This revised Emergency Appeal now seeks CHF 621,786 in cash, kind, or services to support the Malawi Red Cross to assist 9,000 beneficiaries (1,800 families) for an additional three months, and will be completed by the end of 30 September, 2013. A Final Report will be made available by 30 December 2013 (three months after the end of the operation).
Appeal target (current): CHF 621,786
Appeal coverage: 61% (against the original budget) and 100% (against this revised budget)
Appeal history:
· This Emergency Appeal was launched on 17 October 2012 for CHF 1,025,311 for nine months to assist 3,500 households (17,500 beneficiaries).
· Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF): CHF 100,000 was initially allocated from the IFRC’s DREF to start up the operation.
· Operations update n°1 was issued on 31 October 2012.
· Operations Update n°2 was issued on 27 November 2012.
· A 6-month summary update was issued on 6 June 2013.
· This operations update n°3 is extending the operation timeframe by 3 months and will thus be completed by end of September 2013.The budget and the budget and plan of action have been revised to the level of funding available.
· The formal revision to this appeal has been delayed due to a reassessment of the situation in the target areas and also due to other operational commitments of the MRCS.
Summary: This Emergency Appeal has enabled the Malawi Red Cross Society (MRCS) to respond to the food security needs of 9,000 affected people to mitigate their vulnerable situation resulting from failed crops. Some 24 MRCS volunteers and staff were trained in SPHERE’s minimum standards in food security to carry out the programme activities, including vulnerability assessments, food distribution, community mobilization, and monitoring and reporting. Additionally, 20 volunteers have been trained in community-based first aid and are now engaged in providing community-based health and first aid (CBHFA) services as well as health promotion campaigns, education and sensitization activities in targeted communities. To date, 3,500 people have been reached through these health and hygiene awareness raising campaigns.
The operation faced a delay in the implementation of the remaining activities. A number of factors led to this, including challenges in carrying out cash programming and funding transfer requests, rapid inflation of the Malawi Kwatcha, lower funding than originally anticipated coupled with changing needs in the context of the food insecurity. The time extension will enable MRCS to properly implement key activities planned, including distributing seeds and fertilizers to a targeted 1,800 vulnerable households. The extension will also enable MRCS build the capacity of targeted communities in disaster risk reduction through facilitating community contingency planning and data collection, vulnerability and capacity assessment, and strengthening early warning systems. In addition, IFRC-led NDRT training is planned for MRCS volunteers. Monitoring activities will also be ongoing.
The IFRC, on behalf of Malawi Red Cross Society, would like to extend thanks to all partners for their generous contributions. Contributions have been received from the American Red Cross, Canadian Red Cross and the Canadian Government, Danish Red Cross and the Danish Government, the Japanese Red Cross Society, Red Cross of Monaco, Netherlands Red Cross and the Netherlands Government and the Swedish Red Cross.
All operations-related appeals, reports, updates and information are available on the Appeals, plans and updates section of the web site: http://www.ifrc.org/en/publications-and-reports/appeals/