Action by Churches Together (ACT)
Appeal - South Africa
Western Cape Flood Assistance -  AFSA11
Appeal Target: US$ 140,409
Geneva,  7 September 2001


The Western Cape Peninsula in South Africa is prone to frequent flooding
and in July and August this year the area was hit by a spate of flooding
forcing hundreds of people to flee their homes and seek refuge in
community halls. The floods affecting an estimated 16,000 people have
caused extensive damage to food stocks and basic household goods such as
mattresses, blankets, clothes, and kitchen utensils in the affected
communities. The normal sanitary conditions are generally poor and, the
flooding has worsened the situation increasing the incidences of water
borne diseases such as diarrhoea.

When the first floods took place in July, ACT members the South African
Council of Churches (SACC) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in South
Africa (ELCSA) responded through the ACT Rapid Response Fund and provided
some relief items. SACC got $31,000 and ELCSA received $19,000. The
continued flooding however has prompted the South African Council of
Churches to request more funding through an appeal to further respond to
the increased needs of the affected people by providing the following
relief items to 584 families comprising 3,500 people.

   Food parcels (for 3 months)
   Blankets
   Non-food items (kitchen utensils)


Project Completion Date: 15 December 2001.

Summary of Appeal Targets, Pledges/Contributions Received and Balance
Requested
                                             US$
Total Appeal Target(s)                   140,409
Less: Pledges/Contr. Recd.                     0
Balance Requested from ACT Network       140,409


Ms. Genevieve Jacques		Thor-Arne Prois		Rev. Rudolf Hinz
Director			ACT Coordinator		Director
WCC/Cluster on Relations				LWF/World Service



IMPLEMENTING ACT MEMBER INFORMATION

South African Council of Churches (SACC)



IMPLEMENTING PARTNER INFORMATION

The South African Council of Churches is an ecumenical body representing a
variety of member churches and affiliated observer members throughout the
country. The Council endeavours to co-ordinate its activities with member
churches, especially in areas where particular member churches have active
programmes, in order to avoid duplication and competition. The following
are partners in the emergency response.

Evangelical Lutheran Church in South Africa (ELCSA-LDS)

The ELCSA is a co-founder of the SACC and one of the largest members of
the Council. Through the Lutheran Development Service (LDS), ELCSA
responds to emergencies in co-operation with the SACC. At present, the two
organisations are the only active partners of ACT.  LDS and the SACC have
agreed that whenever there is a major disaster, they will work together to
define the roles that each will play. In most cases, the two organisations
decide to operate in different areas, each one responding to the needs of
the members of both organisations in that particular area.


The Methodist Church of Southern Africa

This is another founder member and also one of the Council's largest
denominational members. The Church has established an agency, known as the
Mission Unit, whose mandate is to address issues of Development and
Emergencies. Like LDS, the Methodist Mission Unit is represented on the
SACC Emergency Programme Committee which co-ordinates the relief
activities of its members.



DESCRIPTION OF THE EMERGENCY SITUATION

Background Information

Most of the black people in the Cape Peninsula come from the Eastern Cape.
Few were allowed to settle permanently in Cape Town during the apartheid
era as much of the metropolitan area was reserved for white and coloured
occupation. Formal townships such as Gugulethu, Khayelitsha and other
black areas were never developed as priority was given to white and
coloured areas.

The changes that occurred since the 1994 transition have also added to the
problems of black people in the Peninsula. Many people from the arid and
rural areas of the former Transkei and Ciskei homelands flocked to the
Western Cape in search for jobs and a better life.

The other complicating issue is that the new Western Cape province is
controlled by a coalition government made up of the Democratic and
National Parties, ruling together as the "Democratic Alliance". And
unfortunately this coalition government has not adequately addressed the
problems of poverty and neglect facing the black people in the area.
Unemployment and lack of housing remain major problems for black people in
the province.  Usually, their only option for shelter is to erect informal
housing popularly known as "Amajojombe". These shacks or informal
settlements have not been built according to plans, and many of them have
been erected in flood plains where excess water cannot drain away.

At the moment, the issue of land in Western Cape is very sensitive.
Several land invasions have occurred recently, and the police have been
used to remove people from the vacant land they have occupied.

The other issue that makes life in Western Cape difficult is that the area
experiences winter rainfall, exposing people to harsh weather conditions
when flooding occurs.


Current Situation

The Cape Peninsula has been hit by a spate of flooding since the middle of
July 01 the latest being on 28 and 29 August 01.

As of 30 August the heavy rains have subsided, but there is no guarantee
that the seasonal rains are over. Many families are still trapped in
community halls as their homes are flooded. Some people have been
reluctant to leave their flooded homes for fear of their property being
looted. But with the flooding the only option has been to salvage whatever
little has been left of their property.

The government has declared the area a disaster area and has called on
relief organisations to join hands with them to help alleviate the
situation.1 Although the government declared the area a "disaster area"
our experience is that this is only a publicity exercise and nothing
materials in the past after this declaration.

1

During the first assessment it was estimated that ±16 000 people had been
directly affected by this disaster. The repeat of the flooding on 28 and
29 August worsened the situation and these figures have now increased
albeit the exact number has not been established due to the difficulties
in carrying out an accurate survey due to the bad conditions in the area.
After consultation with the churches and the other implementing
organisations such as the Red Cross and the Salvation Army in the Western
Cape it was agreed that the needs are enormous and that all the involved
organisations should take responsibility for a particular number of
families. The SACC agreed to take 584 families, which works out at 3,500
individuals.


Impact on Human Lives

The Wallace informal settlement, north of Cape Town, has reported three
deaths as a direct result of the flooding. There was also a report of one
person who suffered a stroke due to the shock from the loss of his
property.

The Red Cross Childrens Hospital and local clinics have seen an increased
number of patients with waterborne diseases such as diarrhoea.  The major
problem is that people have been forced out of their homes by flood waters
and have had to seek refuge in local community halls and churches.  At the
Samora informal settlement, SACC was informed that about 20 families had
lived in the community hall since the first flooding in July. The families
face many hardships as the situation they find themselves in denies them
any privacy.


Description of Damages

Heavy rains, accompanied by strong winds, hit the Western Cape Peninsula
for the second time within a period of one month - inflicting more severe
damage to property mostly in the informal settlement areas. The dilemma of
this area is that the Cape Flats are almost swamps and when it rains, the
water level rises quickly and since the area is flat, there is no way
excess water can run off.  The situation is made worse by the absence of
urban planning in informal settlements. Consequently, there are no storm
sewers or other channels to drain excess water. As the water levels rose
to the height of about half a meter, many people had to evacuate their
homes.


Location of the Proposed Response

The Ministers' Fraternal in the affected areas have acknowledged that the
church could not assist everyone in need due to limited resources.
Partners such as the ELCSA-LDS and the Salvation Amy are attending to some
needs. The Ministers' Fraternal has worked very hard to identify specific
capacities and areas in which the council member churches could help. The
SACC decided that it could assist about 584 families of the more than
16,000 individuals affected.

This does not indicate a lack of concern for the others. As mentioned
above limited resources are one factor, and the other is that other
organisations are also responding. As for the government, so far it has
only declared the area as a disaster area, but it has not provided
assistance to the affected communities. During his visit to these
communities earlier this week, the Minister of Social Development
indicated that the government was to concentrate on long-term solutions,
addressing land issues and helping families to relocate to areas that are
less susceptible to flooding.  The government has asked Churches, NGOs,
individuals and the business community to assist in immediate relief.

The SACC will be rendering assistance to parts of the following areas.

KTC Informal Settlement
Lusaka Informal Settlement:
Samora Informal Settlement:
Khayelithsa
Brown Farm
Sweet Home Farm
Cross Roads: (Boys Town, New Rest, Gqobasa)

The number of areas could have been reduced to concentrate on one or two,
but the churches insist on covering all the areas where they have a
presence.


Disaster and Emergency Statistics

Now that the floodwaters seem to be receding, a more accurate assessment
of the damage will soon be possible.  The estimate is that more than
16,000 people were affected by this disaster. These figures are likely to
rise once a thorough investigation has been done.  The SACC team visit was
facilitated by the local Ministers' Fraternal (IDAMASA). assisted by local
government Councillors. The figures quoted below, were furnished by them.


Ktc Informal Settlement
At the time of our first visit registration was still under way.  Records
indicated that 1,118 shacks were reported damaged. There were still about
20 people on the queue waiting to be registered. This works out to roughly
6500 individuals.


Lusaka Informal Settlement
603 shacks were reported damaged.


Samora Informal Settlement
There were 125 families that have been living at the local community hall
since the flooding of July. These families lost almost all their
possessions.


Khayelitsha
1,200 Families were reported affected.

Brown Farm
572 families were affected.

Wallacedene Informal Settlement
357 families were affected.

Cross Roads
(Boys Town, New rest and Gqobasa)
800 families were affected.



GOALS & OBJECTIVES

The main goal of this appeal is to alleviate the suffering of 584 families
due to severe flooding on the Cape Flats near Cape Town.  The objectives
are:

  To provide food to the identified families for a period of 3 months
  To provide blankets, a one off grant to 1,800 individuals
  To purchase basic household utensils for the 584 families
  To monitor the situation over the next three months



BENEFICIARY INFORMATION

The assessment mission revealed that people affected by the flooding are
mainly unemployed who migrated to the area in search of employment.
Unfortunately, most were unsuccessful in obtaining employment and decided
to squat in the same area hoping for brighter days ahead. The majority of
the people live on peace-jobs or selling in the streets. Many women with
children who were left behind later decided to join their husbands in the
squatter areas.

After making careful assessment, SACC decided that families with no income
at all would be assisted.



PROPOSED EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE & IMPLEMENTATION

The SACC fact finding mission indicated that most of the damage was done
to property. Furniture, clothes, food and other valuable items have been
soaked in water and there is very little chance of restoring them to
useable condition.

The situation is complicated by the fact that unemployment is rife in
these informal settlements. Many families will never be able to return to
their situation prior to the floods.  SACC has therefore decided to
provide the following relief measures:


Food Aid

Food parcels will be distributed to all 584 families for a period of three
months. This will be implemented as soon as the floods have subsided and
families moved from the community halls and churches. The SACC has been
able to provide food to the community halls for communal cooking while
people are still in that situation. Experience has shown that once people
start moving to their homes and the media is no longer interested in the
issue, families are left on their own. At present, the media is
concentrating on the racism conference and is giving very little coverage
to the Cape Town disaster.


Blankets

Some of the families that are affected now are the same ones who received
aid a few weeks ago. Blankets that SACC distributed are among those that
have been damaged by the current floods. To make matters worse,
temperatures in the Western Cape have gone down and people are exposed to
bitter cold. SACC has identified 1,800 people who are really exposed and
need blankets as soon as possible.



ADMINISTRATION, FINANCE, MONITORING & REPORTING

Administration

The Western Cape Provincial Council of Churches in liaison with the local
Ministers' Fraternal will manage the project. But the overall management
will be done as follows:

National Office - The Emergency programme, under the leadership of the
Programme Director, co-ordinates all activities in collaboration with the
Emergency Committee. Their role is to link the churches on the ground with
the National Office structures such as the General Secretariat and the
Executive by collating the information from the disaster area and
presenting it. Its other function is to assist the Churches and the
provincial structures to collect and interpret the information and prepare
appeals for funding.

The Provincial Structures: (PCC's & Member Churches) These serve to link
up the National Office with the affected area.  They assist churches and
staff on the ground to make assessments, collect information and put it
together in a report for the National Office. In certain instances,
however, the National Office is required to work directly with Churches in
the disaster area. This may be because the provincial structures are too
far away from the point of impact to provide information to the National
Office in a timely fashion or because these structures are not ready to
act.

Churches on the ground: These are the most important partners. They are on
the ground and have access to all the information. Their role is to report
disasters, collect information and ensure that projects or relief
programmes are implemented.


Reporting

SACC reporting system mirrors the administrative systems, only in reverse.
The churches on the ground, together with SACC staff, collect information
from the disaster scene and transmit it to the National Office through the
provincial structures. SACC motto is that emergency programmes should be
as rapid as possible both in assessing and reporting.  Therefore SACC
normally requests the implementers to ensure that information is not
blocked by bureaucracy.


Monitoring

The success of every project depends on how its progress is monitored. The
Ministers on the ground pay regular visits to the area to see how the
relief programme is being implemented and to ensure that the right people
get the aid as intended. The other important fact about these visits is
that it helps SACC determine whether the relief measures are effective.
If not, it is possible to adopt alternative approaches before any further
damage is done.



IMPLEMENTATION TIME TABLE

The food distribution will be carried out during a period of three months
whereas other items will be one-off assistance.



CO-ORDINATION

The National Emergency Disaster Management of the government has indicated
clearly that co-ordination of efforts in times of disaster is of prime
importance to ensure that all affected people are assisted. The SACC
programme has adopted this perspective and in all operations, the first
thing SACC does is determine who is on the ground and what co-ordination
mechanisms exist. The SACC Emergency programme sits in the meetings of the
National Emergency Disaster Management.



BUDGET

ESTIMATED EXPENDITURE

Description	Type of 	No of	Unit Cost	Budget
	Unit	Units	US$	US$
EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE
Food parcels for 3 months	Parcel	13,500	8.20	110,700
Blankets	Piece	1,800	7.41	13,338
Plastic buckets 	Number	584	3.88	2,266
Coffee mugs	Number	3,500	0.36	1,260
Plates (6 per family) 	Family	584	0.83	2,908
Sauce pans (2 per family)	Family	584	3.50	4,088
Plastic tubs	Number	584	5.00	2,920
Total				137,480

TRANSPORT AND DELIVERY COSTS
Transport of goods from the store	Lumpsum			500
Transport of goods to the affected areas	Lumpsum			300
Packaging	Lumpsum			180
Food for the volunteers	Lumpsum			69
Total				1,049

MONITORING COSTS - NATIONAL OFFICE
Assessment travel (incl accommodation)	Trip	3	250.00	750
Communications (tel, mobile& e-mail)	Lumpsum			350
Photo material	Lumpsum			60
Documentation for appeal/reporting	Lumpsum			120
Total				1,280

MONITORING COSTS - PROVINCIAL &  LOCAL EXPENSES
Travel (2 pastors)	Trip	7	64.30	450
Communications (telephone and fax)	Lumpsum			120
Stationery and supplies	Lumpsum			30
Total				600


TOTAL ESTIMATED EXPENDITURE			US$ 140,409



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Action by Churches Together (ACT) is a worldwide alliance of churches and
their related agencies, meeting human need through co-ordinated emergency
response.  The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of
Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland.
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