The Federation's mission is to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity. It is the world's largest humanitarian organization and its millions of volunteers are active in over 185 countries.
In Brief
Appeal no. MDRAO001; Operations Update no. 4; Period covered: 15 October to 20 November 2006;
Appeal coverage: 55%; <Click here to go directly to the attached interim financial report>
Appeal history:
Preliminary Emergency Appeal was launched on 18 May 2006 for CHF 1,206,656 to assist 30,000 beneficiaries for 6 months.
The Revised Emergency Appeal was issued on 22 June 2006 for CHF 1,392,404 (USD 950,000 or EUR 740,000) to assist 1,000,000 beneficiaries for 6 months. This revision also confirmed the Appeal as a full Emergency Appeal.
Operations Update no. 2 was issued on 31 August 2006.
Operations Update no. 3 was issued on 25 October 2006.
This Operations Update extends the operation's timeframe by six months (until the end of June 2007) due to an upsurge in cholera cases.
Disaster Relief Emergency Funds (DREF) allocated: CHF 200,165 (USD 164,097 or EUR 124,519).
Outstanding needs: CHF 632,897 (USD 518,768 or EUR 393,715).
Operational summary: Cholera cases in Angola have been rapidly increasing, from 50 cases per day in September to 80 cases per day in October. A total of 57,570 cases, with 2,354 deaths, have been reported since the beginning of the epidemic in February 2006. The continued increase of cases, particularly in provinces that did not have cholera before, confirms high vulnerability of communities attributed to limited access to water and sanitation (WatSan) as well as deteriorated public health conditions.
In response to the sudden increase in cholera cases (as of October 2006), the appeal timeframe will be extended by six months - throughout the cholera endemic period (rainy season). The Angola Red Cross (ARC) is developing a six-month operation plan, with a revised budget, to be issued by end of December 2006. Currently, the Appeal coverage stands at 55%. Therefore, if the funding gap (45%) is funded, it will adequately cover the extended activities. Additional donor support is thus being sought to cover the gap (CHF 632,897).
The Federation has provided financial and technical support focusing on capacity building of ARC, especially at provincial levels. Reporting systems have been improved, volunteers trained and structures established at community level.
A total of 260 volunteers in Huila, Uige, Kwaza Norte, Benguela, Luanda, Kwanza Sul and Malange provinces were trained in social mobilization. The volunteers reached 10,253 households with health and hygiene education activities and distributed 22,374 information, education and communication (IEC) materials on cholera prevention as well as 19,771 litres of hypochlorite for water purification. The established partnership with stakeholders, particularly the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Ministry of Health (MoH), has been strengthened through collaboration in planning and implementation.
This operation is aligned with the International Federation's Global Agenda, which sets out four broad goals to meet the Federation's mission to "improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity".
Global Agenda Goals:
- Reduce the numbers of deaths, injuries and impact from disasters.
- Reduce the number of deaths, illnesses and impact from diseases and public health emergencies.
- Increase local community, civil society and Red Cross Red Crescent capacity to address the most urgent situations of vulnerability.
- Reduce intolerance, discrimination and social exclusion and promote respect for diversity and human dignity.
For further information specifically related to this operation please contact:
In Angola: Dr. Aleixo Goncalves, Secretary General, Angola Red Cross, Luanda ; Email: cruzvermelha@netangola.com; Phone: +244.2.33.39.91; Fax: +244.2.39.11.70
In Angola: Martin Acosta, Programme Coordinator, Angola Delegation, Luanda; Email: martin.acosta@ifrc.org; Phone: + 244.222.372.868; Fax: +244.222.372.868
In Zimbabwe: Françoise Le Goff, Federation Head of Southern Africa Regional Delegation, Harare; Email: francoise.legoff@ifrc.org; Phone: +263.4.70.61 55; 263.4.72.03.15; Fax: +263.4.70.87.84
In Geneva: John Roche, Federation Regional Officer for Southern Africa, Africa Dept., Geneva; Email: john.roche@ifrc.org; Phone: +41.22.730.44.40, Fax: +41.22.733.03.95
All International Federation assistance seeks to adhere to the Code of Conduct and is committed to the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response in delivering assistance to the most vulnerable. For support to or for further information concerning Federation programmes or operations in this or other countries, or for a full description of the national society profile, please access the Federation's website at http://www.ifrc.org