Iran: Earthquake in the Qazvin/Hamadan and Zanjan regions Appeal No. 17/02 Final Report

Appeal history: Preliminary Appeal no. 17/02 launched on 25 June, 2002 for CHF 3,044,000 (USD 2,015,797 or EUR 2,073,765) for 4 months for 25,000 beneficiaries. Appeal extensions: there were three extensions: the first one until 31, March 2003; the second until 31, July 2003 and the third and final one until 31, October 2003.
Appeal coverage: 77.5%

Disaster Relief Emergency Funds (DREF) allocated: N/A

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Summary

An earthquake of magnitude 6.3 on the Richter scale, struck north-western Iran on 22, June, 2002. The regions of Qazvin, Hamadan and Zanjan located in the west and north-west of the capital Tehran were severely affected by the earthquake which was followed by a series of aftershocks. Of some 200 villages affected, many have suffered structural damages up to 90 percent thus leaving approximately 25,000 people (or 5,000 families) homeless. Much of the main water pipelines in the affected areas were damaged or destroyed, causing concern and difficulties for water availability and quality. Electricity and phone services were quickly reconnected to all but the worst damaged villages. In addition, some 2,000 hectares of farmland were destroyed.

As per its mandate, the Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRCS), in cooperation with the government, immediately responded to the disaster. In less than a month, the emergency phase of the operation was completed with the IRCS at the forefront of all response activities to include: search and rescue, provision of temporary shelter to 5,000 homeless families and distribution of food and non-food relief items. More than 100 tons of food was distributed as well as adequate quantities of non-food relief items such as blankets, tents, plastic sheeting, kitchen utensils, hygiene sets and clothing.

At the time of the Appeal launch (25, July, 2002) the operational focus has shifted already to post emergency relief and rehabilitation with an emphasis on water and sanitation systems, provision of basic medical supplies and still needed relief items as well as on building disaster preparedness capacity of the IRCS's branches in the affected area to include replenishing of depleted stocks.

Further modifications of the Appeal's objectives were dictated by operational developments, unmet needs of the beneficiaries and the strengthening of IRCS response capacity. In this context, the originally planned provision of emergency health assistance and relief needs have been already handled by IRCS in close cooperation with MOH, and the Iranian government. Also, the planned construction of health posts was abandoned due to time constraints and the use of contributions from DFID (via British Red Cross) and the Australian Government were shifted towards the procurement of medical equipment, medical relief supplies and material for strengthening disaster preparedness capacity of the IRCS and replenishing the depleted stocks of the three branches in the affected provinces. Bearing in mind that Iran is ranked as the fourth most disaster prone country in the world and that maintaining and constantly increasing the response capacity of the IRCS is essential for beneficiaries both current and potential, the unearmarked funds were used to procure specialized rescue equipment for the National Society and protective clothing for its relief workers.

Reconstruction of housing and infrastructure undertaken by provincial authorities was interrupted for almost four months (November 2002-February 2003) due to extremely harsh weather conditions. Finally, in August 2003 the reconstruction was completed in all villages hit by the earthquake.

Similarly, the sudden onset of winter slowed down and consequently delayed the completion of IRCS and Federation projects in the field of water and sanitation and capacity building. This was also the main reason for three consecutive extensions of the current Appeal.

All projects implemented under the current appeal were completed within the period of the last extension (31, October, 2003). A joined IRCS/Federation project management ensured the quality of both the implementation and the end results. The construction and installation of mobile showers and fixed baths were closely monitored by Federation country delegation in Iran and a team of engineers from the IRCS through field visits and regular coordination meetings. The procurement of medical equipment, medical supplies and relief items and distribution to the three provincial branches was carried out by the IRCS in close coordination with the country delegation thus ensuring the full compliance with Federation standard procurement procedures and financial procedures governing the transfer and accounting of the funds entrusted.

Coordination

The IRCS has a mandate to provide emergency relief and shelter assistance to one percent of the total population (60 million) of Iran as well as a long-standing cooperation with the government. All activities that have been carried out within this operation have been closely co-ordinated through the IRCS with relevant governmental agencies. In addition, the IRCS has worked in close collaboration with WFP in providing food to the people living in temporary shelter. The overall appeal coverage reached 77.5 percent thanks to a strong donor support to include private donations. (For details please refer to the contribution table attached at the end of the document).

Objectives, achievements, impact

Emergency relief (food and basic non-food items) Health and Care

Objective 1: To provide immediate assistance to injured people and prevent the outbreak of diseases among the affected population, through provision of medicines and supplies to support and assist the medical infrastructure.

During the first month of the operation and therefore before the launch of the current Appeal, the emergency health assistance was provided through IRCS mobile clinics with the Ministry of Health (MoH) gradually taking over the provision of primary health care services through local health posts. In Hamadan, however, the IRCS branch continued to provide ambulance services to the population and supply it with basic medicines.

IRCS's psychological support teams composed of professionals and trained volunteers provided an ongoing assistance to the most vulnerable, with the special focus on needs of affected children.

The original plan to construct health posts in the affected regions was abandoned due to the constrains in the operational timeframe on one hand and the time needed for the construction itself on the other. Instead, it was agreed with the IRCS and the donors to use funds allocated initially to the construction of the health posts (DFID contribution through the British Red Cross and Australian Government's contribution) for the procurement of medical equipment and materials for the IRCS's provincial health centres in the affected regions and the procurement of relief rescue sets and medical supplies for the IRCS branches in the three affected provinces.

The benefits of these adjustments were multiple. The IRCS provincial health centres used the newly acquired medical supplies for replenishing depleted stocks and continuing their services without interruption and the operational capacity of the IRCS branches in disaster prone Quazvin , Zanjan and Hamadan provinces was restored.

Objective 2: To improve people's access to water and sanitation in the affected area.

Similarly to the provision of emergency health services, the responsibility for the provision and distribution of clean drinking water that was assumed in the first phase of the emergency by the IRCS was handed over to the local authorities. In late October, 2003, the reconstructing of permanent water supply systems by the local authorities in all affected villages was in its final phase.

In the meantime and in order to meet basic hygiene needs of 23,000 affected people, 50 mobile shower units were fabricated and installed in 45 villages and ten public bath houses were constructed in 10 villages. It was expected that Federation/IRCS project funded by ECHO will be completed by the end of March 2003. However due to harsh winter conditions that made the access to remote villages impossible; the project was extended and finally completed at the end of May 2003. Both the bath houses and mobile shower units were connected to hot and cold water systems.

Furthermore, each bath house and mobile shower unit received hygiene and cleaning items needed to start operating. The quantities of hygiene and cleaning items distributed (please refer to the table below) were intended to cover 3 months needs.

Mobile shower units and public bath houses have contributed to maintaining good health and sanitary conditions for the most vulnerable population, who had no access to proper hygiene facilities for 10 months. During this period, beneficiaries were either carrying water from wells to their houses or washing themselves in fenced backyards either using the damaged sanitation infrastructure.

Since the mobile showers and public bath houses were put to use no outbreak of water borne disease was reported by the MoH. The installation of the facilities prevented a deterioration of health and hygiene conditions which - if not addressed - could have become a health risk.

Traditional bath houses, also called "hammam", are an important part of a community life in Iran, contributing to the emotional well-being, in particular of women. By establishing public bath houses, the project contributed also to restore the traditional social fabric.

An added value of the project is that after being used for the current emergency, the mobile shower units will be kept on disaster preparedness stocks for future use either in this earthquake prone area or elsewhere in Iran whenever needed.

Disaster response and preparedness

Objective 1: To assist the affected population with immediate relief needs.

In the first phase of the emergency, the IRCS mobilized 515 staff members and 200 volunteers, 50 ambulances/mobile health clinics, 15 operational vehicles, 90 light and 25 heavy trucks and 3 helicopters. The IRCS contributed to search and rescue efforts by sending on board of helicopters specialized teams supported by 2 groups of sniffer dogs and their trainers. It provided and organized temporarily (tent) shelter for 25,000 homeless people (5,000 families) and carried out distribution of the following relief items from its stocks to the same beneficiary caseload.

- Food items: 100 tons of food (rice, vegetable oil, sugar, canned food such as tea, tuna fish , canned beans, dates , bread, biscuits and cheese);

- Non-food items: 13500 blankets,6500 tents,2000m2 of plastic sheeting, 527 shovels, 106 stretchers, 479 coolers, 236 stoves, 834 lanterns,192 flashlights, 202 kitchen utensil sets, 464 ground sheets, 21,000 bars of soap, 42 washing powder crates and clothing;

The National Society distributed additionally, in November 2002 from its own stocks also winter kits consisting of warm clothing, shirts and trousers to the victims of the earthquake whose houses and properties have been destroyed in the disaster.

Objective 2: To increase the disaster response capacity of IRCS branches in operational areas.

Iran ranks as the fourth most disaster prone country in the world with floods, drought and earthquakes being the most frequent natural disasters. Ninety five percent of the country is located on the major earthquake faults. In 2003 only the country was exposed to two major earthquakes that struck the southern province of Fars in July and the city of Bam (Kerman province) in late December.

The IRCS is the first national responder. Within its mandate, the IRCS is tasked to carry out search and rescue activities, provide emergency medical assistance to the victims of a disaster and provide them with shelter, and basic food and non-food relief items from its own disaster preparedness stocks.

These relief stocks enable IRCS and its branches to maintain the high level of preparedness at any time and respond promptly to any disaster situation and are therefore of critical importance for the beneficiaries. The replenishment of these stocks through Federation appeals has been consequently well understood by all partners.

In view of the high vulnerability of those regions to natural disasters, especially earthquakes, the operational capacity of IRCS branches in Qazvin, Zanjan and Hamadan needed to be restored and further enhanced. In support of this effort the donations from the Australian Government, OPEC and DFID were used to procure basic relief items, medical equipment and supplies to replenish depleted stocks in the branches and maintain their disaster preparedness capacity.

With unearmarked funds pledged to the Appeal, the IRCS improved its operational capacity by procuring specialized rescue equipment and protective clothing for relief workers and volunteers. (For details please refer to the table below). The equipment was delivered and distributed to the provincial branches during September, 2003.

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