Landslide
NOVEMBER 20, 2009
(16/2009) Tanzania Landslide
DETAILS OF THE EMERGENCY
As of November 13, up to 24 people have died following a landslide at a village on high land in Same District, Kilimanjaro region, after four days of heavy rains. At a time when the ACT Forum Tanzania was already planning to do disaster preparedness interventions following the prolonged drought in northern Tanzania earlier in the same week, the onset of this end of year rain came with disastrous results, affecting an entire village on the highlands of Same District, bringing shocking news to the whole nation.
According to the reports from the Same District Commissioner’s Office and the office of the Bishop of the ELCT Pare Diocese, there were still more villagers missing, rising fears that the death toll may rise. The village has about 2,500 inhabitants who are the main victims of the disaster.
ACTIONS TO DATE, AND EMERGENCY NEEDS
According to the district and regional government authorities, although a comprehensive assessment of the magnitude of the disaster is yet to be completed by the District Disaster Management Committee and sent to the national level to facilitate appropriate intervention, the disaster is of such a magnitude that it is unbearable for one village. Hence, there has been a call for the mobilization of requisite resources to intensify the search for the missing people and provide emergency and relief support for the survivors. Sniffer dogs from the police force are being deployed on the disaster scene to trace the missing bodies.
Reports from the Tanzania Meteorological Agency (TMA) claim that the Same District landslide is not yet to be linked to the predicted El Nino, but rather associated with the heavy freak rains, a situation that is raising much concern across the country, especially among populations settled in high lands and low lying areas of northern Tanzania. About 80 % of Same District residents live in hilly/mountain slopes.
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
ACT Forum Tanzania (AFTZ), with the support from Tanganyika Christian Refugee Service (TCRS) using the ACT Forum network of the local LWF member diocese, the ELCT/Pare Diocese have immediately responded with the provision of clothes and other essential linen material to the affected people in Goha village, Mamba Vunta Division in Same District. But there are more life-saving items needed such as temporary shelter, relief food, house-hold and health kits. AFTZ is already linking up with relevant humanitarian organizations, like the Tanzania Red Cross Society, the faith-based institutions, the Disaster Directorate of the Prime Minister’s Office, to harmonize the interventions.
- OBJECTIVE(S) OF THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE:
Goal: to minimize the suffering of people affected by the landslide through provision of emergency food assistance.
Objective: to facilitate immediate response to meet the immediate life-sustaining materials and actions such as procurement of food, clothing and temporary shelter, household and health kits to the landslide disaster affected populations in Goha Village, Mamba-Vunta Division, Same District.
- TARGET POPULATION:
This RRF is targeting to reach about 2,000 people clustered in 285 households badly affected by the disaster. As usual, priority targeting of the relief supplies will be to the most vulnerable groups, such as women, children, the disabled, the sick and the elderly, as per the general policy framework and operational guidelines of ACT.
Criteria for Beneficiary selection:
• Particular attention will be given to women, widows, children, aged, disabled and vulnerable persons with special needs.
• People who have not received support from other agencies involved in the emergency response.
- PROPOSED ASSISTANCE:
In partnership with the resident ELCT Pare Diocese, a member of the ACT Forum network and TCRS, CCT will ensure providing support for the following:
• Food items (maize flour, beans, cooking oil, drinking water)
• Non food items (clothing, khanga, soap, buckets, plates, sanitary materials, tents, cooking utensils)
• Transportation costs of the items to a selected center.
- IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS:
CCT will work with the ELCT Pare Diocese, which is a member of the Christian Council of Tanzania and therefore, represented in the ACT Forum Tanzania (AFTZ). The experiences of TCRS in disaster interventions will also be deployed. TCRS has in the past been working in a similar undertaking in this division, some years back. The AFTZ has an operational MoU/Cooperation agreement in place. CCT will, however be responsible for all the coordination and end of intervention report writing. CCT will also ensure that ACT Policies are followed including the Code of Conduct on Sexual Exploitation, Abuse of Power and Corruption.
- COORDINATION:
CCT and TCRS will respond to this emergency and implement the activities in coordination with the local authorities, representatives of the affected population, governmental institutions and other humanitarian aid agencies.
- COMMUNICATIONS:
CCT and TCRS will share regular updates on its response activities. Information, along with pictures/documentation of activities will be send to ACT Coordinating Office as well as other, I/NGOs, UN and the rest of the international community.
- PLANNED IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD:
It is expected that the implementation period of the activities using the RRF will last for some three months, November 2009 to January 2010.
BUDGET: USD 28,500.
