HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE WORKING GROUP THE ROMANIAN NGDO PLATFORM - FOND
1. ADRA Romania www.adra.ro
2.
CARITAS Romania www.caritas.org.ro
Confederation
3. Habitat For Humanity www.habitat.ro
4.
Save the Children Romania www.salvaticopiii.ro
5. Romanian Maltese Relief Service www.maltez.ro
6. World Vision Romania www.worldvision.ro
The Humanitarian Assistance Working Group has been established in June 2012, following the initiative of a few non-governmental organizations active in the field of humanitarian assistance in Romania and with experience in emergency interventions at international level. The goal of this group is to offer coordination, at national and international level, to Romanian organizations that act in emergency situations both in Romania and in the priority countries for international development cooperation, such as The Republic of Moldova, Georgia or other countries affected by humanitarian crisis (armed conflicts, epidemics, natural disasters etc) – as it was the case in Haiti, Indonesia, Japan, Syria etc. This group functions under the umbrella of The Romanian NGDO Platform – FOND, whose main mission is to implement a coherent and effective international development cooperation policy and humanitarian assistance policy in Romania. The working group is composed of FOND members (Save the Children Romania, World Vision, Caritas, ADRA and Habitat for Humanity) and an organization outside the federation, namely the Romanian Maltese Relief Service, all of them having in their mission the fields of humanitarian assistance and emergency interventions. This group is represented by field experts who have the necessary knowledge and competence to offer consultancy to other relevant actors (central and local authorities, other NGOs etc). Therefore, the group aims at contributing to a better coordination among the organizations active in this field at a national, as well as international level, and wishes to represent a pool of expertise which can initiate fundraising campaigns for humanitarian actions and develop common projects in this domain.
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THE MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS OF THE HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE WORKING GROUP - FOND
1. The Adventist Development and Relief Agency – ADRA Romania
Description Established in 1990, The Adventist Development and Relief Agency – ADRA Romania carries out development projects for the whole population and offers support on an unconditional basis regardless of the religion, race, ethnic identity or gender of the beneficiaries.
Experience ADRA Romania aims at improving the quality of life for those in need and invests in human potential through community-based initiatives, focusing on five main directions: a) Assisting disadvantaged social groups; b) Assisting the victims of natural disasters; c) Primary health; d) Basic education; e) Economic development. Furthermore, in case of disasters, ADRA Romania intervenes on an emergency basis, being an accredited social service supplier for the Center of Counseling and Support for the Victims of Natural Disasters, and partner in what is likely the most ample project which prepares volunteers in case of disasters, started by the Association of Volunteers for Emergency Situations in 2010. Since 2009 ADRA Romania has been leading the Emergency Accommodation Center for Victims of Domestic Violence – ADRA House – which has the biggest capacity in the country, the
victims benefiting from free accommodation and specialized counseling. ADRA Romania is part of the network ADRA International, one of the most far-reaching, well-known NGOs in the world, active in 125 countries. Due to the promptness of ADRA’s response to the needs of people worldwide, The UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) offered it the statute of consultative member in 1997.
Geographic intervention areas: Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Haiti and other areas, through the international and national offices (Banat, Oltenia, Moldova, Dobrogea, Transilvania).
Examples of interventions At international level: I. 2010 - HAITI – four projects in three stages Stage I – Emergency Response Project Value: 3,241,000 USD. ADRA Romania’s Contribution – 20,000 USD Partners: ADRA offices din: Australia, Austria, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Switzerland, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, The Netherlands, New Zeeland, Norway, Portugal, United Kingdom, Slovenia, Sweden.
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Results:
Partners: ADRA Germany and ADRA Romania Project Value – 200,000 euros
1. Emergency Shelter - 900 tents, 6,000 shelter kits – 2 /family (blankets, water, canvas, cooking pottery, plates, covers, water recipient etc.), 6,000 mattresses;
At national level:
2.
II.
Other products - 500 toolkits.
3. Hygienic and sanitary products – 6,000 hygiene kits (detergent, toilet papers, soap, tooth paste, tooth brush, shampoo, razors etc), as well as 6,000 mosquito nets. 4. Other activities – purifying drinkable water, offering mobile toilets and other services to dispose of waste. Stage II – Transition response. The Temporary Shelter Program Project Value: 2,639,779 USD in 4 tranches: 1st = 50%, 2nd = 25%, 3rd = 15%, 4th = 10%. ADRA Romania’s Contribution: 80,589 USD (out of which 40,294 USD sent) Main objective: Building temporary shelters for a number of 1,236 vulnerable families, shelters’ which will have a 3 to 5 year lifespan. Stage III – Carrefour Hospital in Port au Prince and a church in Les Palmes (Petite Goave)
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2010 floods
“A bridge over the waters” – the project consisted in offering food products, hygiene products, water, and blankets to a number of 1,500 families from affected areas of the country. “Hope above waters” – through this project a number of 45 houses have been reconstructed with the help of local authorities to benefit the poor families in flood affected areas.
III. 2011 – Massive falls of snow “Hope above snow” – the project was developed in two stages in Buzău, Brăila and Vrancea counties; 1,500 food packages were distributed and 700 volunteers all over the country participated at offering emergency help, out of which also representatives of local authorities in Piatra Neamţ and Peretu/Teleorman.
2. Caritas Confederation Romania
Description Caritas Confederation Romania is a nongovernmental organization which was founded after Caritas organizations in the country felt the need to be represented at national and international level. The Confederation gathers six Romano-Catholic Caritas organizations (Alba-Iulia, Timişoara, Bucureşti, Oradea, Iaşi, Satu Mare) and five Greco-
Catholic Caritas organizations (Blaj, Cluj, Oradea, Maramureş, Lugoj). The Caritas Confederation Romania’s mission is to transpose into practice the social doctrine of the Catholic Church by: a) Complex social justice actions ; b) Socio-medical actions; c) Programs for disadvantaged people; d) Support in natural disasters e) International Cooperation 3
without making any kind of discrimination.
Examples of interventions
Experience
At international level:
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• • •
Humanitarian assistance, especially distribution of humanitarian help, awareness programs to promote health and hygiene in the aftermath of disasters, livelihood programs; House reconstruction programs with community participation; Psycho-social support Community based disaster risk reduction
Humanitarian Assistance is one of the main activity domains of Caritas Confederation Romania and comprises several issues: • Humanitarian assistance programs for communities and people affected by natural disasters (especially floods) in Romania; • Rehabilitation programs after natural disasters (support for repairing or reconstructing houses, agricultural programs) • Community based disaster risk reduction programs; • Regional cooperation programs (Southern and Eastern Europe): disaster risk reduction, capacity-building for humanitarian assistance teams and direct support after major disasters; • Support programs after major global disasters.
Geographic intervention areas Caritas Confederation Romania is active in all areas of the country. The intervention and rehabilitation programs are implemented in close collaboration with the 10 organizations members in the confederation. At an international level, the priory work area is Southern and Eastern Europe where Caritas Confederation Romania collaborates with local partners from the international Caritas network. Moreover, Caritas intents to develop collaboration with Armenia on the disaster risk reduction.
I.
Disaster risk reduction in Southern and Eastern Europe
The project was implemented from November 2010 until April 2012 in Albania, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Romania and Serbia. The projects’ goal was ensuring a safer life, sheltered from natural disasters, to the six participating local communities. The projects’ objectives were: increasing the capacity of Caritas teams from the participating countries in the domain of disaster risk reduction and reducing the risk of disasters through concrete measures implemented by teams of volunteers from the six communities. At the end of the project, all the participating communities managed to implement a wide range of activities for the prevention and preparedness of emergency situations (preparing risk maps, awareness and education campaigns, warning systems, a community food storehouse, first-aid courses and others).
II.
Regional capacity building programs for Caritas teams in 9 countries from Southern and Eastern Europe
The project started in July 2012 and will last until June 2014. The project’s goal is to increase the capacity of Caritas organizations in Southern and Eastern Europe to offer humanitarian assistance in case of disasters. As part of the project, Caritas Confederation will offer training sessions to coordinators and teams from the participating countries; will support the elaboration of intervention plans for all the participating organizations; and will elaborate an emergency situation manual.
At national level: III. 2010 Rehabilitation program Ceatalchioi village (jud. Tulcea) 4
for
The program was implemented as a response to the 2010 floods that affected the Danube Delta. The project’s goal was to restore the minimum living conditions for 57 families affected by the floods in Ceatalchioi. The program’s beneficiaries were both families who repaired their damaged homes and families who reconstructed their completely destroyed homes.
The program consisted in distributing construction materials (adapted to the individual needs of the beneficiaries) and technical advice. The program was completed at the end of 2011. At the end of the program, 55 families were able to live again in houses with minimum two habitable rooms.
3. Habitat for Humanity Romania
Description Habitat for Humanity Romania aims at tackle poor housing, as well as the complete lack of housing across the world. Also, its goal is to raise awareness on the importance of decent housing and to act continuously in order to help the communities affected by this issue. Habitat for Humanity has become one of the key organizations when it comes to reconstruction efforts after disasters at global level.
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Habitat for Humanity Romanian can respond directly to a humanitarian crisis, it can assume a supporting role or it can intervene through other local/international NGOs. In addition, Habitat for Humanity will continue to intervene to reduce the disaster’s effects and, afterwards, to establish development strategies both as part of the disaster response program and the standard housing program.
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The program has four key directions it follows: the elaboration of prevention strategies in order to reduce the risks of disasters; the preparation of intervention programs with rapid implementation; the reduction of disaster effects; and the implementation of recovery programs on housing matters.
Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit, ecumenical Christian movement, which builds and rehabilitates houses for disadvantaged families. The organization was founded in 1976 in the US by Millard and Linda Fuller and has revolutionized concepts of social housing, volunteering and social involvement in local communities throughout the world.
Experience •
Habitat for Humanity Romania will respond in case of catastrophes, irrespective of their gravity, by making an appeal to its vast intervention experience, knowledge, resources and capacity. The organization’s competence in accommodation and housing issues contributes to a sustainable long-term intervention.
Disaster Response Programs:
• • • • •
Reconstruction after floods Prevention and preparedness for disasters Disaster risk reduction Humanitarian aid Emergency intervention
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Habitat for Humanity Romania contributed with $ 10,000, gathered thorough a fundraising campaign. II. ’’This time they need you’’ – Solidarity with
Japan, 2011: fundraising campaign. Habitat for
Geographical areas of intervention: Haiti, Japan and other areas through the international offices; and Argeş, Bacău, Botoşani, Brăila, Dolj, Galaţi, Neamţ, Vrancea, in Romania.
Humanity Romania transmitted 100% of the raised sum to the Habitat office in the affected area. The money was used, in a first stage, for activities concerning the elimination of debris and the assistance of those without shelter. Habitat Japan coordinated the volunteer teams and participated at reconstruction activities with a medium-term impact.
At national level: Examples of interventions At international level: I. Haiti Earthquake (2010): Habitat for Humanity International launched an aid program for families whose houses were destroyed as a result of the 2010 earthquake. Over 24,000 families have benefited from aid in the form of immediate repairs, emergency shelters, and temporary accommodation. In the next 5 years, the organization will continue to assist 50,000 Haitian families.
III. “Hope for tomorrow – Response to disaster in the winter of 2012” (reconstruction, prevention, assistance) Focus areas: 1. VRANCEA: Approximately 40,000 people in over 50 villages were isolated for a week. 2. BUZĂU: Over 23,000 isolated inhabitants in 20 villages.
3. Save the Children Romania
Description Save the Children has responded to emergency situations such as natural disasters people have confronted with, aiming at helping children coming from isolated families. Save the Children Romania is member of Save the Children International, the largest independent organization in the world that promoted children’s rights, comprising 29 members and developing programs in over 120 countries.
Experience In order to respond to the immediate needs of affected families whose households have been destroyed by floods, Save the Children has coordinated multiple humanitarian intervention actions. The developed activities focused on: -
Offering material help; Offering nutritional help; Offering psycho-emotional support to those in need of overcoming the traumatic consequences of floods.
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Areas of intervention In 2005, Banat region was severely affected by floods. As an immediate response, Save the Children joined the Coalition “SOS Banat!” (Solidaritate cu Oamenii Sinistraţi din Banat!). Multiple campaigns were developed in partnership with the Romanian Presidency, the newspaper Evenimentul Zilei, The High Level Group for Romanian Children, the television channel TVR 1 and the Ministry of Education and Research in order to help the flood victims. Following the 2006 April floods, Save the Children Romania intervened to offer emergency aid to over 3,500 children coming from isolated families in Dolj, Călăraşi, Caraş-Severin, Bistriţa Năsăud, Gorj şi Suceava counties. The implementation of these activities was made possible with the financial help of the organizations partners: Save the Children Sweden and Norway, Unicredit Bank Romania and the American Express Bank office in Romania. In addition, Save the Children Romania benefited from the experience of an emergency situations expert from Save the Children Sweden.
Geographical areas of intervention: Haiti and other areas through the international offices and Romania (Dolj, Călărași, Caraș-Severin, Bistrița, Botoşani, Năsăud, Gorj și Suceava, regiunea Banatului etc).
Intervention examples At international level: I. Emergency situations – Haiti (2010) Save the Children Romania joined the fundraising actions started by Save the Children Alliance at global level, by making online donations and bank transfers available to the public. All the collected funds were directed to helping children victims of
the Haiti earthquake and their families, through Save the Children USA. At the same time, following the advocacy activities of Save the Children International, the European Parliament issued a resolution to establish a moratorium on Haiti adoptions for a period of up to two years since the beginning of the efforts to find an adoption family. Moreover, a call center was established at the UN base, as well as a registration center for identification and reunion of families. These were administrated by Save the Children in collaboration with UNICEF, the International Salvation Committee and ICRC.
At national level: In 2010, part of the campaign „Help stop the floods in their eyes", Save the Children II.
Romania offered priority help to isolated children from Suceava and Botoşani counties, who needed psychological recovery, as well as helped repair the damaged schools. Save the Children Suceava contributed also to this action, with the help of their coworkers from Iaşi, Mureş, Braşov, Constanţa şi Neamţ. 2,984 children and 3,246 adults received emergency aids and goods (food, hygienic and sanitary products, household items, detergents, clothes, footwear, sweets and toys etc).
III. „Let’s learn how to prevent disasters” Manual written by children for children in the 4th to 6th grades. The manual was elaborated as part of an educational project on natural disasters risk reduction, „Child Led - Disasters Risk Reduction”. The project is initiated and supported by Save the Children Sweden in partnership with Ministry of Education, The General Inspectorate for Emergency Situation and the High Level Group for The High Level Group for Romanian Children.
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4.
Romanian Maltese Relief Service (SAMR)
Description
Experience
The Romanian Maltese Relief Service (SAMR) is a non-profit association with the headquarters in Cluj-Napoca, which has 23 offices in the country. Over the last 20 years, it has developed an efficient national network of social services where there are 1,500 volunteers activating, out of which 500 are young.
The Romanian Maltese Relief Service has developed the humanitarian services offered in case of natural disasters by helping the isolated people and reducing the negative effects of the catastrophe. During these 20 years, the association initiated well structured emergency intervention projects, responding to both the victims’ primary needs and their long-term needs through sustainable aid in assisted communities.
Directions of the organization’s activities: • • • • • • • • •
Programs for children and young people Programs for elderly people Programs for people with disabilities First aid Interventions in case of natural disasters Spiritual programs Promoting volunteering Socio-medical services Material aid for people and institutions
At present, the association develops over 100 social programs for 4,000 direct beneficiaries. In June 2011 the Presidency of Romania decorated the Romanian Maltese Relief Service with the ”Pentru merit” national order in the rank of Commodore as a appreciation gesture for the social services the organization has offered over the last 20 years.
Geographical areas of intervention The Romanian Maltese Relief Service tries to intervene to help those affected by natural disasters, especially in Cluj, Covasna, Harghita, Maramureș and Timiș counties (where the organization has offices), but also in any other affected community from the rest of the country.
SAMR’s intervention supposes: • Immediate needs assessment, evaluation of available resources and emergency interventions (by supplying goods of immediate necessity to isolated people through voluntary work), as well as specialized intervention (by giving first aid, disposing of debris in case of earthquakes, cleaning up in case of flooding etc). • Assessing and offering help on medium and long term by: temporarily hosting victims of flooding, making repairs to affected households, reconstructing and equipping the houses, drilling deep wells in case of drought.
Examples of interventions International The organization has the capacity to intervene in case of natural disasters in countries such as: Albania, Lithuania, Ukraine, Hungary, through partnerships with local Maltese Relief Services, as well as with Malteser International.
National I. Reducing the effects of drought (2007-2008, Danube Delta, Ialomița and Brăila) 8
In 2007 SAMR contributed to the reduction of the effects of drought by drilling wells for drinking water for the population. In total, 9 wells were finalized, 6 in the Danube Delta and other 3 in Ialomiţa and Brăila counties. The operation continued in 2008 through drilling and equipping deep wells in villages which did not have access to drinking water. This was an extremely useful help in sustaining the hygiene and health of the population.
II. Intervention for reducing the effects of floods (2010, Danube Delta) Following the 2010 floods in the Danube Delta, SAMR intervened through the installation of a camp formed by 8 tents where the flood victims were offered first aid kits containing food, hygienic and sanitary products and clothing.
III. Intervention in response to extreme winter conditions (2012, Vrancea and Brăila counties) – in partnership with Habitat for Humanity
Snow removal, emergency kits distribution and prevention. A team of 40 volunteers from the two organization distributed emergency kits to several isolated families from Tănasari, Neculele, Bahnele, După Măgura, Stoichi villages (Vintileasca commune – Vrancea county); Grădiştea, Ibrianu and Maraloiu villages (Brăila county) and removed the snow from their households. 200 emergency kits were distributed for 200 isolated families.
SAMR’s specific disasters:
advantages
in
case
of
• The capacity to rapidly mobilize emergency funds, volunteers and material aid in order to intervene promptly; • Offering first aid and training on first aid; • Consolidated partnerships with IGSU.
5. World Vision
Description World Vision Romania is a Christian organization that develops humanitarian intervention programs in case of emergency, as well as development and advocacy programs. The organization focuses on working with children, families and communities in order to overcome poverty and injustice. Inspired by Christian values, World Vision works with the most vulnerable people in the world, irrespective of their religion, race, ethnicity or gender. An important part of World Vision’s activity is represented by their community development programs aimed at transforming communities in rural areas. Their role is to strengthen the community spirit, mobilize formal and informal leaders and obtain financial independence. The first
Community Development Program started in Iaşi, in 1997.
Experience The organization has offered humanitarian assistance in case of major disasters in Romania, beginning with 1977. In 2005, it has given emergency aid to communities affected by flood in Timiş, Vrancea, Dolj and Olt counties; in 2006-2007 in Dolj, Timiş, Vrancea and Călăraşi counties; in 2007 in Iaşi; and in 2008 and 2010 in Botoşani. The interventions focused on child protection services – welcoming spaces for children, construction materials, building houses, all of these being offered thanks to the generosity of internal
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donors and, most importantly, the US Embassy (USAID). World Vision Romania develops its activity in partnership with World Vision International which activates in nearly 100 countries. World Vision carries out its activity worldwide following the same Humanitarian-Christian values and principles. Through this partnership, the main sponsors of the Romanian organization are the World Vision offices in USA, Canada, Switzerland and Taiwan.
III. 2012 Emergency intervention in the case of extreme winter conditions in favor of isolated communities: in February 2012, World Vision Romania offered emergency aid to 4,300 de people (2,333 were children), in 75 villages from 9 counties – Braşov, Cluj, Constanţa, Dolj, Ialomiţa, Iaşi, Vâlcea, Vaslui and Buzău. The aid was given to the most vulnerable families affected by extreme winter, which remained without resources. Moreover, the organization distributed food products, blankets and, in certain regions, clothes.
Geographical areas of intervention: in Romania (Dolj, Timiş, Bacău, Galaţi, Olt and Vrancea) and in Indonesia or other areas of the globe, through the international offices.
Examples of interventions At international level: Fundraising campaigns for the tsunami victims in Indonesia (December 2004) – “Hell in paradise”: World Vision responded to the emergency situation by immediately distributing water, food, personal hygiene items, and by developing child protection, health, shelter, economic recovery and infrastructure rehabilitation and construction programs. In this case, Romania was one of the donors thanks to a unique, common fundraising project. The television channel Realitatea TV together with World Vision Romania organized on January 16th, 2005 the most ample aid campaign dedicated to the people affected by the terrible event December 26th, 2004. As a result of the campaign (January – April 2005), World Vision Romania has raised 632,000 USD for reconstruction and post-trauma programs for children in Indonesia. At national level: I. ’’View from the front line’’ – research study regarding the implementation stage of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Hyogo at local authority level.
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The Group’s Secretariat is ensured by The Romanian NDGO Platform - FOND Contact Person: Oana Perju Address: Calea 13 Septembrie no. 85, Telephone: 0734 E-mail: oana.perju@fondromania.org www.fondromania.org www.blackseango.org www.fiicetateanglobal.wordpress.com
bl.77C,
ap.74, 325
Bucharest,
Romania 662
Contact persons: Sorin GOLEANU - ADRA Romania E-mail: director@adra.ro
Thomas HACKL - CARITAS Confederation Romania E-mail: thhackl@yahoo.com
Mihai GRIGOREAN– Habitat E-mail: mihai.grigorean@habitat.ro
for
Humanity
Romania
Leonard ANDREESCU – Save the Children Romania E-mail: leonard_andreescu@salvaticopiii.ro, leo_andreescu@yahoo.com
Cristina GRIGOREAN – Romanian Maltese Relief Service E-mail: grigorean.cristina@maltez.ro
Eugen BORLEA – World Vision Romania E-mail: eugen_borlea@wvi.org
Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FOND_asistenta_umanitara/
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