced by the “La Niña” phenomenon and resulting flooding in the nine departments of Bolivia. The bad weather conditions began in December 2007, and reached a peak in January 2008. On 12 February, the President of Bolivia, Evo Morales, declared a State of National Disaster, asking for international humanitarian assistance. Low-lying areas have been severely affected by flooding and epidemics. In the Andean highlands, constant rainfall, along with freezes, hail and snowfall have caused flash floods, swept away homes and bridges, destroyed roadways and caused landslides. According to the Vice minister for Civil Defense, this phenomenon has affected over 25,000 families across Bolivia. 5,339.76 hectares of agricultural lands have been lost along with 311 homes. 34 people have died. The municipality of Tacobamba, in the Cornelio Savedra province of the Potosí department, is one example among many severely affected municipalities. With a poverty rate of 96.15 %, it is also one of the most vulnerable area of the country. With 93% of crop loss, men are migrating to the cities of Potosí, Sucre and Cochabamba in search for work, leaving women and children behind. Families will have no food in the coming months and will lack seeds for the next planting season to begin in August. A similar situation is to be found within many indigenous communities of the Departments of La Paz, Beni and Potosi, where poverty rates are amongst the highest of the country and families rely mostly on subsistence farming. Through the ACT Rapid Response Fund (RRF) request 9/2008, ACT members Lutheran World Relief (LWR) and Evangelical Methodist Church of Bolivia (IEMB) have responded to the crisis situation with LWR delivering food to 440 hardest hit Quechua families in the municipality of Tacobamba, and IEMB supporting 770 families in 13 communities of the departments of Potosí and Beni with food and medicine. Through the ACT appeal LABO61 issued on 2 nd April 2008, LWR is ACT is a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities planning to deliver agriculture rehabilitation support to 440 families in 6 in emergencies worldwide. sub central districts of the municipality of Tacobamba. The intervention The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and The Lutheran World includes rehabilitation of soil, distribution of local crops seeds and Federation (LWF) in Switzerland. Bolivia – Food security for flood affected families 2 LABO81 reforestation. A disaster risk reduction strategy will be applied through training on agriculture and land management for the families, local authorities, school cluster directors and experts of the municipality. Through the present revision of the appeal, IEMB through its Rural Development Department (DDR) is planning to assist 2,068 indigenous families with seeds delivery and technical agricultural trainings in the departments of La Paz, Beni and Potosí. The locations were selected for their remoteness, the endemic povery of the population and the little or no support they received from other agencies. The response promotes the use of local knowledge on natural disaster mitigation which will gathered through interviews with the elderly, systematized and disseminated amongst the communities. Project Completion Date : 18 February 2009 Reporting schedule: Reports due ACT CO IEMB LWR Interim narrative & financial 18 August 2008 18 August 2008 Final narrative & financial 18 April 2009 18 April 2009 Audit 18 May 2009 18 May 2009 Summary of Appeal Targets, Pledges/Contributions Received and Balance Requested: ACT Member LWR IEMB TOTAL Appeal Target 71,718 75,771 147,489 Less: Pledges/Contr Recd 24,985 0 24,985 Balance Requested from ACT Alliance 46,733 75,771 122,504 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 Bolivia – Food security for flood affected families 3 LABO81 EVANGELICAL METHODIST CHURCH OF BOLIVIA I. IMPLEMENTING ACT MEMBER & PARTNER INFORMATION ACT Member For more than 100 years the Evangelical Methodist Church of Bolivia has been active in delivery of social services, contributing to address some of the social issues of Bolivia, especially for the most needy. The National Secretary of Services, through its Departments of Educational Work, Health Work and principally through its Department for Rural Development, has shown its solidarity with the communities in accompanying them in difficult times. IEMB developed works of community service through the National Secretariat of Services (SNS), currently lead by Dr. Rolando Yanapa (SNS) and operatively through the Department of Rural Development (DDR), directed by Engineer Rina Yanapa. Institutional Experience DDR has been implementing actions of solidarity for victims of disaster almost every year, for emergencies of different sizes. It contributed to rehabilitation efforts through the delivery of food and non food items, and in the sector of agriculture, with seeds, technical advice, and distribution of tools to victims in 2006 and 2007. Its greatest contribution has been in the 80's, when it was invited to form part of the Drought Plan ["Plan Sequía"], together with other churches and development institutions, to support the reconstruction of infrastructure for agricultural production. ACT Forum in Bolivia In Bolivia, ACT members are the two institutions, the Evangelical Methodist Church in Bolivia (IEMB), and Lutheran World Relief (LWR). Within the IEMB, the Rural Development Department (DDR) is the entity which will act directly in the field. It is lead by Engineer Rina Yanapa, count with specialized project staff, and coordinate with the Secretary of Services as well as local and districts authorities. II. DESCRIPTION OF THE EMERGENCY SITUATION Background In Bolivia, when disasters and emergencies occur, the most competent governmental institution is the Civil Defense, also knows as the Dirección General de Emergencias y Auxilio. As depicted in Chart no. 1 from the Civil Defense, up to March 2008, La Niña have had disastrous effects on all nine departments of Bolivia. The lower regions were particularly affected by the floods, river overflows and resulting epidemics. In the Andean regions, composed of Los Valles and the Altiplano, the resulting effects of La Niña have been drought, freezes, hail, excessive snow, and overflows of water. At the level of Lake Titicaca: flooding, landslides, strong winds which have impacted crops, pastures, bridges, roads, etc. In the country, more than 88,996 families, 1,139 houses and 54,643,88 hectares of crops were affected. However, these figures leave out a number of remote communities, especially people living in the Altiplano area. According to Chart No. 1, families most hardly hit are the ones living in the department of La Paz (23, 231), followed by Beni (21,987), Santa Cruz (18,556), Chuqisaca (8,723) and Cochabamba (6,855). The chart shows a detailed list by province, type of disaster and other statistics. Bolivia – Food security for flood affected families 4 LABO81 Chart No. 1 Incidence of Destructive Natural Events to Date high- Total Total events Total ha. Total Total Department ways Total affected (storms, freezes, of land affected affected Deaths affecte families families etc.) in year affected houses bridges d LA PAZ 23.231 388 4.313,65 404 2 0 12 388 COCHABAMB A 6.855 118 9.517,84 107 0 1 10 118 ORURO 2.355 54 478,01 20 0 0 0 55 SANTA CRUZ 18.556 83 29.291,00 237 2 10 14 83 TARIJA 1.984 14 275,00 0 0 0 0 14 CHUQUISACA 8.723 108 5.338,00 208 0 0 23 107 POTOSI 4.288 151 4.364,88 78 1 2 3 151 BENI 21.987 124 1.065,50 0 0 0 2 124 PANDO 1.017 51 0,00 85 0 2 1 51 Total 88.996 1.091 54.643,88 1.139 5 5 65 1.091 Source: Gral de Brigada Gonzalo Lora Araoz, Director General de Emergencias y Auxilio (Defensa Civil) (2008). Field work, assessments, and specific interviews with rural inhabitants showed that many of the affected communities are not in the data base of Civil Defense. Possibly this is due to their remote location and being cut off from the outside world during the emergency. Therefore, the actual number of persons affected is higher than shown in the table.

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