Kazakhstan: Extreme winter conditions - DREF operation n° MDRKZ006
CHF 158,584 has been allocated from the IFRC’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to support the Kazakhstan Red Crescent Society in delivering immediate assistance to some 2,000 beneficiaries. Unearmarked funds to repay the DREF assistance are encouraged.
Summary: Freezing temperatures reaching minus 40 to 46 degrees Celsius have been hitting the northern, eastern and central parts of Kazakhstan since 17 December 2012. As a result of low temperatures, the adhesion of snow to the power lines and the ensuing tearing caused power supply cuts in various localities of the mentioned regions of Kazakhstan.
As a first response to the situation, the Kazakhstan Red Crescent Society (KZRCS) conducted a rapid assessment and provided humanitarian aid to 488 homeless people and street children. This relief was provided from own resources and prepositioned stocks of the Kazakhstan Red Crescent Society. The support included 51 blankets, 12 sleeping bags, 600 kg of various second hand clothes, 32 bedding sets, medicine and bandages for 81 people, hot meals for 488 people.
The branches of the Kazakh National Society have been in daily contact with the relevant administrative and emergency authorities in order to monitor the situation and to develop their response mechanisms.
This operation will support the Kazakhstan Red Crescent Society in providing immediate non-food and food relief to 2,000 beneficiaries in Petropavlovsk, Semey and Karaganda cities in three geographic regions of Kazakhstan (northern, eastern and central parts) by distributing blankets, warm clothing, footwear, hot meals and food parcels. Another 1,500 people will be reminded, through awareness raising, of the appropriate behaviour in case of extreme cold through information materials placed in public places.
This operation is expected to be implemented during a period of two months, and will therefore be completed by the 28th of February 2013 with a final report due on the 28th of May 2013.