CWS DEVELOPMENT AND HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
APPEAL CODE: # 700-N
INITIAL APPEAL GOAL: $494,020
Situation:
Afghanistan is extremely susceptible to recurring natural disasters due to its geographical location and years of environmental degradation. The country regularly experiences flooding, earthquakes, avalanches, landslides and drought, in addition to human-made disasters, frequently resulting in the loss of lives, livelihoods and property and contributing to high levels of poverty across the country.
On April 24 and 25, monsoon rains resulted in flash floods that affected 10 provinces. As a result, 38,955 people have been heavily affected in the north, northeastern and western regions of the country and are in need of assistance. Flood waters have damaged homes, public infrastructure and thousands of acres of agricultural land. Search and rescue operations by the Afghan National Army are continuing, with up to 14,000 people evacuated from flooded areas to date.
In the North, Jawzjan has been the most severely affected province. A multi-agency joint assessment team reported that affected locations are widely spread out across Jawzjan. Initial planning figures estimate up to 27,188 people affected in 21 villages. 14,700 internally displaced persons have settled in alongside the highway.
On April 27, a humanitarian operations center was established in Shibirghan, Jawzjan Province, to coordinate the response activities.
Other provinces affected by the April 24-25 monsoon rains include Takhar, which on April 12 suffered a 4.1 magnitude earthquake and heavy rains, triggering landslides that killed at least four people, displaced hundreds of families and destroyed more than 100 houses. Faryab and Sar-e-Pul provinces also suffered heavy damage April 24-25, with Balkh, Samangan, Herat, Badghis, Baghlan and Badakhshan provinces also affected by flooding.
NOTE: On May 2, a massive landslide in Badakhsan killed a large number of persons and left many more homeless. This event occurred so soon after the floods that it is not yet part of this initial appeal. The appeal likely will be revised upward once specifics are available.
CWS Response:
CWS has been responding to the needs of the most vulnerable communities of Afghanistan since 1997, mainly through emergency response, provision of health services, education and food security/livelihood. CWS is certified in USAID management standards. It is a full member of the Humanitarian Accountability Partnership and received HAP certification in 2011. CWS is the regional partner in Asia for Sphere.
CWS’s assessment and analysis of the situation and updates by other humanitarian agencies indicate that flood-affected families in Jawzjan Province are in dire need for health services, non-food items and food items.
Over the next three months, CWS plans to target assistance to 1,000 of the most vulnerable and flood-affected families, comprising 7,000 individuals, in Qushtepa, Darzab, and Khwaja Dukoh districts and other surrounding areas of Jawzjan Province. Priority will be given to orphans, people with disabilities, widows and female-headed households. Priority will be given to families who have not received food and non-food assistance from any other source and who do not have their own income sources to feed their families on their own.
With CWS’s strong coordination mechanism at the district, provincial and federal levels, prioritization of both needs and geographical coverage is done through consultations with communities and other stakeholders. On a household level, detailed selection criteria ensure the interventions reach the most vulnerable.
The budget for this initial appeal for $494,020 breaks down as follows:
* $325,020 for one-month food packages for 1,000 families (7,000 individuals). A standard food package will be consistent with Sphere Common Standards and contain 60 Kg wheat flour, 25 Kg rice, 11 Kg pulses, 04 Kg sugar, 0.5 Kg tea leaves, 01 Kg iodized salt and 7 litres cooking oil.
* $81,000 for two mattresses, two pillows and one plastic mat each for 1,000 families, and tents for 300 families.
* $20,400 for packaging, transporting and handling the food and non-food items.
* $26,400 for two mobile health teams for three months, each of which will include one medical doctor, one pharmacist, one psychosocial nurse, one midwife, one lab technician, one guard, one driver, one vehicle and essential medicines.
* $21,000 for project staff costs, $19,200 for administrative operational support and $1,000 for the project audit.
The emergency relief items are meant to sustain the affected families during the early stages where they are most vulnerable. The health service delivery is meant to be both life-saving and at the same time, through sessions on health and hygiene, provide necessary knowledge that communities can use for years to come and apply even when they return to their homes.
How to Help:
Contributions to support CWS emergency response efforts may be made online, sent to your denomination or to Church World Service, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN 46515.