COMMISSION DECISION of on the financing of emergency humanitarian operations from the general budget of the European Communities in Madagascar

Transcription

1 COMMISSION DECISION of on the financing of emergency humanitarian operations from the general budget of the European Communities in Madagascar THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No.1257/96 of 20 June 1996 concerning humanitarian aid 1, and in particular Articles 2(a) and 13 thereof, Whereas: (1) The intense tropical cyclone Ivan struck north-east Madagascar on 17 February 2008, and proceeded inland across almost one third of the country, killing 60 people and severely impacting the districts of Fenerive Est and Soanierana-Ivongo and the towns of Toamasina and Antananarivo ; (2) As a result of the high winds, destruction and floods in the north, north-east, east and centre of the country, over 210,000 people have been affected, of whom more than 140,000 forced to leave their homes ; (3) The cyclone compounded and aggravated the exceptionally heavy rainfall and destruction, in particular, communication, health and agriculture infrastructure caused by cyclone Fame three weeks previously ; (4) There is a need to provide urgent relief, water, sanitation, medical, shelter, food and logistics support to those affected, in order to prevent a deterioration of their situation; (5) Humanitarian aid operations financed by this Decision should be of a maximum duration of 6 months; (6) It is estimated that an amount of EUR 1,500,000 from budget line of the general budget of the European Communities is necessary to provide humanitarian assistance to over 230,000 affected vulnerable people, taking into account the available budget, other donors' contributions and other factors; (7) The present Decision constitutes a financing Decision within the meaning of Article 75 of the Financial Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 2, Article 90 of the detailed rules for the implementation of the Financial Regulation determined by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2342/2002 3, and Article 15 of the Internal Rules on the Implementation of the general budget of the European Communities OJ L 163, , p OJ L 248, , p.1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1995/2006, OJ L 390, , p.1 and by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1525/2007 of 17 December 2007, OJ L 343 of , p OJ L 357, , p.1 Regulation as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC Euratom) No. 478/2007, OJ L 111 of , P Commission Decision of , C/2008/773 ECHO/MDG/BUD/2008/

2 HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: Article 1 1. In accordance with the objectives and general principles of humanitarian aid, the Commission hereby approves a total amount of EUR 1,500,000 for emergency humanitarian aid operations to provide the necessary assistance and relief to cyclone victims in Madagascar by using line of the 2008 general budget of the European Communities. 2. In accordance with Article 2(a) of Council Regulation No.1257/96, the humanitarian operations shall be implemented in the pursuance of the following specific objective: - To provide emergency relief assistance to vulnerable people affected by cyclone Ivan and subsequent flooding. The total amount of this Decision is allocated to this objective. Article 2 1. The implementation of humanitarian aid operations funded by this Decision shall have a maximum duration of 6 months from their starting date. 2. Expenditure under this Decision shall be eligible from 17 February If the operations envisaged in this Decision are suspended owing to force majeure or comparable circumstances, the period of suspension shall not be taken into account for the calculation of the duration of the humanitarian aid operations. Article 3 1. The Commission shall implement the budget by direct centralised management or by joint management with international organisations. 2. The actions supported by this Decision will be implemented by humanitarian aid organisations that are signatories to the Framework Partnership Agreements (FPA) or the EC/UN Financial Administrative Framework Agreement (FAFA). 3. Taking account of the specificities of humanitarian aid, the nature of the activities to be undertaken, the specific location constraints and the level of urgency, the activities covered by this Decision may be financed in full in accordance with Article 253 of the Implementing Rules of the Financial Regulation. Article 4 This Decision shall take effect on the date of its adoption. Done at Brussels, For the Commission Member of the Commission ECHO/MDG/BUD/2008/

3 EUROPEAN COMMISSION DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR HUMANITARIAN AID - ECHO Emergency Humanitarian Aid Decision Title: Emergency humanitarian aid for populations affected by cyclone Ivan Location of operation: Madagascar Amount of Decision: EUR 1,500,000 Decision reference number: ECHO/MDG/BUD/2008/01000 Explanatory Memorandum 1 - Rationale, needs and target population Rationale : Madagascar, lying off the southeast coast of Africa, east of Mozambique, suffers periodically the impact of cyclones and the subsequent flooding. At the same time, the southern part of the island is regularly affected by drought. The weather is dominated by the southeastern winds that originate in the Indian Ocean anticyclone, a centre of high atmospheric pressure that seasonally changes its position over the ocean. The east and north-east coast, being most directly exposed to the winds, is notorious for the destructive cyclones that occur during the rainy season, from November to April. In 2007, six cyclones hit Madagascar, with varying degrees of damage. Category four 5 tropical cyclone Ivan made landfall at Sainte Marie island on 17th February, 2008 at wind speeds of up to 230 km per hour, and made its way across the island initially as a category three cyclone, slowly diminishing in strength to a tropical storm. In all, 60 people were killed and about one third of the country affected, in the east, north, north-east and centre, including Antananarivo, the capital, and Toamasina (Tamatave), the second city and biggest port. Though Ivan covered a wider geographical area, many of the zones affected were also hit by cyclone Fame only three weeks previously, in a second consecutive deadly cyclone season. The Government of Madagascar's disaster management agency, the Bureau National de Gestion des Risques et des Catastrophes (BNGRC), estimates that about 210,000 people have 5 This is the same intensity as Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, 2005 ECHO/MDG/BUD/2008/

4 been affected in some way, of whom 145,000 including 20,000 in Antananarivo - have been made homeless. The worst damage, though, was suffered by the districts of Fenerive Est, with more than 80,000 (almost one-third of the population) made homeless, and Soanierana- Ivongo (Vavatenina) where more than 22,000 of the total population of 116,000 have been made homeless. The main hospitals and health centres of Sainte Marie, Fenerive Est and Vavatenina were also badly damaged. Further inland, the heavy rains accompanying Ivan have flooded the main rice-cultivating areas of Amparafaravola and Andilamena, which provide about 30% of national production. This has immediate consequences not only for the immediate food security and livelihoods of those who have lost their crop, but for the wider population, who will more than likely see rice prices increase as supply becomes more restricted. Assessments to confirm the extent of the damage, led by the BNGRC, started immediately and are ongoing. An inter-sectoral rapid assessment mission was conducted between February in the four districts closest to where the cyclone made landfall. This task has been slowed by damage to infrastructure and communications, the continuing bad weather, and by the lack of helicopters to conduct aerial assessments. Having managed to remain in control of the situation after the arrival of cyclone Fame, the Malagasy government, confronted with the gravity of the damage caused by this second "direct hit" and the ensuing extreme weather, informed the international community on 24 th February that they had insufficient means available to effectively manage the situation. Information received from partners on the ground confirms that international assistance is required to assist a Government whose coping capacity has been severely put to the test. The United Nations has announced the launching of a Flash Appeal Identified needs : The needs can be prioritised into those which require urgent intervention and which are covered by this Decision, those which can (or can only) be dealt with in a second phase and finally, those which lie more in the realm of rehabilitation and reconstruction. Urgent needs are for : - the provision of temporary shelter and of emergency relief items to those who have been made homeless, especially those who have been unable to secure temporary accommodation with other families ; - access to safe water, including cleaning and rehabilitation of wells, tanks and other water containers, chlorination of water sources in order to reduce the high vulnerability to water borne diseases inherent with flooding, and hygiene inputs and education ; - access to health care, including the setting up of field hospitals where existing structures have been destroyed, provision of essential medicines and medical material ; primary health care treatment ; epidemiological surveillance in view of the heightened risk of epidemic outbreak. Health care in Madagascar is based on a cost recovery scheme, which already reduces access for the most vulnerable. As in similar situations in recent years, and in accordance with humanitarian principles, the Government is willing to waive these costs in the cyclone hit area ; - food aid in the short term for the most vulnerable. At the same time, emergency food security interventions will be required to ensure the availability of rice seed and other inputs so that crops can be replanted as soon as the flood waters recede sufficiently. The key to the above is access which will require road clearance, boats and air support. ECHO/MDG/BUD/2008/

5 Target population and regions concerned : This Decision will support interventions targeting populations displaced or otherwise affected by cyclone Ivan. Though the coastal areas of Fenerive Est and Soanierana-Ivongo (Vavatenina) took the full brunt of the cyclone and have recorded the highest numbers of homeless, many thousands have been affected by the subsequent torrential rainfall and flooding over the entire northern third of the country, including in Antananarivo and Toamasina (Tamatave), the first and second cities. The priority target group for interventions funded under this Decision will be the most vulnerable among the more than 140,000 who have been made homeless Risk assessment and possible constraints : Humanitarian interventions in Madagascar do not generally encounter major security risks. In a situation of severe flooding, such as that currently prevailing, access is likely to be difficult, and some roads in the target areas remain impassable. This means that a good part of the assistance might need to be transported either by air thus adding to implementation costs, or by boat, thus adding to implementation time. Results of assessments to date indicate that more than 210,000 people are severely affected by the impact of the cyclone Ivan. It is, however, possible that further assessments reveal more victims and thus increased needs requiring further resources. It is also anticipated that some of the damage will require very substantial resources to repair. It is difficult to predict the evolution of this very volatile climatic situation. The rainy and cyclone season lasts until mid April, so the situation will require very close monitoring. More cyclones are very likely and may compound the current problems, disrupt relief efforts or even or cause further set-backs. 2 - Objectives and components of the humanitarian intervention proposed: Objectives : Principal objective: To save and preserve lives in the aftermath of cyclone Ivan Specific objective: - To provide emergency relief assistance to vulnerable people affected by cyclone Ivan and subsequent flooding Components : Interventions will be specifically targeting the relief phase. Components to be considered for funding will include the following : the deployment of IFRC Emergency Response Units ; the provision of temporary shelter ; emergency public health interventions, both medical and water and sanitation-based, including those to provide a continuity of medical treatment to the most vulnerable, and to prevent and/or tackle outbreaks of water-borne diseases; provision of safe water, including cleaning and rehabilitation of wells, tanks and other water containers ; food aid and emergency food security ; logistics and humanitarian transport. 3 - Duration expected for actions in the proposed Decision: ECHO/MDG/BUD/2008/

6 The duration of humanitarian aid operations shall be maximum 6 months. Expenditure under this Decision shall be eligible from 17th February If the implementation of the actions envisaged in this Decision is suspended due to force majeure or any comparable circumstance, the period of suspension will not be taken into account for the calculation of the duration of the humanitarian aid operations. Depending on the evolution of the situation in the field, the Commission reserves the right to terminate the agreements signed with the implementing humanitarian organisations where the suspension of activities is for a period of more than one third of the total planned duration of the action. In this respect, the procedure established in the general conditions of the specific agreement will be applied. ECHO/MDG/BUD/2008/

7 4 - Previous interventions/decisions of the Commission within the context of the current crisis List of previous DG ECHO operations in MADAGASCAR Decision Number Decision Type EUR EUR EUR ECHO/MDG/BUD/2007/01000 Emergency 1,500,000 ECHO/MDG/BUD/2007/02000 Emergency 1,500,000 ECHO/-FA/BUD/2007/01000 Ad Hoc 700,000 ECHO/-FA/BUD/2007/02000 Ad Hoc 1,680,833 ECHO/-AF/EDF/2007/01000 Ad Hoc 44,444 Subtotal 0 5,425,277 0 Grand Total 5,425,277 Dated : 28 February 2008 Source : HOPE ECHO/MDG/BUD/2008/

8 5 - Overview of donors' contributions Donors in MADAGASCAR the last 12 months 1. EU Members States (*) 2. European Commission 3. Others EUR EUR EUR Austria DG ECHO 5,425,277 Belgium 200,000 Other services Bulgaria Cyprus Czech republic Denmark Estonia Finland France 561,200 Germany 272,062 Greece 30,000 Hungary Ireland Italy 200,000 Latvia Lithuania Luxemburg 40,000 Malta Netherlands Poland Portugal Romania Slovakia Slovenie Spain Sweden 206,848 United kingdom 1,030,000 Subtotal 2,540,110 Subtotal 5,425,277 Subtotal 0 Grand total 7,965,387 Dated : 28 February 2008 (*) Source : DG ECHO 14 Points reporting for Members States. Empty cells means either no information is available or no contribution. ECHO/MDG/BUD/2008/

9 6 - Amount of Decision and distribution by specific objectives: Total amount of this Decision: EUR 1,500, Budget breakdown by specific objectives Principal objective: To save and preserve lives in the aftermath of cyclone Ivan Specific objective Allocated amount by specific objective (EUR) Geographical area of operation Specific objective 1: To provide emergency relief assistance to vulnerable people affected by cyclone Ivan and subsequent flooding 1,500,000 North-eastern, northern, eastern, central areas of Madagascar Potential partners 6 - CRF - EMDH - IFRC-FICR - MDM - FRA - MEDAIR-CH - UNICEF - WFP-PAM TOTAL:1,500,000 6 CROIX-ROUGE FRANCAISE, ENFANTS DU MONDE - DROITS DE L'HOMME, FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DES SOCIETES DE LA CROIX-ROUGE ET DU CROISSANT ROUGE, MEDAIR CH, MEDECINS DU MONDE, UNICEF, WORLD FOOD PROGRAM ECHO/MDG/BUD/2008/

10 7 - Evaluation Under Article 18 of Council Regulation (EC) No.1257/96 of 20 June 1996 concerning humanitarian aid, the Commission is required to "regularly assess humanitarian aid operations financed by the Community in order to establish whether they have achieved their objectives and to produce guidelines for improving the effectiveness of subsequent operations." These evaluations are structured and organised in overarching and cross-cutting issues forming part of DG ECHO's Annual Strategy such as child-related issues, the security of relief workers, respect for human rights, gender. Each year, an indicative Evaluation Programme is established after a consultative process. This programme is flexible and can be adapted to include evaluations not foreseen in the initial programme, in response to particular events or changing circumstances. More information can be obtained at: Budget Impact Article Budget impact article CE (EUR) Initial available appropriations for ,00 Transfers Commission - Total available appropriations ,00 Total executed to date (3 March 2008) ,00 Available remaining ,00 Total amount of the Decision ,00 9. MANAGEMENT ISSUES Humanitarian aid actions funded by the Commission are implemented by NGOs, Specialised Agencies of the Member States, and the Red Cross organisations on the basis of Framework Partnership Agreements (FPA) and by United Nations agencies based on the EC/UN Financial and Administrative Framework Agreement (FAFA) in conformity with Article 163 of the Implementing Rules of the Financial Regulation. These Framework agreements define the criteria for attributing grant agreements and financing agreements in accordance with Article 90 of the Implementing Rules and may be found at Individual grants are awarded on the basis of the criteria enumerated in Article 7.2 of the Humanitarian Aid Regulation, such as the technical and financial capacity, readiness and experience, and results of previous interventions. ECHO/MDG/BUD/2008/