The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) is a source of un-earmarked money created by the Federation in 1985 to ensure that immediate financial support is available for Red Cross Red Crescent response to emergencies. The DREF is a vital part of the International Federation’s disaster response system and increases the ability of National Societies to respond to disasters.
Summary: 105,591 Swiss francs were allocated from the IFRC’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) on 6 December 2011 to support the Colombian Red Cross Society (CRCS) in delivering assistance to some 2,290 families. The operation closed with a total expenditure of 95,174 Swiss francs, with a final balance of 10,417 Swiss francs unspent and returned to the DREF fund.
Through this DREF-supported operation, the Colombia Red Cross Society distributed relief items to 750 families in the departments of Cesar, Chocó and Norte de Santander. The National Society has also distributed 645,000 litres of safe drinking water in La Calendaria (Atlántico) while improving the sanitation infrastructures in its collective centres, as well as those in the transitional shelter in the municipality of Santa Lucía (Atlántico), assisting in these ways some 1,000 people. Moreover, the deployment of Mobile Health Units (MHU) in the departments of Chocó, Cesar and Norte de Santander between February and March 2012 reached a total of 2,360 persons with general health care, psychosocial support, dental care, and health promotion and prevention activities.
The current operation was a response to the affectation caused by an above average rainy season due to the presence of La Niña weather phenomena for two consecutive years that left behind some 4.5 million Colombians affected. As a result, this DREF-supported operation of the CRCS was an important element to ensure the sustainability of the actions undertook during the previous 2010-2011 rainy season. Moreover, many of the volunteers and staff trained in the previous IFRC-supported operation (MDRCO008), as well as the conclusions obtained during its evaluation, were a fundamental resource for the current response.
The major donors and partners of DREF include the Australian, American and Belgian governments, the Austrian Red Cross, the Canadian Red Cross and government, the Danish Red Cross and government, the European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO), the Irish and the Italian governments, the Japanese Red Cross Society, the Luxembourg government, the Monaco Red Cross and government, the Netherlands Red Cross and government, the Norwegian Red Cross and government, the Spanish government, the Swedish Red Cross and government, the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID), the Medtronic and Z Zurich Foundations, and other corporate and private donors. The IFRC, on behalf of the national society, would like to extend thanks to DREF final report Colombia: Floodsall for their generous contributions. The Canadian Red Cross and government, the Coca Cola Company, and ECHO have replenished the DREF for the allocation made to this operation. Details of all donors can be found on: http://www.ifrc.org/what/disasters/responding/drs/tools/dref/donors.asp