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Source: IFRC
Date: 30 Jun 2004
DPR Korea: Train explosion in Ryongchon County Emergency
Appeal No. 12/2004 Operations Update No. 5
The Federation's mission is to improve the lives of vulnerable
people by mobilising the power of humanity. It is the world's
largest humanitarian organisation and its millions of
volunteers are active in over 181 countries.
In Brief
Appeal No. 12/2004; Operations Update no. 05;Period covered: 6
May-25 June, 2004; Appeal coverage: 69.9%.
Appeal history: Launched on 26 April 2004 for CHF 1,652,000
(USD 1.25 million or EUR 1.06 million) for 12 months for 2,000
Families (10,000 people) for 12 Months; Disaster Relief
Emergency Funds (DREF) allocated: CHF 50,000.
Outstanding needs: CHF 511, 846
Related Emergency or Annual Appeals: Annual Appeal 01.68/2004;
Emergency Appeal 12/2004
Operational Summary: The assistance provided by the DPRK Red
Cross and the International Federation to 1,850 families is
being well received by the beneficiaries. The DPRK Red Cross
and the Federation in co-ordination with the local government
agencies and NGOs in the field are moving forward in regard to
restoring the county's water supply system and rebuilding the
polyclinic. A high level visit paid to DPRK by representatives
from the Federation and PNS during the first week of June
confirmed the effectiveness of the activities being conducted
thus far in response to April's explosion.
Operational Developments
The 1,850 families who lost their homes during the explosion
continue to be housed in temporary shelters, as the primary
focus in Ryongchon continues to be on reconstruction. Workers
who have been brought in from all over the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea (DPRK) are working day and night as new
buildings are being completed on a daily basis. The families
who represent a diverse background of farmers, office workers
and industrial workers and the community are directing all of
their attention towards reconstructing their homes and the
city's infrastructure.
The assistance provided by the DPRK Red Cross and the
International Federation has been well appreciated by these
families some of whom are also working as Red Cross
volunteers. A visit from representatives of the leadership of
the International Federation, the Republic of Korea Red Cross,
the British Red Cross, the Canadian Red Cross, the Norwegian
Red Cross and the Swedish Red Cross during the first week of
June confirmed the effectiveness of the activities and the
distribution of relief items being conducted in response to
April's explosion thus far. The visit provided a good
opportunity to raise awareness among the international
community of both the effectiveness of the DPRK Red Cross and
the contin uing needs in DPRK in a press conference, arranged
by the Federation which was held in Beijing on 9 June.
Coverage about the situation by widely viewed networks such as
CNN and BBC is a means of allowing the general public to have
greater insight into the overall operational context.
Red Cross and Red Crescent action
Overall appeal objective: The objective of this appeal is to
address both the short term and long term needs of 1,850
families who lost their homes as a result of 22 April's
explosion in Ryongchon county.
Phase I: Distribution of relief items from Red Cross disaster
preparedness centres
Phase I project objective: To restock disaster preparedness
warehouses in Sinuiju and Pyongyang with tarpaulins, quilts,
jerry cans and 45 supplementary health kits.
The Danish Red Cross with funding from ECHO, and technical
support from the DPRK Red Cross and the Federation has
purchased 2,000 tarpaulins, 14,000 quilts, 5,040 jerry cans,
and 45 supplementary health kits to replenish disaster
preparedness supplies in the national society's disaster
preparedness centres in Sinuiju, located some 5 kilometres
from Ryongchon, and in Pyongyang. The items are expected to
arrive in DPRK beginning at the end of July. The supplies
being purchased with ECHO funding are critical to maintaining
the society's level of preparedness. As the Ryongchon
explosion demonstrated a society's capacity to respond quickly
and effectively to sudden disasters depends on the
availability of the appropriate emergency supplies. The DPRK
Red Cross and Federation's long term disaster preparedness
programme supported by the British Red Cross and DFID provided
the society with the knowledge, training and the materials to
respond quickly to the explosion. There is no doubt that the
ongoing long term disaster preparedness and response training
enabled the expedient action on the ground.
The Danish Red Cross is also purchasing an additional 3,700
quilts for the centres with funding from other sources.
Phase II (four months): Support for 1,850 homeless families
Phase II project objective: to provide 1,850 families (9,250
individuals) who lost their homes and their belongings in the
explosion with:
1 set winter jacket and pants
1 pair of winter shoes
1 quilt
300 kg of coal for cooking
The coal for cooking is expected to arrive during the last
week of June. Final distribution of the coal, however, is
expected to take place around August/September when it is
currently anticipated that beneficiary families will be moving
from the temporary housing where they are currently based into
their newly reconstructed permanent residences. For now, the
beneficiaries are either being housed with other families or
in public spaces that have been converted into shelters and
thus lack the appropriate storage space for the coal. The coal
therefore will be stored in the DPRK Red Cross warehouse until
it is ready for distribution.
Winter jackets and shoes for the men, women, children and
infants who were living in the households destroyed by the
explosion are being procured in accordance with the
Federation's logistics procedures. The tables below provide an
overview of the quantities of the items which are being
procured to meet the needs of the families.
Winter jackets and pants
No. of families No. of beneficiaries Size and Qty XXL XL Large
Medium Small Infant Total
1,850 9,250 Unit M F M F M F M F M F M/F
Pcs 1,500 500 1,400 750 800 1,200 600 1,000 400 400 700 9,250
Please note sizing of clothing in DRPK differs to European or
North American standards.
Winter Shoes
No. of families No. of beneficiaries Size And Qty. 42 40 39 38
37 36 35 32 30 28 Total
1,850 9,250
800 1,000 1,000 1,000 900 900 1,000 900 900 850 9,250
Staple items such as those being provided to the beneficiaries
in Phase II with support from donors such as USAID/OFDA
through the American Red Cross, the Australian government
through the Australian Red Cross, and Austrian government
through Austrian Red Cross will protect beneficiaries from
DPRK's fierce winter climate as they make the transition back
to their normal routine.
Phase III (12 months): Reconstruction of polyclinic and the
restoration of the water supply
Reconstruction and equipping of the polyclinic
Phase III reconstruction project objective: To rebuild the 750
square meter polyclinic for use by the community as a
diagnostic centre and for physical therapy.
Activities
DRPK Red Cross staff and the Federation's health and logistics
coordinators have compiled a detailed list of the necessary
items to properly equip the new polyclinic and a peripheral-
level health laboratory. As the previous clinic was completely
destroyed, items being purchased for the new polyclinic
include standard laboratory equipment required for conducting
basic medical tests and collecting specimens. Additionally,
support from the Hellenic Government through the Hellenic Red
Cross will be used for the procurement of a sonograph for the
polyclinic , and cover the training costs for use of the
sonograph for one staff member. Additionally UNHCR will be
supporting the DPRK Red Cross and Federation's reconstruction
activities.
Restoration of the water supply
The DPRK Red Cross and the Federation are providing temporary
water sources during the period where the permanent water
supply is being restored. Two 15m3 bladder tanks have been
mobilised by the DPRK Red Cross and the Federation, and will
be placed by the county hospital and polyclinic.
Phase III water supply project objective : To supply 27,000
people (total urban population) with 8,000 m3/day potable
water.
On 18 June, the DPRK Red Cross and the Federation participated
in a planning and co-ordination meeting where the designs,
budget estimates and implementation timeframe for water supply
and sewage system were presented to the contributing NGOs and
agencies.
More comprehensive engineering drawings for the water supply
and sewage system were presented at this meeting in addition
to budget estimates, timeframes and the assignment of roles
and responsibilities of the partners.
The whole water system will serve a total population of 27,000
people from four water sources to a 800 cubic meter storage
tower and then gravity fed in two main directions: the first
west of the main road to Sinuiju, and the other east of the
main road to Sinuiju.
The draft timeframe for the completion of the whole system has
been anticipated as September 2004. This will be revised
accordingly.
Restoration of Ryongchon water supply:
division of responsibilities. West of Town East of Town
Organisation Activities No. of districts covered Budget
Estimate (Euros) No. of districts covered Budget Estimate/
Components (Euros)
DPRK Red Cross/ International Federation The area to the west
of the road was most severely affected by the blast and
therefore will be 100% covered by the Red Cross Emergency
Appeal. The estimate for this has been calculated as EUR
250,000. 5 250,000 WSS & SEW: Pipes, fittings, pumps,
transformers
German Agro Action (GAA) The area to the east has been divided
into 3 sub-areas to make it easier for other organisations to
choose and implement according to their respective budgets.
One of these subareas will be covered by GAA for the water
supply system as they will be responsible for the
reconstruction of some public buildings. The estimate for this
has been calculated as EUR 40,000.
3 40,000
WSS: Pipes and fittings
UNICEF Unicef have offered to cover the water supply, and
sewage system for the rest as well as the main pipe from the
water sources to the storage tower. The estimate for this has
been calculated as EUR 189,000.
4 89,000 WSS: (only 4 districts) Pipes and fittings
41,000 Main Pipe from source to water tower
5000 Electric cable
54,000 SEW: (for all 6 districts) Pipes and fittings
DPRK Government The authorities have pledged to provide all
the necessary materials for the construction of the pump
houses, water tower and waste treatment plant.
Activities
Start procurement for all materials.
Drilling of boreholes, supported by CESVI, is ongoing for
temporary water supplies at the county hospital and new site
for the Polyclinic .
Plan for drilling of boreholes at new hospital in coordination
with ADRA.
Develop contingency plan in event that procurement goes beyond
the implementation timeframe.
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