Period covered by this update: 27 November 2012 to 12 January 2013
Summary: CHF 247,437 was allocated from the IFRC’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) on 27 November 2012 to support the Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS) in delivering assistance to 53,359 households in 23 localities affected by yellow fever in the 5 Darfur states of Sudan.
While the containment efforts are progressing, the Ministry of Health recorded renewed cases of yellow fever since the start of the outbreak in September 2012, which has so far affected 35 out of 64 localities in Darfur. According to the Ministry of Health (MoH) / World Health Organization (WHO) reports, the total number of suspected yellow fever cases reached 849, including 171 deaths for the period between 2 September 2012 and 9 January 2013.The MoH and WHO with support from the international coordinating group in vaccine (ICG)launched an immunization campaign on 21 November 2012, which reached almost all of its target population (more than 90 percent). Currently, shipment of vaccines and the preparation for phase three of the immunization campaign is ongoing, with containment activities continuing parallel with the other activities.
To date, the National Society has implemented most of the planned activities. A total of 582 volunteers have been trained in basic facts of yellow fever outbreak, including contact tracing and case referral while 260 volunteers were trained in hygiene and sanitation and 75 volunteers trained in insecticide spraying. Trained volunteers then conducted house to house visits and public awareness sessions on yellow fever reaching 57,926 beneficiaries. The volunteers assisted 21,530 households with insecticide spraying for prevention of the spread of the disease and the environment of 8,184 households were assessed by trained volunteers for disease prevention purposes.
This operation has been planned to be implemented during three months, and completed by 26 February 2013. In line with Federation reporting standards, the final report (narrative and financial) is due 90 days after the end of the operation by 26 May 2013.
The Netherlands RC/Govt SEF has contributed to a partial replenishment of the DREF allocated for this operation.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.
IFRC, on behalf of the Gabonese Red Cross, would like to extend thanks to all for their generous contributions. Details of all donors can be found on http://www.ifrc.org/docs/appeals/Active/MAA00010_2012.pdf