Flash Appeal for Honduras 2009 (Word)

SAMPLE OF ORGANISATIONS PARTICIPATING IN CONSOLIDATED APPEALS
AARREC
ACF
ACTED
ADRA
Africare
AMI-France
ARC
ASB
ASI
AVSI
CARE
CARITAS
CEMIR INTERNATIONAL
CESVI
CFA
CHF
CHFI
CISV
CMA
CONCERN
Concern Universal
COOPI
CORDAID / COSV
CRS
CWS
Danchurchaid
DDG
Diakonie Emergency Aid
DRC
EM-DH
FAO
FAR
FHI
Finnchurchaid
FSD
GAA
GOAL
GTZ
GVC
Handicap International
HealthNet TPO
HELP
HelpAge International
HKI
Horn Relief / HT
Humedica
IA
ILO
IMC
INTERMON
Internews
INTERSOS
IOM
IPHD
IR
IRC
IRD
IRIN
IRW
Islamic RW
JOIN
JRS
LWF
Malaria Consortium
Malteser
Mercy Corps
MDA / MDM
MEDAIR
MENTOR
MERLIN
NCA
NPA
NRC
OCHA
OHCHR
OXFAM
PA (formerly ITDG)
PACT
PAI
Plan
PMU-I
PU
RC/Germany
RCO
Samaritan's Purse
SECADEV
Solidarités
SUDO
TEARFUND / TGH
UMCOR
UNAIDS
UNDP
UNDSS
UNEP
UNESCO
UNFPA
UN-HABITAT
UNHCR
UNICEF
UNIFEM
UNJLC
UNMAS
UNOPS
UNRWA
VIS
WFP
WHO
World Concern
World Relief
WV
ZOA

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1

Table I. Summary by Sectoral Working Group 2

Table II. Summary by Appealing Organisation 2

2. CONTEXT AND HUMANITARIAN CONSEQUENCES 3

2.1 Context 3

2.2 Response to Date 5

2.3 Humanitarian Consequences And Needs Analysis 7

3. RESPONSE PLANS 9

3.1 Shelter and Non-Food items 9

3.2 Food Assistance and Nutrition 12

3.3 Agriculture and Food Security 13

3.4 Health 16

3.5 Water, Sanitation and Hygiene 17

3.6 Early Recovery 19

3.7 Education 22

4. ROLES AND RESPONSiBILITIES 24

ANNEX I. List of Projects (grouped by sectoral working group) 25

ANNEX II. ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS 27

iv

HONDURAS

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In October 2008, Honduras was affected by heavy rainfall due to two tropical depressions. Tropical Depression 16 remained over the country for two weeks starting 13 October and triggered floods in 17 of the country’s 18 departments. Precipitation doubled the historical median for the entire month of October in just the first half of the month, causing rivers to leave their natural courses. Worsening matters, Tropical Depression 43 moved slowly across the eastern side of the country from 23 to 25 October maintaining humid and unstable weather over much of the territory.

The resulting flooding and landslides caused loss of life and injuries, and affected 271,179 people (according to initial estimates) through extensive damage or loss of shelter and/or livelihoods. Some 57,681 people were declared by the authorities as severely affected, meaning they suffered a total loss of shelter and livelihoods, and required immediate humanitarian assistance. Some 72,085 hectares of crops were lost, and extensive damage was sustained to public infrastructure. The south and west of the country, which has some of the poorest economic, health and nutrition indicators, was particularly hard hit. Poor and isolated communities were especially affected, with the most vulnerable losing their livelihoods and income. Losses have been calculated at approximately 1% of the gross domestic product.

On 19 October, the President of the Republic declared a State of Emergency and assigned the responsibility for coordinating international cooperation to the Ministry of Technical and External Cooperation (SETCO) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The UNCT and partners offered assistance to the relief effort primarily through the activation of sectoral groups for water and sanitation, shelter, health, food security and nutrition, early recovery, and telecommunications and logistics. A United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination Mission was requested and arrived on 22 October. Based on its and other assessments a Flash Appeal (FA) was issued on 29 October, and requested $17,086,986. As of 7 April 2009, $4,496,081 has been received (26%).

One of the notable successes of the good partnership between the Honduran Government and UNCT was that food was delivered as planned in the FA. Some 750 metric tons were delivered to more than 136,000 people during the first 22 days of the humanitarian phase of the emergency, with women representing more than 80% of the food recipients. This timely response, and an effective targeting of the most affected population, was facilitated by WFP’s strong field presence, a reliable emergency food network, and agreements with the Government through the National Emergency Commission (COPECO), local authorities, UN agencies and NGOs.

Most of the assistance delivered as planned in the FA met the immediate needs of people living in temporary shelters, and in areas where transport routes were disrupted by heavy rains, floods and landslides. Airlifts and pre-positioned relief items ensured that assistance was delivered to isolated or distant communities. Although special attention was also given to a smooth and rapid transition to an early recovery process, supporting for example the rehabilitation of water and sanitations systems, damaged houses, and rural roads, this has been hampered by a lack of funding.

The UNCT conducted a review of the FA from January to March 2009 to follow up on the impacts and consequences of the tropical depressions, especially regarding the situation of the affected people and their needs. Findings have shown that beyond the significant return of the majority of persons displaced by the flooding, and the dismantlement or closure of emergency shelters, the humanitarian situation has not changed considerably. The strategy and response plans elaborated in the initial FA are still considered relevant, and thus do not need to be altered. (However, needs have not been systematically assessed since October, except as footnoted in the following sections.) No changes have been made to projects or to funds requested, hence a full revision has therefore not been considered necessary.

In addition, the Government has identified and negotiated around US$ 130 million of international assistance aimed at supporting the implementation of its “Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Plan for the Damages caused by Tropical Depression # 16 and Related Phenomenon.”[1] This Plan reinforces the overall strategy of the FA and brings additional resources and actors than those originally planned for in the Appeal’s framework. Although this revised Appeal has one month left to run, and although very little needed to be changed in terms of strategy and response, affected populations still require assistance with shelter, non-food items, water, sanitation and hygiene, food, and with recovering their livelihoods. This updated FA’s unmet requirements amount to $12,590,905.

Table I. Summary by Sectoral Working Group

Table II. Summary by Appealing Organisation

2. CONTEXT AND HUMANITARIAN CONSEQUENCES

2.1 Context

Honduras is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to natural disasters. Due to its location in the tropics, the country is continuously exposed to the cyclical effects of a range of climate-related phenomena. These include recurring cycles of hurricanes (with 1998’s Hurricane Mitch the most notorious example), droughts and floods (such as those of 2000, 2001, and 2005), and the effects of El Niño and La Niña. These natural disasters have weakened the national economy, especially in the agricultural sector and small to medium-sized industries, considerably diminishing employment opportunities and reducing cash incomes.

Being the third-poorest country in the Latin American and Caribbean region[2], Honduras is currently confronted with the economic crisis which exacerbates existing inequalities in income, in health, education, and housing sectors, and also has adversely affected security issues. The country is facing serious constraints with the road network infrastructure, which has been significantly damaged by the flooding, and which not only affects the transportation of persons and goods but also the country’s capacity for economic growth and development. Furthermore, the international price of some cash crops such as coffee has dropped dramatically, impacting on the country’s entitlements mainly because it is grown by rural small farmers in the mountain areas which have been affected the most by the intense level of the recent rains.

In the case of basic grains and foodstuffs, an estimated 72,085 hectares in the main production areas were damaged by the flooding. This means that unless a replanting programme is developed for the second planting season in the next four months, there will be a shortage of domestic supply to cover the national demand for human consumption. This will severely affect this country where nutrition levels are very poor. More than one out of four (precisely 27.4%) children under five suffer from chronic malnutrition, with the rate in some departments in the west of the country reaching 49.5%. Additionally, the AIDS pandemic is becoming a serious and growing threat for the country. An estimated 1.8% of the population lives with HIV/AIDS, with the highest prevalence in the main departments (Cortes, Francisco Morazán, Atlántida, and Yoro y Choluteca).

Some basic facts about Honduras

Ø  Population / 7.7million people (National Statistical Institute – INE, 2008 estimate)
Ø  Proportion of urban population
Ø  Proportion of rural population / 50.3% (INE, 2008 estimate)
49.7% (INE, 2008 estimate)
Ø  Life expectancy at birth (women/men) / 74/67 years (National Statistical Division 2006 estimate)
Ø  Infant mortality rate / 23 p/1,000 (INE, 2001-2006 estimate)
Ø  Prevalence of under-nourishment in total population / 23% (FAO Statistical Division 2004 estimate)
Ø  GNI per capita in $ PPA / $3,681.62 (World Bank, 2007 estimate)
Ø  Gini co-efficient / 59.2 (Poverty Reduction Strategy Programme, 2006)
Ø  Percentage of population living on less than $1 per day / 14.9% (World Bank, 2003 estimate)
Ø  Poverty (proportion of homes)
Ø  relative
Ø  extreme or severe / 60.2 (INE, 2007)
35.9 (INE, 2007)
Ø  Proportion of homes without sustainable access to an improved drinking water source / 13.4% (INE, 2007 estimate)
Ø  UNDP Human Development Index score / 0.7 (Medium Human Development and 115 place in the Ranking). 2005
Ø  Import month capacity with international reserves / 3.9 months (Central Bank of Honduras, 2007)
Ø  Main export agricultural products: coffee, shrimp, bananas, tilapia, plantain, and fresh vegetables, fruits (melon and watermelon) / 59.2% ($841.1 million out of total registered exports in the first semester of 2008) Central Bank of Honduras, July 2008

Impact of Tropical Depression 16 as of January 2009

According to COPECO, as a result of the flooding as of 29 October, 33 deaths were reported and 271,179 persons have been affected, with 42,699 in shelters (see original Flash Appeal for details: http://ochadms.unog.ch/quickplace/cap/main.nsf/h_Index/Flash_2008_Honduras/$FILE/Flash_2008_Honduras_SCREEN.pdf?OpenElement). By January 2009 (according to one NGO assessment[3]), these figures had grown, respectively, to 50 killed, 322,158 affected, and 50,291 sheltered. Approximately 1,183 roads were damaged or destroyed, along with 278 bridges and fords. 515 sewer systems were damaged or destroyed, 8,457 houses were flooded and 3,090 received structural damage.

2.2 Response to Date

Key facts and figures of response to date in Honduras as of mid-March 2009

Sectoral Working Group / Key elements of response to date
Food Assistance and Nutrition / ·  Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) allocations ($511,859) were crucial in postponing a break in the food pipeline and complement the World Food Programme-Immediate Response Account (WFP-IRA) ($500,000) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) funds ($51,289). These resources allowed WFP to provide a timely response to the most affected population, mainly those living in temporal shelters and isolated areas.
·  Food tonnages were delivered as planned, providing food assistance to more than 136,000 people and distributing near 750 metric tons (MTs) during the first 22 days of the humanitarian phase of the emergency. Women represented more than 80% of the food recipients, and 55% of the overall beneficiaries.
·  The timely response, and an effective targeting of the most affected population was facilitated by the strong presence of WFP in the field (40 WFP monitors in six sub-offices), a reliable emergency network (food sector) and agreements with the Government of Honduras through the COPECO, local authorities (municipalities), UN agencies and NGOs.
·  Most of the resources were used to meet the immediate food needs of people living in temporary shelters, and areas where transport routes were disrupted by heavy rains, floods and landslides.
·  In spite of the isolation of affected areas, WFP and partners maintained assistance to the most vulnerable affected population through more than 25 airlift operations and pre-positioning of contingency food stocks in key locations ahead of the flood season. Airlift operations were carried out in coordination with COPECO and the Honduras Air Force.
·  Special attention was also given to a smooth and rapid transition to an early recovery process, supporting the rehabilitation of water system and sanitation, damages houses, and rural roads. However, the implementation of recovery projects has been slower than hoped due to limited resources.
Health / ·  The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has spent $110,000 of its own resources for: a) the hiring of short-term technical support staff for the Ministry of Health’s (MoH) reproductive health services at the local level in the affected areas; b) the support for the mobilisation of health personnel and medical supplies to the affected areas; c) the purchasing of reproductive health medical supplies.
·  UNFPA provided humanitarian support for an amount of $11,104 to an indigenous people’s organization (Organización Nacional Indígena Lenca de Honduras). 700 dignity kits were purchased and distributed to affected indigenous families in four departments – La Paz, Lempira, Santa Barbara and Comayagua.
·  $30,000 was invested by Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) for transport of experts in the health sector and $14,000 was given to the Health Department to be used in transport costs of the health brigade.
·  PAHO has secured $289,855 from the European Community Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) for theimplementation of sentinel sites for identification of communicable diseases and for drugs purchase.
·  Through the support of UNDP, medicine was provided.
·  The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is currently procuring equipment and medicines to treat children suffering from acute respiratory infection (ARI) (nebuliser, bronchodilators, etc.).
·  UNICEF is currently procuring F100 to treat malnourished children.
·  UNICEF is currently procuring hygiene kits for pre-positioning purposes.
Sectoral Working Group / Key elements of response to date
Shelter & NFIs / ·  Out of the CERF funds received ($626,485), $100,000 has been spent and the difference ($526,485) will be used in early 2009 to procure supplies and materials.
·  The affected population received hygiene kits, kitchen kits and raw materials for housing rehabilitation.
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene / ·  UNICEF spent $138,414 from the CERF allocation.
·  UNICEF transferred funds to Save the Children (SC) [$26,054], Goal [$36,820], Catholic Relief Services (CRS) [$25,600], Aldea Global [$12,381] and National Services for Water and Sewers (SANAA) [$39,334] to rehabilitate water systems/boreholes damaged during the emergency in 60 communities. One water system was completed (in Tegucigalpa), with the remainder currently under rehabilitation. All rehabilitation works are to be completed by April this year. SANAA also carried out the damage assessment at 488 communities immediately after the tropical depression No. 16.
·  In 2009, an additional 250 communities will receive rehabilitation works through UNICEF support. Currently, UNICEF is procuring materials (pipes, cements, etc.) for this.
·  Currently UNICEF is procuring hygiene kits, tents, and mattresses for pre-positioning.
·  Further agreements are pending between UNICEF, SANAA and NGOs to rehabilitate additional water systems, procurement of necessary items, construction of latrines, and hygiene promotion at community level.
Agriculture and Food Security / ·  Out of the CERF funds received ($213,000), $150,000 has been spent and the difference ($63,000) will be used in early 2009.
Early Recovery / ·  With the support of the Office of Land Administration, UNDP will provide support to the most affected municipalities in the north of the country. This support aims at training municipal staff in applying the Plans for Land Administration in the process of reconstruction.
·  UNICEF has utilised $8,529 to train 100 journalists in the central and northern regions of the country on the role of mass media in emergencies. 10 workshops were carried out, with an additional two workshops specifically for radio stations, on how to deal with emergency situations.
·  UNICEF is currently finalising the four sets of manuals and one comic book on how to deal with emergency situation. “Radios en tiempos de emergencia”, “Manuales para docentes en tiempo de emergencia”, “Manuales de HIV/AIDS en tiempo de emergencia”, “Gestión de Albergue en tiempo de emergencia” as well as a comic book on emergency for children. 2,000 copies of each manual will be printed, and used in the training courses, which follows:
§  Emergency Radio programme will start in February with a NGO “Llevesitas” dealing with HIV prevention issues in emergency context;
§  10 workshops were carried out for the Radio Stations;
§  Consultative workshop was carried out to develop National Strategy on Bird Flu, with the participation of MoH and WHO. Through this workshop, a National Strategy was developed.
Education / ·  In coordination with the Ministry of Education (MoE), NGOs, and other UN agencies, UNICEF carried out initial assessment of the education situation in affected areas. 233 schools were identified and assessed, and approximately 10,000 children were reported to be affected mostly in the south and north of the country. These schools will be prioritised for intervention programmes.
·  UNICEF is procuring a set of school-in-a-box (a box with school materials to cover 80 children) and recreation kits to distribute to the 233 affected schools identified through initial assessment in the new academic year.
·  UNICEF contributed with own funds to procure cleaning kits for 56 schools. These cleaning materials were especially important for those schools used as shelters during the height of emergency.
·  In 2009, 10 most affected schools in the affected departments will be rehabilitated. The works will be completed by May 2009.

2.3 Humanitarian Consequences And Needs Analysis

Shelter and Non-Food Items