Obrenovac, Kladovo and Samac flood emergency response program

International Orthodox Christian Charities - IOCC and The Serbian Orthodox Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand

Starting May 13, 2014, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina - BiH experienced sustained torrential rains - by some estimates several months of average rain fell on the region in less than week - that resulted in the worst floods in at least the last century.

Large sections of the Sava and Drina rivers and its major and minor tributaries in the watershed flooded, from the western reaches of northern Bosnia to the confluence with the Danube at Belgrade, and throughout the region flash floods and landslides caused extensive damages to local infrastructure, people homes and communities.

In Serbia, the consequences of floods are most severe in areas within and surrounding cities of Belgrade, Valjevo, Šabac, Loznica, Paraćin, Čačak and Kraljevo. The most affected areas in BiH are around and within Bosanski Šamac, Odžak, Doboj, Bijeljina, and Maglaj.

Over seventy people lost their lives, while hundreds of thousands of people were affected by the floods, thousands were evacuated and thousands more were isolated within the flooded areas, cut off from main roads without ready access to drinking water, food, medicine or power.

Even it is months from the peak of the disaster, homes cleanup and removal of the debris is still ongoing, requiring tools and materials, as well as technical guidelines on the safest methods  for completing this process and starting home repairs and reconstruction. Flood affected families are faced with repairing or rebuilding their homes, requiring materials for appropriate and achievable repairs, in certain extend manpower assistance for elderly and technical advice for most families.

The flood water that stayed over several weeks caused that many flood affected families have lost almost all of their belongings as they had to throw away all their furniture, bedding and most of their clothing as well as most of their household appliances; it was collected (mostly by army and local communal companies) and disposed for being burned.

Public education facilities (schools and kindergartens), which were heavily affected by the flooding, have suffered significant damages to construction, teaching tools / infrastructure and equipment. Over 120 educational facilities in Serbia and BiH (pre - school centers and kindergartens, primary and secondary schools) sustained either partial or total damage to premises, and destruction of furniture, equipment and education materials.

It is large problem for municipalities, where all schools are flood affected, such as the case with Šamac; there is only one primary school, one secondary school and one kindergarten and they are all flooded and severely damaged. In many schools, until the reconstruction repair process is completed, the work will be organized in several shifts and conducted on higher floors; the ground floor and basement facilities is usually flood damaged.

In most affected flood areas, start up of the new 2014/15 school year, remains to be a challenge. For many flood affected families, already exhausted by consequences of the floods, will need support and assistance in sending their children to school. In an effort to contribute to minimizing the financial burden on those families, in cooperation with the Serbian Orthodox Church Dioceses and Red Cross of Serbia, IOCC will organize the delivery of school kits to children attending primary and secondary schools, located within the flood affected areas; the same initiative is planned to be undertaken for BiH.

Unfortunately, devastating floods in Serbia and BiH do not stop in May. In early August, the new wave of flooding hit Western Serbia and Central / Northern BiH; some areas flooded in May 2014 are flooded again and many landslides are awaken; new flooding brought new victims, continue damaging roads, bridges and peoples’ homes. In many areas, floods destroyed entire yields from farmers’ fields, leaving people with no income and loss of the agricultural season.

According to the official information from the Republic Hydro – Meteorological Institute of Serbia, the July 2014 was the month with the biggest number of rainy days in history, with 22 rainy days in July; in average, 8 to 12 rainy days, used to be reported in July. The official prognosis for August 2014 sends “warning” as it is anticipated 17 rainy days (green circle); it is far beyond yearly average for August.

Unfortunately, floods continued in September, and an emergency situation has been declared in the three eastern Serbian towns of Kladovo, Negotin and Majdanpek. The situation is probably the worst in Kladovo municipality, where the water already brought down two bridges and closed the roads; the municipality is basically cut off; large amounts of rainfall have shifted entire hills and traffic is completely disrupted and villages Tekija and Grabovac are almost wiped out.

The landslides practically have divided village Tekija, and rescuers are trying to break through the layers of soil with bulldozers. The most of houses is covered by the mud and debris brought by flood waters.

The ultimate goal of the program is to implement multi-sectoral emergency action to improve the humanitarian situation of vulnerable populations affected by floods in Obrenovac, Kladovo and Šamac, by restoring access to livable homes and improving the educational environment for children in targeted primary schools.

PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS

• Within the direct assistance delivery component, the project is aimed at reaching the most flood affected families in Obrenovac /Valjevo Diocese/, Kladovo /Timok Diocese/ and Šamac /Zvornik - Tuzla Diocese/ municipalities. The project will give advantage to the most vulnerable flood affected families, living in rural and suburban areas; focusing on elderly families, single mothers and families with many small children.
• Within the component focused on improving the educational environment, the project is aimed at reaching at least 1,990 schoolchildren in at least two primary schools in targeted municipalities.

SPECIFIC TARGETED AREAS

The extent of severity to which people are affected by the flood is different from place to place, and very much depends on local geographic and environmental conditions, and peoples individual losses and damages made on their property.

For that reason, IOCC has conducted detailed needs assessments within almost all most affected regions of Serbia and BiH, with focus on areas that are under the jurisdiction of Valjevo, Timok and Zvornik &Tuzla Dioceses of the Serbian Orthodox Church. In Serbia, the municipalities of Obrenovac and Kladovo were hit hardest by the floods.

Obrenovac is a municipality in northern Serbia; according to the census results from 2011, the total population is estimated at 72,254. Obrenovac is one of 17 municipalities that make up the greater Belgrade area. Largest Serbian thermal power plant TPP Nikola Tesla is located on the outskirts of the town. During the night between 15 and 16 May 2014, nearby Kolubara river collecting waters from southerly mountains, suddenly rose several meters above its banks and flooded the municipality. The damage on peoples´ homes and property was extreme and people had no choice than to leave, saving their lives. It forced rapid evacuation of Obrenovac; fortunately, the water level dropped, which enabled the evacuation of over 30,000 citizens of Obrenovac to be carried.

The majority of evacuees were accommodated with their friends or relatives, while approximately 5,000 people found temporary shelter in various / improvised collective centers established and operated by the Red Cross of Serbia. The size and location of these centers has varied over time, as some evacuees were able to return to their homes and others were re-located to other sites.

Kladovo is a town and municipality in the Bor District of eastern Serbia. It is situated on the right bank of the Danube River. The population of the Kladovo town is 8,913, while the population of the Kladovo municipality with the surrounding settlements is 20,635 (2011 census). During the mid September 2014, more than 150 liters per square meter that flash floods and landslides from nearby hills to damage roads and bridges, cutting off access to settlements. After several days of extremely heavy rainfall, the Government of Serbia has declared a state of emergency in three eastern municipalities along the River Danube, including Kladovo, Majdanpek and Negotin.

The floods have caused at least one death, several people are reported as missing, and some 400 people have been evacuated by police, army and civil protection rescue teams with vessels and helicopters and are temporarily sheltered in Kladovo.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Šamac municipality is one of the most affected municipalities. Šamac is a municipality in the northeastern part of the Republika Srpska entity, within Bosnia and Herzegovina, located on the right bank of the river Sava; according to the census results from 2013, the total population is estimated at 19,041. Complete town and several surrounding villages were more than ten days under the flood water.

Over 7,000 houses were flooded out of which 4,150 are heavily damaged and over 100 completely uninhabitable and in need to be rebuilt. Beside the town itself, the most affected villages are: Tisina, Grebnice, Pisari and Crkvina.

Apart of houses, 4,000 hectares of arable land was flooded destroying already planted crops and 1,800 pieces of large livestock (cows, bulls and pigs and sheep) drowned.

ACTIVITTIES DESCRIPTION

DIRECT ASSISTANCE TO INDIVIDUAL BENEFICIARY FAMILIES

The detailed field assessments have showed a need for continuing providing the assistance to flood affected population in repairing their homes and equipping it with kitchen appliances; secure required building materials, stoves and refrigerators.

Furthermore, within the targeted population residing in targeted areas, there is a widespread lack of financial means for independently repairing the flooded homes and the concern is that it will directly result in the inability of people to re-establish their livelihoods. In many cases, people just return to their homes, trying to find at least something they can save, mostly photos of their beloved and significant family relics.

Most of the houses suffered serious damage to floors / floor covers, as well as to the wall plastering (mostly 75 to 125 cm); of course, within the assessment areas, there are cases where the water depths was from 150 to 200 cm’ and a smaller percentage of visited houses that have faced significant structural damages beyond repair.

At least 110 beneficiary families (70 in Kladovo and 40 in Šamac) will receive a set of construction material and tools for repairing their homes (possibly: cement, lime, white paint, plaster coat material with net, working gloves, painting roller, brushes, shovel, trowels, etc.), in addition to the professional engineering assistance provided on an as-needed basis by IOCC staff. Of course, the final design of the assistance will be determined in cooperation with IOCC local partners and adjusted to the outstanding needs of the targeted assistance recipients; as required, IOCC will make adjustments in terms of type and quantity of the planned assistance.

Based upon its field assessments, familiarity with local circumstances and traditions and previous experience, IOCC will use a model of providing home repair sets to selected beneficiaries and on a need to basis ensure qualified local labor to complete repairs for people who are not able to do so on their own. During the field visits to flood affected areas, IOCC has identified a number of people who are not capable of completing repairs on their own and will need assistance in doing so, especially elderly and families with disable members living within targeted areas.

To diversify the type of provided assistance, and ensure wider pallet of needs covered, the project will ensure support to at least 50 beneficiary families (in 25 Obrenovac and 25 in Šamac) with kitchen appliances (cooking stove or refrigerator with deep freezer), depending on individual needs of the selected beneficiary families.

In an effort to stimulate revitalization and recovery of the local economy, whenever possible, materials and supplies will be purchased in local market and from local suppliers.

ASSISTANCE TO PRIMARY SCHOOLS

With the support of large donors and individual companies, in large extend the funds required for repair and reconstruction of the educational facilities were raised and works already commence, while equipping component and ensuring support to schoolchildren remain to be a challenge for most of the flood affected areas.

The proposed project is planning to ensure the support to two primary schools, one in Obrenovac and one in Šamac.

• In Šamac municipality, project is targeting local primary school “Šamac”; this is the only primary school in this area, with 490 pupils. The reconstruction process of this specific school is already initiated, through the UNDP managed project.
• In Obrenovac municipality, project is targeting local primary school “Jovan Jovanović Zmaj”; the specific school is the largest primary school in Obrenovac, with 1,500 pupils. The reconstruction process of this specific school is already initiated, through the EU project.

For each targeted school, the project is proposing the specific funding support and the exact type and quantity of the assistance will be finally decided in the agreement with targeted schools management and in accordance to their unmet needs.

Project will focus on equipping (optional: tables, desks, chairs, blackboards, etc.) the schools and securing teaching tools (computer equipment, specific teaching materials, school gym supplies, etc.) that will serve both to schoolchildren and teacher of targeted schools.

GIFTS IN KIND – GIK ASSISTANCE

As a contribution to the project, IOCC will secure Gifts in Kind assistance - school kits (1 pair blunt scissors, 4 spiral notebooks, 1 ruler 30cm, 1 pencil sharpener, 5 new pencils with erasers, 5 ballpoint pens, 1 eraser, 1 box of crayons, and 1 cloth bag) for:

• 15,792 schoolchildren in Serbia (shipped in a 40ft container), targeting areas who are most affected by the floods; the fair market value of the GIK assistance is estimated at USD$180,000. The assistance will be distributed to the areas that are targeted by this project, as well as those who will be identified when the assistance arrives[1], in cooperation with the Red Cross of Serbia and Serbian Orthodox Church Dioceses.
• 15,792 schoolchildren in Republika Srpska (shipped in a 40ft container), targeting areas who are most affected by the floods; the fair market value of the GIK assistance is estimated at USD$180,000. The assistance will be distributed to the areas that are targeted by this project, as well as those who will be identified when the assistance arrives[2], in cooperation with the Red Cross of Republika Srpska and Serbian Orthodox Church Dioceses.

PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD

The program is planned for a three months period, starting on 01 October 2014; the anticipated completion date, of the proposed activities, is estimated for 31 December 2014.

PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION AND PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

The management structure of IOCC is program-based. Overall management and broad program goals are the responsibility of the IOCC Headquarters office (HQ) in Baltimore MD, where the Director of Strategic Initiatives supervises all IOCC operations in the Balkans. Likewise, all financial, logistics and related controls, systems and procedures carried out in field operations are governed and reviewed by IOCC Headquarters. 

IOCC staff in Serbia and BiH will be responsible for all aspects of program implementation and management at ground level. On a program level, the ground operations will be directly managed and supervised by IOCC’s Belgrade - based Program Manager. The Program Manager will:

• Lead the implementation of all approved project activities in Serbia and BiH, including close cooperation and coordination with the local authorities, Valjevo and Zvornik - Tuzla Dioceses, and local Red Cross chapters;
• Provide general oversight and specific direction for the program, both to IOCC Serbia and IOCC BiH staff;
• Compose/review and submit all program reports through IOCC HQ channels;
• On a in-country and regional level, conduct regular field monitoring visits and program evaluation activities; and,
• Identify and seek resolution of challenges the program faces, evaluate and articulate the program’s successes in meeting those challenges.  

MONITORING AND EVALUATION

For all elements of the program, IOCC will apply its standard monitoring processes and criteria to facilitate ongoing information gathering and reporting. IOCC will ensure that the project is implemented according to plan, confirm that assistance is reaching the targeted beneficiaries, ensure that the activities are achieving the desired objectives, measure impacts, and determine future needs. Guidance of the process that incorporates field monitoring and reporting will be the responsibility of the IOCC’s Belgrade - based Program Manager.

IOCC evaluation processes draw on onsite visits, interviews, group discussions, reports and observations from and with beneficiaries, Serbian Orthodox Church clergy, local Red Cross chapters and IOCC staff.  IOCC field staff will conduct monthly monitoring visits to activity sites and conclude each project with an evaluation.