Period covered by this update: 16 January to 9 February, 2013.
Summary: CHF 167,769 was allocated from the IFRC’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) on 15 January, 2013 to support Sierra Leone Red Cross Society (SLRCS) in delivering assistance to 2,253 beneficiaries. Unearmarked funds to repay DREF are encouraged.
The objective of SLRCS intervention was to support the families affected by the fire disaster in Bo, Pujehun, Bonthe and Moyamba districts. A rapid needs assessment was conducted by the SLRCS branches involving its trained volunteers and in collaboration with the Office of National Security (ONS) and identified the most urgent needs as shelter, NFIs and food as some communities food storage facilities had been destroyed by the fire. As of 2 February, 2013 the National Society branches in the affected communities had completed the distribution of NFIs and shelter kits to 450 family heads in Rogbenk community (Port Loko branch), Tiama community (Moyamba branch), Blama Gbani community (Bo branch) and Bompalia community (Bonthe branch). Following the distributions, most of the persons have returned to their villages to begin reconstructing their burnt houses.
The relief objectives have been achieved successfully and plans are now under way to initiate awareness raising activities and preparedness measures to help the communities prevent or reduce the impact of such disasters if they occur in the future.
As part of the operation monitoring strategy, information on the impact of SLRCS intervention on the lives of the fire affected families was collected by the media. Reports indicate that there is a widespread consensus that even as the only humanitarian organisation that responded; the Red Cross response has been timely, relevant and has contributed to an improvement of the living conditions of the affected families.
This operation is expected to be implemented within three months, and completed by 15 April 2013. In line with Federation reporting standards, the Final Report (narrative and financial) is due 90 days after the end of the operation (by 15 July 2013).
The major donors and partners of DREF include the Australian, American and Belgian governments, the Austrian Red Cross, the Canadian Red Cross and government, 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.