Humanitarian Aid 2010

Humanitarian aid annual report 2010


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Editor: Swiss Labour Assistance SLA Quellenstrasse 31 P.O. Box 2228 CH-8031 Zurich / Switzerland Phone: +41 (0)44 444 19 19 Fax: +41 (0)44 444 19 00 Email: [email protected] Web: www.sah.ch

Editorial office: Barbara Gruner, Debora Neumann

Cover picture: SLA Pakistan All Photos: © Swiss Labour Assistance SLA

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Family affected by flood with tool kits to rebuild their village

Since 1947 the Sla has enjoyed the approval of the ZeWo label. the label stands for: • appropriate, economic and effective use of donations • transparent information and meaningful accounting • independent and appropriate control structures • honest communication and fair fundraising

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Foreword

2010 began with the devastating earth-quake in Haiti and ended with heavy floods in Central America. Apart from the Haiti tre-mor, most disasters in 2010 where related to floods, heavy rains and drought. Although some still deny climate change, humanitarian aid organisations are increasingly faced with the effects of climate change. Disaster prepa-redness therefore has become an important element, not only of SLA humanitarian efforts but also of the SLA development programme (see also box p. 8). Especially in the light of the effects of climate change, disaster prepa-redness will become a more relevant field of activity to protect populations from the impact of natural disasters.

A highlight in 2010 was the first approval of an ECHO-funded project in El Salvador, follo-wed by a second ECHO project in Sri Lanka. Our efforts to become a ECHO partner date back to 2008 and we are proud to be part of the far-flung family of ECHO Partners. As you will see in the 2010 edition of the SLA Hu-manitarian Aid Report, the floods in Pakistan were one of the major engagements of SLA. With the support of our SOLIDAR Network, Swiss Solidarity and thousands of donations by Swiss people and institutions, we were able to launch a rapid and wide-ranging res-ponse to benefit people in Pakistan who had been affected by the floods. But SLA is com-mitted to supporting people in need who are not in the media spotlight. Take Mozambique, for example, where people are regularly af-fected by floods or droughts.

SLA could not have tackled all the challenges facing us in 2010 and we are grateful for the highly committed SLA staff and partners in Pakistan, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Mozambique and El Salvador, Switzerland and Europe. It is a commitment carried aloft by a strong sense of solidarity and humanity.

In 2011 SLA will celebrate its 75th anni-versary. Rooted in our tradition of solidarity, we continue to be committed to our humani-tarian engagement.

Yours sincerely

Ruth Daellenbach Managing Director

Zoltan Doka Head Humanitarian Aid and Cooperation with Eastern Countries


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Sla’s Humanitarian aid activities Worldwide

el Salvador page 14

moZambique page 12

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indoneSia page 9 Sri lanka page 10

Facts & Figures .........................page 17

partners and networks .......page 18

addresses ......................................page 19

pakiStan page 6


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pakiStan the flood of a century hits four districts of pakistan

Heavy rains in the months of July and August 2010 triggered both flash floods and caused ri-vers to burst their banks in several parts of the country, resulting in loss of life and widespread displacement.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Baluchistan, Sind and Punjab were the worst affected areas. Millions of people lost their homes and liveli-

hoods. Crops were destroyed, roads and bridges damaged.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), these were the worst floods since 1929, with 25 districts affec-ted. Overall, more than 20 million people were affected. In the face of this enormous disas-ter, SLA – jointly with Swiss Solidarity and its SOLIDAR Network partners – decided to support

Children from affected families

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Shelter Skeleton

Internal waterproof walls

Finished provisional Shelter

Toilet and laundry unit

the worst affected in the KPK District.

The first relief project was an emergency res-ponse for those affected by the flood. In the first stage of the relief the population were rapidly provided with tools to enable them to clean their villages from the mud and debris left behind by the floods, to clean any remaining houses and, to build emergency shelters for those who lost eve-rything. SLA provided more than 1,450 families with a toolkit, which they would not have been able to buy or obtain by themselves.

In the KPK area specifically, damage assess-ment showed that 181,300 houses were comple-tely or partially destroyed. Apart from this data, field visits also showed that few of those affec-ted by flooding had started building any kind of emergency shelters using the emergency mate-rials they had received. The majority were – and still are – living either in the rubble of their old houses or staying in school-camps or other tem-porary camps.

These temporary solutions were completely in-adequate for the coming winter, or until more permanent houses are completed. Tents lacking winter insulation proved to be inadequate due to continuing rain and the prospect of cold weather – with average winter temperature in the low-lands of KPK being around 0 – 5° C.

Moreover, tents also proved inadequate from a cultural perspective as they lack separations that would provide privacy for the female members of the families. However, families are rarely able to build adequate replacements. For all these rea-sons SLA decided to build 800 provisional shel-ters with the financial support of Swiss Solidarity and SOLIDAR partners, and the help of its natio-nal partner, Labour Education Foundation (LEF).


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SLA is providing the most vulnerable qualitative adequate and culturally/climate accepted con-struction material, to construct 800 provisional shelters and 800 provisional sanitation facilities and supports the construction process with mo-bile technical teams to guarantee that the built

disasters worldwide often lead to tremendous human suffering. Sla therefore engages even before disaster strikes, implementing crisis and disaster prevention and increasing preparedness to mitigate the impact of such crises on populations.

Statistics clearly show that, over the last decades, the number and impact of humanitarian crises has increased. the year 2010 is a particularly striking example, in that pakistan, Haiti, indonesia and Chile were struck by natural disasters, causing alarm to the international public and private donors. Sla has responded to some of these crises by providing emergency and reconstruction aid. but what comes after this acute phase of early intervention?

shelters and sanitation facilities fulfil the stan-dards, including the use of local material and construction methods. Beside this, SLA has pro-vided each family with a winterisation-kit (e.g. blankets etc.) to sustain the winter in a better manner.

in pakistan, the population has been hit by multiple natural disasters over the past several years. the 2005 earthquake claimed nearly 90,000 victims. major floods occurred in 2008. the effects of the 2010 floods are still very visible in many parts of the country. While public attention is often focused on the initial period of emergency relief, disaster preparedness becomes more and more important after the recovery and before a next event. disaster preparedness saves lives. ultimately, it is more cost efficient than emergency relief and clean-up operations.

For Sla, therefore, disaster preparedness is an integral part of the reconstruction phase and of development cooperation. in over seven countries and twelve projects, we take our long-term responsibility towards affected populations seriously. Sla has acquired a high level of expertise and experience in this sector: earthquake-safe reconstruction and the development of early warning systems are as important as empowerment and increased awareness, such as: Where am i safe in the event of a disaster? How do i behave correctly? Where should i report? How can i help others? disaster prevention projects aim to prepare the local population to cope better with future crises; they save lives and contain risks.

disaster preparedness

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indoneSia population has to cope with earthquake and tsunami

improved constructions after devastating earthquake in Western Sumatra Late in 2009 Indonesia was struck by two power-ful earthquakes off the western coast of Sumatra. The district of Padang Pariam was particularly badly hit, with destruction reaching up to 96% of all habitation.

After an immediate emergency response and with the support of the Swiss Solidarity, SOLIDAR Partners and Mercy Corps, SLA launched into rehabilitation and reconstruction activities, building 600 shelters, training local artisans in the earthquake-safe reconstruction of permanent housing, and providing them with adequate toolkits, thereby supporting them in earning a decent livelihood.

An important part of the programme also relied on creating awareness for disaster preparedness and hygiene to prevent common diseases. With the financial support of the Swiss Red Cross, SLA is committed to a wide-ranging community reconstruction programme for water and sanita-tion, rebuilding 40 public toilet and laundry units, and the sanitary infrastructure of local health faci-lities. The programme also runs a hygiene infor-mation campaign in schools and trains members of the laundry committees in the maintenance of water and sanitation infrastructure.

emergency relief for mentawai‘s population affected by the tsunami

On 26 October 2010, following an earthquake off the coast of Sumatra, a tsunami pounded remote islands in western Indonesia. It killed more than 300 people and hundreds more went missing.

SLA launched its emergency response, trans-porting relief goods to the islands, where whole villages had been washed away and all infra-structure destroyed, leaving up to half the po-pulation dead and many injured. The SLA team distributed urgently needed relief items such as food, drinking water, hygiene and kitchen sets.

Family on beach devastated by the tsunami


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Sri lanka return, a slow start of a new home

The accelerated return process of 2010 proved chaotic. Most of the returnees found their homes and basic infrastructure destroyed, with immense gaps in services available at community level. Returnees were forced to travel great distances to satisfy basic needs.

As access is an integral part of returnee reco-very, the purpose of one of the SLA projects was to provide bicycles to returnees being resettled in Mullaitivu District. This improved access to basic services, such as water supply, education, health care and work. In the first three months of 2010, SLA was able to provide 1,100 bicycles to those in most urgent need, such as children living a long way from school, teachers and fa-milies living far from markets, health facilities or other services. Families affected by the war and unable to return to their homes in 2010, stayed on at the Menik Farm Internally Displaced Per-son (IDP) camp near Vavunyia. SLA has imple-mented the SDC-funded Solid Waste Manage-ment (SWM) project at the Menik Farm.

Since then, the situation in the camp and the context of implementation have changed conti-nuously. At the beginning of the SWM Phase I Project period (September 2009), the number of internally displaced at the Menik Farm jum-ped from approximately 78,000 to over 250,000. When the government‘s resettlement programme was launched in December 2009, the population gradually diminished.

As of August 26, 2010, less than a year after commencement of SWM Phase I, approximately

34,900 individuals resided in IDP camps in the North of Sri Lanka. Prior to SLA-coordinated operations (Phase I), solid waste was disposed in an entirely uncontrolled manner. After SLA be-gan its activities, waste was dumped at a semi-permanent site located 6 km away from Menik Farm. Until end September 2010, SLA supported by SDC was the only organisation to take care of solid and liquid waste management activities at Menik Farm, ensuring that IDPs were able to live in a safe, waste-free environment.

Liquid waste removal in refugee camp

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Thayarasa Sajeethran with his new bicycle

a true story

thavarasa Sajeetharan is 14 years old and lives in the kallappadu South Gn in mariti-mepattu dS, mullaitivu district. His mother fell victim to the 2004 tsunami disaster; his father died in the final attle in the north on 13t may 2009. Sajeeth’s grandmother is now caring for him and his younger brother.

in the final stages of the war, the family was trapped inside vanni but managed to flee on the 16 may 2009 to government-controlled areas. they were then kept in the menik Farm refugee camp for over a year and suffered incredible hardships. the family was resettled in early July 2010 to their place of origin. Sajeeth’s grandmother is 65 years old and suffers from ill health.

as well as Sajeeth’s mother, she also lost her husband and another daughter in the tsunami disaster of december 2004. the family has suffered incredible loss and the tsunami and the war have left them grief-stricken. the children miss their parents and are thankful for their grandmother‘s love and affection.

before the war, the boys regularly rode to school by bicycle. due to the conflict, the family lost all their belongings. both boys have had a very difficult time getting to school on time as they live in a remote village. Sajeeth’s grandmother also has to go to the hospital once a week for medical checks. the hospital is over 6 km away and she cannot afford the bus fare. the family also faces difficulty accessing their basic dry food rations and they complain that the food is just not enough.

Having received the Sla bicycle and cargo box, the boys now manage to get to school and are attending class regularly. the cargo box is being used to carry their dry rations and they also use it as a table to do their homework. Sajeeth helps his grandmother get to the hospital once a week to recei-ve health care. despite all the hardships this family has faced, they now manage to have just a little bit of hope through educa-tion: the boys hope that they can continue schooling and don‘t have to go to work to support themselves.


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moZambique Food security and health for the most vulnerable

relief after drought

In past years, Mozambique has suffered an in-creasing number of natural disasters due to cli-mate change. Nearly every year, those who are already vulnerable and live in poverty are faced with new humanitarian crises – often without ha-ving been able to deal with the preceding crisis. In autumn 2009, draught affected wide areas of Mozambique’s central and southern region. In SLA project regions, up to 60% of the agricultu-ral production was lost. Following late beginning rainfalls, SLA started a relief project supported by Swiss Solidarity, distributing seeds to enable a second harvest and preserve some food se-curity for farmers and their families. A total of 5000 families in the districts of Mágue, Cahora

Bassa, Chemba, Machaze and Chibabava bene-fitted from this project. Every family received 5 kg of maize and 0.5 kg of beans (amounting to 25 tons of maize and 2.5 tons of beans). The project also encouraged the cultivation of drought-resis-tant plants such as maniok and sweet potatoes, which had benefitted the farmers in the past. Changing weather patterns also had a negative impact on SLA relief aid. After months without any rain, massive rainfall caused the Cahora Bassa embankment dam in the Zambesi valley to overflow in March. In June, the dam administra-tion was forced to release 5,000 m3 of water per second – nearly three times the normal outflow. Vast tracts of agricultural land on the valley floor were submerged, affecting the second harvest, which remained poor. In higher regions of the

SLA stockpile of seeds and crops

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hance basic health services and strengthen com-munities‘ self-help efforts by setting up malaria committees. In the first months of project imple-mentation, almost 10,000 mosquitoes nets were distributed. The objective is to ensure all preg-nant women and children under five are protec-ted by sleeping under the nets at night, thereby drastically reducing new infections and mortality.

districts of Mágue, Cahora Bassa and Chemba, and in Machaze und Chibabava located beyond the Zambezi valley, the harvest was good. malaria prevention

In the context of a call for donations – „every cent counts“ – launched by Swiss Solidarity, SLA in September 2010 initiated a new project for mala-ria prevention. In Mozambique, malaria remains the worst killer, particularly among mothers and small children.

SLA activities focused on three districts of the Zambezi valley, where the situation has been critical. SLA ran an awareness campaign to en-

Women with water canisters and mosquito nets distributed by SLA


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el Salvador living with natural hazards

relief and rehabilitation after hurricanes ida und aGatHa

At the end of 2009, hurricane Ida led to tremend-ous numbers of victims and the destruction of infrastructure and assets in El Salvador. Since 2010 SLA has primarily been involved in the con-struction and equipment of community shelters in Ilopango.

Further hurricanes occurred during the rainy season – Agatha in May, followed by Alex, Karl, Matthew and Nicole – confirming that this was an adequate and much-needed objective. The

project contributed to saving lives during these turbulent weather events through enhanced radio communication, prompt reaction through profes-sional monitoring of risks, and efficient networ-king of all agencies involved. The safe evacua-tion of affected communities was also among the results of SLA project efforts. The most important components of the project lay in the provision of training, risk analysis and escape routes for the population, as well as the setting-up of shelters with cooking and sanitary facilities. In total, 13 community relief centres where equipped or their structure enhanced in two particularly threatened communities potentially affected by multiple ha-zards.

Familiy fleeing from floods

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Some of the chief threats are hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. SLA also installed 11 water tanks whose drinking water quality is monitored regularly. 1,242 families were evacuated and saved, directly benefitting from the project. These families are among the most vulnerable as assessed by the community authorities. In Ilopango, negotiations are ongoing to find adequate, safer territories to relocate fa-milies. The project was co-funded by Swiss Soli-darity, SDC and SLA.

pure drinking water and disaster preparedness for Zacatecoluca and tecoluca

The project is a continuation of the „agua limpia“ (clean water) project started 2009, when SLA set up 40 elevated latrines specially designed for flood-affected areas. SLA also conducted trai-ning sessions and awareness campaigns to pre-pare the population for possible future disasters.

In addition, the project supported the coordi-nation of all involved agencies to share best practice in disaster risk reduction and prepa-redness – including local administrations, civil security, military, fire departments, health and education ministries, village associations, water committees and other grassroots organisations. Together, they will cooperate to find best solu-tions to analyse risks and prepare for future di-sasters. In the community of Zacatecolula, the disaster preparedness programme includes the region‘s volcanic area in addition to already tar-geted flood-prone areas.

Project objectives range from improved access to drinking water, training for disaster risk reduc-tion, implementation of early-warning systems in flood-prone areas, to lobbying the public ad-ministration and enhancing public awareness of preparedness and mitigation of the impact of na-tural disasters.

What is dipeCHo?

the european Commission‘s Humanitari-an aid department (eCHo) was set up in 1992 to provide rapid and effective support to the victims of crises outside the european union. recognising the importance of pre-emptive measures, eCHo launched its disaster preparedness programme, dipeCHo, in 1996.

eCHo‘s disaster preparedness program-me (dipeCHo) targets vulnerable com-munities living in the main disaster-prone regions of the world. these programmes are intended to demonstrate that simple and inexpensive preparatory measures, particularly those implemented by com-munities themselves, can be effective in limiting damage and saving lives when disaster strikes.

typically, dipeCHo-funded projects cover training, capacity-building, awareness-raising, early-warning, and planning and forecasting measures, with the funds being channelled through aid agencies and nGos working in the regions concer-ned.

dipeCHo projects are designed as pilots within their region, their impact being multiplied when the strategies they advocate are integrated into long-term development projects, whether by the development services of the european Commission, national governments or other development partners.


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In Zacatecoluca and Tecoluca, capacity deve-lopment was initiated for the water committees and training events offered to their members to guarantee adequate well management and puri-fication of drinking water.

Analysis of water quality is performed on a re-gular basis and provides the population with the necessary information; it also enhances pub-lic awareness of the importance of adequate maintenance of bolted wells and simple water systems. In six relief shelters, SLA enhanced fa-

cilities by installing electricity, cooking and sani-tation.

The projects are co-funded through the DI-PECHO programme of the European Union, and Swiss Solidarity. They actively support synergy effects with other SLA relief activities in the coun-try.

Woman studies community map showing escape routes

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Facts & Figures

mozambique 3%

Sri lanka 33%

Water-Sanitation-Hygiene (WaSH) 27% non-Food-items (nFi) 22%

disaster risk reduction (drr) 4%

use of Funds (by Sector)

Shelter 39% livelihood 8%

use of Funds (by region)

origin of Funds

Swiss agency for development and Cooperation (SdC) 13%

Swiss Solidarity 60%

Solidar network-partnersand other organisations 14%

eCHo 3%

institutions, Cantons and Communes 3%

private donations 7%

el Salvador 11%

others 2%

Sumatra 31%

pakistan 19%


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Swiss agency for development and Cooperation SdCThe Humanitarian Aid Department of SDC aims to save lives and alleviate suf-fering. Direct relief is provi-ded in the wake of natural

disasters and in the context of armed conflicts, while SLA as a humanitarian partner is the recipient of both manpower and financial support. The core domains of intervention are prevention, emergency aid and survival assistance, reconstruction, and advocacy for the cau-ses of forgotten humanitarian crises.

Swiss Solidarity SLA is member of the Swiss Solidarity Foundation, Switzerland’s humanitarian

solidarity and fundraising platform. Many SLA huma-nitarian aid projects are supported by Swiss Solidarity with the obligation of meeting 20 percent of the project budget from SLA’s own funds.

european Commission Humanitarian aid office (eCHo) The European Union as a whole (i.e. the Member States and the Commission) is one of the world’s main humanitarian aid donors; the Humanitarian Aid depart-ment (ECHO) is the service of the Euro-

pean Commission responsible for this activity. SLA has been an official partner of ECHO since 2007.

Solidar SOLIDAR is a European network of I-NGOs working to advance social justice in Europe and world-

wide. With 50 European INGOs, SLA is a member of SOLIDAR and cooperates with these partner organi-sations, implementing projects in many countries. Cur-rent focus countries are Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Burkina Faso and Mozambique. SOLIDAR is primarily active in four areas, e.g. social affairs, international cooperation, education and humanitarian aid.

apheda – union aid abroadApheda is the overseas humanitarian aid agency of the Australian Council of Trade Unions. As a SOLIDAR partner, Apheda supports SLA relief activities in Paki-stan. aWo international e. v.AWO International is a non-governmental organiza-tion founded in 1998 as a professional association for Humanitarian Aid and development cooperation within the German Workers‘ Welfare Association. AWO Inter-national supports the set-up of temporary shelters in Pakistan.

Fos-socialist solidarity (FoS)FOS is the North-South organisation of the socialist movement in Flanders, Belgium. As SOLIDAR member, FOS supports the set-up of the SLA transitional shelter project in Pakistan. labour education Foundation (leF)LEF is a Pakistani partner of the SOLIDAR Global Net-work. LEF is a national NGO, empowering the working class to protect its social, economic and political rights, and to develop trade unions. By building a Labour Relief Committee, LEF has established a good agent for the safe and fair provision and support of relief and rehabilitation activities of SLA in Pakistan.

nachbar in not (nin) NiN is the fundraising platform of the Austrian public broadcasters supporting humanitarian aid projects worldwide via registered NGO Partners. Among the members of NiN are Volkshilfe Österreich, the Austrian Red Cross and Caritas. NiN supports relief activities of SLA in Pakstan.

norvegian peoples aid (npa)NPA is the Norvegian labour movement’s humanitarian organisation for solidarity. As Solidar partner, NPA co-funds the relief and rehabilitation programme of SLA in Pakistan. oGbl luxemburgOGBL is the independent Association of Trade Unions of Luxembourg. OGBL supports relief activities of SLA in Pakistan. rainforest rescue international (rri) RRI, a Sri Lankan organisation and long-standing national SLA partner, aims to create a strong link between com-munities and their environment in Sri Lanka. Through ongoing community training and support in organic and sustainable farming, it empowers people to generate alter-native incomes while protecting and restoring native bio-diversity. The partnership between RRI and SLA is mainly focused on livelihood projects throughout Sri Lanka.

Swiss red Cross (SrC)SRC is a private organisation that also carries out pub-lic tasks on a mandate by the Swiss government or cantonal authorities. As a member of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, it is part of a worldwide network of 186 National Socie-ties. SRC supports the SLA Water, Sanitation and Hygi-ene Programme in Indonesia. volkshilfe As a SOLIDAR partner, Volkshilfe supports SLA Huma-nitarian Aid projects in many countries.

partners and networks

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SWiSS labour aSSiStanCe Sla Quellenstrasse 31 P.O. Box 2228 CH-8031 Zurich SwitzerlandPhone: 0041 044 444 19 19 Email: [email protected] URL: www.sah.ch

pakiStanSLA PakistanHouse no. 580, Street 6G-11/1 Islamabad, PakistanPhone: 0092 336 559 20 75E-Mail: [email protected] Sri lanka SAH Sri Lanka No: 27, 2/4 Janatha Court, Alfred Place Colombo 03, Sri Lanka Phone: 009411 555 71 19 Email: [email protected]

addresses

Indonesian builders proudly display their certificates after completing their SLA earthquake-safe construction training.

indoneSia / Sumatra SLA Office Padang Jl. Parupuk VI, No.1 Kecamatan Koto, Tangah, Padang Sumatra Barat / Indonesia Phone: 0062 751 7050 678 Email: [email protected]

moZambique Representaçao OSEO Rua da Zambia 524 Chimoio / Manica - Mozambique Phone: 00258 251 222 67 Email: [email protected]

el Salvador AOS El Salvador Colonia Satélite, Pasaje Venus no. 19 San Salvador - El Salvador Phone: 00503 22 74 14 51 Email: [email protected]

Swiss Labour Assistance SLA Quellenstrasse 31 P.O. Box 2228 CH-8031 Zurich Switzerland

Phone: +41 (0)44 444 19 19 Fax: +41 (0)44 444 19 00 Web: www.sah.ch, Email: [email protected]

pC 80-188-1

Humanitarian Aid 2010

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