Rapid Response Payment Request No. 16/2008

Funds Sent To: Lutheran World Service India (LWSI) and Church's Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA)

Amount Sent: US$ 46,713

Date: 25 June 2008

Details of Response

Emergency: Floods in Orissa, Assam and West Bengal

Date of Emergency: June 2008

Implementing Members: Lutheran World Service India (LWSI) and Church's Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA)

Details of the Emergency

Heavy and incessant rainfall since June 16, 2008 has flooded many areas in the eastern states of Assam, Orissa and West Bengal leaving some 93 people dead and close to 2.7 million people affected.

More than 1.5 million people have been displaced to relief camps set up by the government. The military is carrying out rescue operations in many of the affected areas and transporting people to higher ground and to the relief camps.

Rail and road transportation routes are severely affected in the three states, as well as the other neighbouring states in north east India.

In Assam, floods have claimed 27 lives and affected more than 800,000 people. Lakhimpur and Dhemaji are the worst hit districts with over 348 villages affected by the floods. Fourteen relief camps have been set up in the affected districts accommodating 25,000 people. ACT member, Church's Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA), reports that more than 100,000 people are living in unofficial camps. The military has been called in to carry out the rescue operations and also to set up bailey bridges to restore communication in the worst affected areas.

In Orissa, one million people have been affected by the floods. Balasore, where 800,000 people have been affected, is one of the worst hit districts. ACT member, Lutheran World Service India (LWSI), reported that 75 percent of villages in Balasore were underwater. Flood waters have also submerged thousands of acres of land, disrupted electricity, and transportation by road and rail in many districts of Orissa. In one area, hundreds of people were found camping on the highway.

The District Administration has requested air dropping of relief materials in Balasore, Orissa. About 200 boats have been deployed in the relief activities and 100 Orissa Disaster Rapid Action Force personnel and the fire service have been deployed for rescue and relief operations. It is foreseen that other areas like Bankura and Bardhaman, will also soon be affected by the flood waters.

West Bengal has already received half the season's rainfall in just three days. This has caused havoc for many of the 2.5 million people in the state. The situation in Sabang, Datan, Pingla of West Midnapur is severe due to breaches of the flood protection embankments (bunds). A total of 60 villages are inundated affecting 30,000 households. In Narayangarh Block of West Midnapur, 65-70% of the villages are affected by heavy flooding and strong currents. CASA reports that close to 1,000 mud houses were completely washed away and about 2,500 houses were badly damaged in the flash floods in one area. Bagberia, Talabindu, Harirhat, Kundalpal, Dangabari, Kasba, Sabang, Bhagnan, Ruinana, Sindurmari, Jalakpur, Barjiban are some of the villages, where LWSI ACT Appeal ASIN72 activities are ongoing in Sabang block of West Midnapur. Similarly, a number of villages in Bankura, Jalpaiguri and West Midnapur districts of West Bengal also received flood relief assistance by CASA in 2007 under ASIN72 for last year's monsoon floods. The West Bengal Government has deployed army personnel with motorboats to rescue around 10,000 people in West Midnapore district. The Government has increased the relief package from around US$ 582,000 to US$ 1.3 million.

Proposed assistance

LWSI stocks of rice and pulses will be distributed through the community kitchens for approximately 2,000 flood affected families, who have taken shelter in school buildings and embankments (Bunds) in Sabang and Jaleswar blocks of Midnapore and Balasore districts respectively.

LWSI will provide 2,000 families with fabricated High-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic sheet each for temporary shelter. 2,500 families will be given dry food rations consisting of 5 kgs of pressed rice, 1 kg of molasses and 100 halogen tablets each for water purification. The dry food ration will provide sufficient sustenance for the affected families to survive for three to five days.

CASA will provide cooked food (feeding programme) to 1,500 families for a period of ten days to help these families tide over their loss. A total of 120 Plastic Sheets will also be distributed to 1500 families to serve as temporary shelters.

Target Population: LWSI plans to cover a total of 2,500 families in the districts of West Bengal and Orissa (1,250 in each) under its RRF package. Although detailed statistical information on the population has not yet been received, LWSI estimates that the figures in need of assistance comprise approximately 51% male and 49% female. Age wise segregation tentatively would be as follows: less than 5 around16%, between 6-17 years of age around 28% and over 18 around 57%.

CASA intends to cover 1,500 families in Lakhimpur, Balasore and West Midnapur districts of Assam, Orissa and West Bengal respectively (500 families each). Detailed statistical information is not yet available with CASA, however, CASA will give priority to the most vulnerable sections of the affected people such as the marginalised communities, excluded communities, widows, physically challenged, and single women headed families and children.

Implementation Arrangements: LWSI and CASA are already in touch with respective District Collectors, Block Development Officers (BDOs), Sub Divisional Officers and Inter Agency Group members in Assam, Orissa and West Bengal. LWSI and CASA have core teams placed in both Balasore and West Midnapore as a part of their flood relief programme. CASA has a regional office in Guwahati, Assam. The teams are trying to collect information from district authorities and Block/Panchayat personnel. As the entire area is totally submerged under around 2 metres of water it is very difficult to communicate from the district offices. However, efforts are being made to conduct damage and needs assessment.

LWSI and CASA are planning to implement the programme in collaboration with respective relief committees especially in Midnapore. There is continuous collaboration with District administration of West Midnapore and Balasore/Jaleshwar. LWSI plans to conduct a joint assessment with other INGOs such as Oxfam, CRS under IAG who are also interested in providing co-ordinated support. Linkages with development actors working within the project area pre-exist based on CASA's prior activities and NGO partnerships in these areas. CASA will be working in coordination with other NGOs and will be networked with them for ensuring coordinated implementation of its programmes.

Coordination: LWSI and CASA will make all possible attempts to strengthen the interagency co-ordination for better accountability and to ensure quality humanitarian services are provided to the flood victims. At the District level the District Magistrate and Collector chair the co-ordination meetings and NGOs will sketch the implementation plan with who will do what and where and when.

ACT Coordination: LWSI has an ongoing project in the flood affected region and therefore a stronger implementation structure in place to respond immediately to the crisis. CASA though does not have any ongoing relief/rehabilitation projects in the targeted areas; it has prior experience of working in all the target districts of the three states, the earliest during the floods that hit the area in 2007.

Communication: LWSI has experienced personnel present in the affected area. They continue to provide updates on the situation in the region. Information supplied by LWSI staff and other sources have been used to prepare this RRF request. LWSI will continue to depend on the field personnel for regular updates and head office personnel will visit the affected areas to gather additional information. Information received will be used to update ACT CO and donor agencies.

CASA has sent out its staff to the affected areas to make an on the spot assessment of damage and relief needs. The existing staff of CASA will be used for organising the various activities. CASA Delhi headquarter will coordinate the overall operation which includes expertise in disaster response, logistics and emergency communications. The co-ordination at the state level is with the Zonal office of CASA in Kolkata and sector offices in Eastern India.

Planned Implementation Period: The rapid relief response is expected to be completed within a period of 30 days. In the meantime, LWSI and CASA will continue to observe the situation, analyse needs and if there is need for a follow-up intervention will launch an appeal. In the case of CASA an operational period of ten days has been projected.

BUDGET

LUTHERAN WORLD SERVICE INDIA: US$ 25,024

CHURCH'S AUXILIARY FOR SOCIAL ACTION: US$ 21,689

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

ACTION

The ACT Co-ordinating Office has approved the use of US$ 46,713 towards the budget from its Rapid Response Fund and would be grateful to receive contributions to wholly or partially replenish this payment. Should there be an appeal for this emergency, the RRF payment will be considered as an advance.

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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.