Rapid Response Payment No. 28/2007

Funds Sent To: Association des Eglises Evangéliques Réformées du Burkina Faso (AEERB)

Amount Sent: US$ 44,043

Date: 1 November 2007

Details of Payment

Emergency: Floods following rainy season in Burkina Faso

Date of Emergency: Ongoing from 24 July 2007

Implementing Member: Association des Eglises Evangéliques Reformées du Burkina Faso (AEERB)

Details of the Emergency:

From 24 july to 17 September 2007, continuous rains on dry lands resulted in serious floods which severly impacted 12 out of 13 administrative regions of the country. On 23 September 2007, the result of a join assessment made by the Government, UN agencies, the Red Cross and other humanitarian NGOs indicated that a total of 21 provinces out of 45 were affected, representing 40,637 people in 45 communes, with 11,365 houses destroyed, 1,285 granaries and their content washed away, 16,204 ha of crops lost (for a total amount of 700 mio FCFA), and damages to infrastructures such as health centers, school buildings and churches. 33 people were reported dead.

Because of the consuming water pollution and lack of latrines, water born diseases are on the rise, in particular malaria, diarrhoea and skin infection. Regarding agriculture, granaries destroyed were located in the Western and South Western regions of the country, where most of the country grain production comes from, aggravating the already precarious food availability. Farmers of the area have lost their source of income. School classes are occupied by families who lost their home, and parents will have difficulties to pay their children's school fees.

On 18 September, a total of 400 mio FCFA (861,326 USD) were spent by the government to assist victims of inundations. UN agencies, local association and international NGOs contributed to the emergency situation. Most urgent items distributed were medicine, cereals, tents, mosquito nets, mat, blankets, flashlights, plastic buckets, soap, biscuits of high nutritional value and other most needed products. However, the intervention so far could not meet all the needs in term of medicine, hygiene items, food assistance and rebuilding of houses.

Proposed assistance

AEERB intend to provide further relief assistance to flood victims in the provinces of Sanmatenga (North Center region) and Loroum (Northern region).

Implementation methodology

Identification of beneficiaries is being done in close cooperation with the National Committee for Emergency Assistance (Comité national de secours d'urgence -) and local populations representatives through the Crisis Management Committees, who will also be present during in the distribution of the relief items. Selection of criteria involve families who have lost their home because of the floods and particularly large families (minimum of 7 members). Moreover, all beneficiaries must have been identified and registered as disaster victims by the corresponding local social service. For Sanmatenga, 150 families were identified (1,286 persons) and in Loroum, 250 families (1,937 persons), making a total of 400 families (3,223 persons).

The assistance will consist of the following:

- Medicine will be provided to local health centers, who are often lacking stocks and who treat a population that cannot afford to pay the medication. AEERB will distribute amodiaquin, paracetamol, permanganate, metronidazole, cotrimoxazole, ciproflocacin, all used to treat water born diseases such as malaria, dysentery, typhoid fever etc. Management of stocks will be monitored by the health centers Chief Nurse in cooperation with health centers management committees and health promoters.

- Hygiene kits: these will be given directly to the selected beneficiaries by the AEERB Project Coordinator assisted by temporary workers. It will consist in: a mosquito net, a 15 litre bucket, a 20 litre jerrycan, two glasses, two bars of soap, a mat, two blankets.

- Food assistance: Sorghum, corn and rice will be distributed to the beneficiaries (mostly to women). Ration will cover 25 days of consumption for each member of the targeted household according to FAO standards.

- Building materials: cement and iron sheets will be distributed to the beneficiaries by the AEERB Project Coordinator who will supervise the building of the houses and give advice if necessary.

The AEERB project coordinator will be in charge of monitoring the implementation, supervising the staff, coordinate with other actors and elaborate regular progress reports. He will be assisted by an accountant charged of monitoring the financial requests and disbursement and producing the financial reports.

A National Committee composed of ACT members present in the country: Christian Aid Burkina Faso, Lutheran World Relief West Africa Regional Office and AEERB is in charge of approving monitoring and evaluation tools, and control the quality of the implementation and the reports.

TOTAL BUDGET: US$ 44,043

(For the detailed budget, kindly visit the ACT site. Thank you.)

ACTION

The ACT Co-ordinating Office has approved the use of US$44,043 towards the budget from its Rapid Response Fund and would be grateful to receive contributions to wholly or partially replenish this payment, which is being made. Should there be an appeal for this emergency, the RRF payment will be considered as an advance.

(ends)

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.