GLIDE n° FL-2008-000011-TZA
The International Federation's Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) is a source of un-earmarked money created by the Federation in 1985 to ensure that immediate financial support is available for Red Cross Red Crescent response to emergencies. The DREF is a vital part of the International Federation's disaster response system and increases the ability of national societies to respond to disasters.
Summary: CHF 88,353 (USD 84,146 or EUR 54,039) was allocated from the Federation's Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) on 23 January 2008 to support the Tanzania Red Cross National Society (TRCNS) in delivering assistance to some 7,500 beneficiaries affected by the floods.
The affected communities in Rukwa, Kigoma, Ruvuma and Pwani Regions received relief support and recovered and returned to their normal livelihood. No outbreak of diseases were reported. The economic and social conditions of the communities to some extent improved through social networking and harvesting of seasonal agricultural crops such as maize, paddy, legumes and sweet potatoes. This in turn reduced the impact of the heavy downpours these communities had experienced in as far as food supplies were concerned.
Training on community based First Aid (CBFA) and promotion of hygiene and malaria education was conducted using the cascade methodology of reaching out to communities. Trained volunteers were deployed to disseminate appropriate messages and skills to other volunteers and community members. With support from the National Society Headquarters, respective branches organized trainings with the assistance of internal facilitators and other resource persons from government regional and/or district health officers.
The operation time frame for this operation was from 23 January to 18 April 2008.
The situation
Heavy rains were experienced in Rukwa, Kigoma, Ruvuma and Pwani areas of Tanzania. These torrential downpours, which started on 10 January 2008 continued throughout March and April 2008, resulted in the displacement of substantial number of families.
The heavy rains caused flooding which engulfed the Mererani tanzanite mining area in Manyara Region. More than 70 people were reported dead and dozens of people were pulled out alive from the mining pits and taken to hospital. Search and rescue operations continued for almost two months and as of mid June 2008, a total of 63 bodies were recovered. In Arusha at Mto wa Mbu area, more than 1,500 people were left homeless after their houses flooded, following a heavy downpour between 28 and 29 March 2008. One death was reported and several houses collapsed. In Dar es Salaam, more than five deaths were reported as a result of drowning in flood water and/or stagnant water. In the same period (March to April 2008), floods affected Kyela district - Mbeya Region in South Western Tanzania affecting more than 39,000 people (9,466 households), the National Society made available a total of 2,000 pieces of blankets and 72,000 water guards from its stock as an immediate support to the displaced families and later conducted a detailed assessment, from which unmet needs identified which requires a long period intervention especially on improving damaged sanitation and water facilities.
The National Society in collaboration with local authorities and other partners participated in assessments and provided basic needed relief items such as blankets, mosquito nets, buckets and water guards depending on the level of its disaster preparedness stock.