Rapid Response Payment No. 29/2007

Funds Sent To: UELCI

Amount Sent: US$ 49,690

Date: 2 November 2007

Details of Response

Emergency: Floods in Tamil Nadu & Andhra Pradesh

Date of Emergency: 29 October 2007

Implementing Partner: United Evangelical Church in India

Details of the Emergency: Heavy and continuous rainfall for more than eight days has caused widespread flooding and at least 42 deaths in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh (31 and 11 respectively). The rains were caused by a low pressure centre over the south-eastern bay off Chennai along with the nort-east monsoon. The most seriously affected districts are Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Chennai and Madurai districts in Tamil Nadu and Nellore, Chittoor and Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh.

In Cuddalore district alone, at least 3,000 homes have been inundated by flood waters and people have been evacuated to safer places. Close to 35,000 hectares of standing crops including paddy and groundnut are still submerged. The authorities have organised rapid response teams of medical experts in each district to take action on any outbreaks of communicable diseases in view of the recent rains. The rains continue.

PURPOSE OF RESPONSE:

To provide emergency relief in the form of food and non-food items to the most vulnerable families affected by the floods.

BENEFICIARY INFORMATION AND LOCATION OF RESPONSE

UELCI plans to assist 2,550 families in the most seriously affected villages of the seven districts mentioned above. The villages have to date received no assistance whatsoever.

PROPOSED ASSISTANCE

UELCI and its member churches the Andhra Lutheran Church (ALC), Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church (TELC), India Evangelical Lutheran Church (IELC), the South Andhra Lutheran church (SALC) and Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church (AELC), based on a rapid assessment and discussions with the communities, has decided to provide the following assistance to each family:

Food Items: 10kg rice, 2 kg dhal, 1 litre cooking oil, 1kg salt and 500 gr chilli powder.

Non-food Items: 1 blanket, 1 dhoti and 1 saree.

Methodology: UELCI staff along with member church staff and volunteers will be deployed in each of the affected districts. ALC, TELC, IELC, SALC and AELC will form groups to work in their respective districts. Each group will consist of paid volunteers, volunteers from the member churches and from the village community. One member church staff person will be in charge of the group. A UELCI staff person will monitor the programme and assist the member church staff and volunteers. Orientation sessions will be held for all the volunteers. Some of the volunteers are already deployed to the villages and assessing the situation.

UELCI will transfer the funds directly to the member churches to buy the food and non food items. In case of non availability of materials at the local level, the materials will be bought from the nearest and transported to the affected villages/ distribution centres. At the implementing level the field staff of the above units will be responsible for monitoring and control. Accounts will be maintained by a qualified accountant at UELCI HQ.

UELCI will ensure proper co-ordination and information sharing between ACT Partners in India - CASA and LWSI and with the five member churches, as well as with relevant government departments at the local, district and, if necessary, state level.

IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD: Two months

TOTAL BUDGET: US$ 49,690

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

ACTION

The ACT Co-ordinating Office has approved the use of US$49,690 towards the budget from its Rapid Response Fund and would be grateful to receive contributions to wholly or partially replenish this payment.

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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.