EMERGENCY INTERVENTION REPORT

ON

THE RELIEF INTERVENTION BY GECPD TO TSUNAMI AFFECTED COMMUNITIES IN GARA’AD, KULUB, DHINOWDA AND IL-FOOSHE FISHING SETTLEMENTS AND VILLAGES OF JARIIBAN DISTRICT, MUDUG REGION

 

Submitted By: Galkayo Education Centre for Peace and Development (GECPD)

 Submission date: Dec 22, 2005

Contact Person:  Hawa Aden Mohamed      Executive Director

Submitted to following donors:

1. Amoud Education and Development Foundation (Dallas, USA)
2. NOVIB, Netherlands
3. Commissione Internazionale NordEast Milano-Italy
4. Maria/ Battista Saibene Company, Milano-Italy
5. DIAKONIA-Sweden (Nairobi and Garowe)
6.  Safia Abdulghafar Haji Hussein (Basey)-Dubai, UAE
7. 20 families

 

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Table of content.......................................................................................................................................................1

 

1. Context...................................................................................................................................................................2

 

2. Introduction.........................................................................................................................................................2

 

3. Emergency intervention efforts........................................................................................................2

 

3.1 Government intervention....................................................................................................................3

 

3.2 Civil society intervention..................................................................................................................4

            3.2.1 GECPD’s intervention objectives....................................................................................4

            3.2.2 GECPD’s support................................................................................................................4

3.3 Community groups’ intervention.......................................................................................................5

 

4. Disaster assessment for long-term intervention.........................................................................................7

 

            4.1 Casualties and damages........................................................................................................................7

                        4.1.1 Casualties..............................................................................................................................7

                        4.1.2 Damages.................................................................................................................................8

 

            4.2 Intervention gaps................................................................................................................................9

                        4.2.1 Areas that have not received emergency relief so far..............................................9

                        4.2.2 Immediate needs.................................................................................................................9

                        4.2.3 Challenges in the provision of relief.............................................................................10

                                    4.2.3.1 Communication...................................................................................................10

                                    4.2.3.2 Distribution of relief......................................................................................10

5. Recommendation...................................................................................................................................................  10

 

            5.1 To donors and their agents................................................................................................................10

                        5.1.1 How to best assist the affected communities........................................................... .10

                        5.1.2 Communication and facilitation of relief distribution...............................................11

                        5.1.3 Awareness raising...............................................................................................................11

 

            5.2 To district authorities and local committees................................................................................11

                        5.2.1 Security.................................................................................................................................11

                        5.2.2 Environmental hygiene....................................................................................................... 11

 

1. CONTEXT

 

The Tsunami disaster affected a great number of cities, towns and small community settlements along the coast of the Indian Ocean. In Somalia, most towns and fishing villages in the Northern coastal zone (Puntland) also experienced the disaster. In Mudug region, Jariiban district that comprises one of the eight project areas for GECPD programs was affected. The villages and small fishing settlements affected include Gara’ad, Kulub, Dhinowda, IL-fooshe, Dhabar-Hagato and Qori-Gees-Dheer.

 

2. INTRODUCTION

 

As a non-governmental organization working in Mudug region, and with communities in Jariiban district, GECPD was among the first organizations to first send emergency relief. From this point onwards, GECPD became actively involved in offering assistance to the affected communities, focusing more on women and children; more often than not, these categories are the most affected in disaster situations. GECPD fundraised from different sources (international organizations and individuals) to provide relief to the affected communities. With funds from  Amoud Education and Development foundation of Dallas, USA,  Novib, Diakonia, Commissione Internazionale Nord East Milano, Maria –Batista Saibene Company, , Safia  Abdulghafar Haji Hussein (Basey)- Dubai and over  20 families

 

This report is therefore, compiled for all the above mentioned organizations and individuals who provided finances and donations (in cash and in-kind). Further, the report is meant to serve as a baseline for all organizations and relief agencies planning to provide support for the affected communities. The report mainly focuses on the intervention made so far and the existing gaps, while at the same time providing recommendations for different actors on how to better provide assistance to the affected communities. 

 

3. EMERGENCY INTERVENTION EFFORTS

 

Since the disaster struck, different actors both state and non-state have offered assistance and advocacy to the affected communities. These include:-

• The Federal Government
• The civil society organizations (international and local NGOs)
• Mudug community groups (business and pastoral communities
• International Agencies (UN and others)

 

The affected communities in turn have also organized themselves to handle the intervention support provided (mainly in terms of relief).

 

Community organization

The community has committees and sub-committees to receive, manage and distribute relief aid. There is one main committee-the Gara’ad disaster relief committee- of 12 people; 5 women and 7 men and, a sub-committee of 7people working with the main committee. Further, there are sub-committees in all the small settlements.

 

Also working in the disaster struck areas are members of the Puntland regional state government authorities at Jariiban town since Jariiban is administratively the main district under which the disaster struck towns and small settlements come.

 

The main committee and sub-committees are also working with the government in ensuring security in their respective areas.

 

3.1 Government intervention

 

The government’s intervention was at a national level, where all affected towns, villages and small fishing settlements along the coast of Northeastern Somalia in Bari, Nugal and Mudug regions were covered for fact finding (establishing the impact of the disaster); in Mudug region, this was done by a delegation lead by the Federal Energy vice-Minister and the governor of Mudug who lead the first fact finding mission UN, Ingo, local ngos and other community members

 

The delegation held meetings with the local District Commissioner of Jariiban District, community leaders from the various communities affected, together with fishermen to assess the losses suffered by the fishing communities. From these meetings, it was established that 3,400 fishermen lost their fishing equipment. With their family members these formed 70% of the affected that solely depended on fishing for their economic survival. Further, some of the remaining 30% kept shops and small tea kiosks, which were swept away, thus losing everything.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From these meetings, it was also established that the affected communities did not need to be kept in camps as IDPs, but instead, they needed to be re-equipped to resume their normal lives.

 

The district authorities provided fuel and food relief to the affected communities as follows

-          5 drums of fuel (200liters each)

-          5 sacks of rice (50Kgs each)

-          5 sacks of flour (50Kgs each)

-          5 sacks of sugar (50Kgs each)

 

In addition to material support, the district administration is working with the local communities in ensuring security.

3.2 Civil society intervention

 

A number of civil society organizations- international and local- working in Mudug region sent emergency relief to the affected communities just a few days after the disaster struck. GECPD was among the first organization to do so. This section will focus more on GECPD’s intervention efforts as a civil society organization, as opposed to the intervention efforts by all civil society organization in Mudug region.

 

GECPD has provided support twice to the affected communities. The first was made on the 29^th of December 2004, exactly 3 days after the disaster happened. The support worth USD 3,000 comprised of:-

 

-          150 blankets                                                                  

-          347 t-shirts

-          27 complete sets of skirts, blouses and Hijabs             

-          11 pairs of bed sheets

-          35 women’s shawls                                                    

-          110 women’s head scarves

-          8 praying mats                                                             

-          12 women’s dresses

-          35 children’s dresses                                                   

-          27men’s shirts

 

From the first intervention, basic assessment revealed lack of the basic human needs; food, shelter and clothing.  Based on this, GECPD undertook fundraising to provide support to the communities based on the three needs. The second intervention worth USD 35,000 was made on the 15^th of January. This was more organized and geared towards establishing long-term assistance and intervention.

 

3.2.1 GECPD’s intervention Objectives

 

• To assist the affected communities in Gara’ad and surrounding settlements such as Kulub, Dhinowda and Il-fooshe.
• To deliver aid such as clothing, blankets and plastic tarpaulin for building temporary shelters
• To establish the immediate needs of the affected communities at the moment.

 

3.2.2 GECPD’s support

 

Support was provided in relation to the needs identified during the first intervention mission. Following the Tsunami disaster, the weather became very cold and the affected people had no shelters and warm clothes.  GECPD provided:-

• Clothing
• Blankets
• Plastic tarpaulin (for building temporary shelters)

 

These included:-

 

• 610 blankets
• 600 tarpaulin plastic sheets for shelter
• 600 (300 long skirt -300 long dresses)
• 600 (300 hijaabs,300 garbisar -women shawls)
• 800 head scarves
• 99 women blouses
• 174 men’s shirts
• 143 trousers
• 143 pairs of shoes for men
• 96 pairs of shoes for women
• 785 bed sheets
• 80 sport suits for boys
• 157 skirt for girls
• 157 blouses for girls
• 157 hijaabs for girls
• 21 sweaters for men
• 22 hijaabs for women

 

These were distributed among 610 families in four of the most affected towns and settlements as indicated below.

 

• Gara’ad -200 families
• Dhinowda-130 families
• Kulub-150 families
• IL-fooshe- 130 families

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also considered under this topic is GECPD’s move to mobilize women and to form women committees to speak for the needs of women as well as advocate for the same. From this, two women committees of five members each were formed. These were asked to have constant communication with the GECPD center.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.3 Community groups’ (business and pastoral communities) intervention

 

Business and pastoral communities within Mudug region also provided support to the affected communities. Some of these included money transfer companies working in Mudug region and the nomadic communities living in Jariiban district.

 

The overall support offered to the affected communities by the state and non-state actors includes:-

 

 

Organization	Relief provided	Quantity
UNICEF	Kits containing blankets, mosquito nets, Crockery,  25 jerry cans of 20 Liters each, 2 water tanks	400
WFP	Dry foods	60.9 tones
	Cooking foods	3276 Ltrs
WHO	Medicine	1 Carton
	Mats	70
DIAKONIA	Flour	300 bags of 50Kg
	Sugar	300 bags of 50 Kg
	Cooking oil	300 of 5 liters each
	Crockery
MSF	Medicine	2 cartons
Red crescents	Blankets Some medicine	18
GECPD	Clothing (skirts, blouses, dresses, head scarves, hijaabs, shawls, shirts trousers, sweaters and shoes; for women, children and men),   bed sheets, blankets and plastic tarpaulins	5, 244 items
SWC	Sheets and sleeping mats	100 70
RRO	Plastic tarpaulins	15
Jariiban women’s organization	Blankets	100
	Plastic tarpaulins	100
	Rice	100 bags of 50 Kg
Local Nomads	Livestock	200 goats
District authorities	Fuel	5 drums (200 Lit)
	Rice	5 sacks (50 Kg each)
	Flour	5 sacks (50 Kg each)
	Sugar	5 sacks (50 Kg each)

 Source: district authorities and committees of elders in Garaad

 

Community elders identified the need for long-term assistance in addition to the relief intervention.

 

4. DISASTER ASSESSMENT FOR LONG-TERM INTERVENTION

 

4.1 Casualties and Damages

 

In general the disaster affected 786 families living in Gara’ad, Kulub, Dhinowda, IL-fooshe, Dhabar-Hagato and Qori-Gees-Dheer towns and villages of Jariiban district.

 

4.1.1 Casualties

 

The death toll in all the above-mentioned places was 6; 3 of the bodies could not be identified. The other three included one woman one man and one child.  All these were found on the shores of Gara’ad, and Kulub after the big wave.

Many other people were wounded by collapsing houses.

 

4.1.2 Damages

Kulub suffered the greatest damages. In this fishing settlements, the wave moved deep into the mainland, sucking back every thing into the sea. Most of the houses in this town had weak  corrugated iron sheet roofing houses, tents and tarpaulin houses thus the great damage.

 

In Gara’ad, 60 houses were damaged , 12 of which were stone houses and 48 were “temporary” houses. 5 of the 12 stone houses were badly damaged, while the other 7 are in need of little repair. All 48 temporary houses were swept away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In these towns, water wells have been filled with sand, and the communities have made some efforts in digging other wells. But the water is salty and not drinkable.  Most of the septic tanks were completely destroyed. Toilets and latrines are therefore not in use. The sanitary conditions of these settlements are a risk to the communities; the possibility of a cholera outbreak is imminent if action is not taken soon.