DREF final report Honduras: Fire in Comayagua Penitentiary

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1 DREF final report Honduras: Fire in Comayagua Penitentiary DREF operation n MDRHN006 GLIDE n FR HND 14 November 2012 The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) is a source of un-earmarked money created by the Federation in 1985 to ensure that immediate financial support is available for Red Cross Red Crescent response to emergencies. The DREF is a vital part of the International Federation s disaster response system and increases the ability of National Societies to respond to disasters. Summary: 81,792 Swiss francs were allocated from the IFRC s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) in February 2012 to support the Honduran Red Cross (HRC) in replenishing medical stocks and providing pre-hospital care to penitentiary inmates and psychosocial support to some 400 families. The operation closed with a total expenditure of 81,002 Swiss francs, with a final balance of 791 Swiss francs unspent and returned to the DREF fund. The DREF operation supported the HRC in the replenishment of medical inputs ensuring that the National Society was able to provide pre-hospital care to 302 persons. In addition, the DREF assisted the National Society to provide psychosocial support to the families of inmates, as well as to the volunteers that worked in the first aid activities, reaching a total of 594 persons. The efforts of Red Cross volunteers to provide psychosocial support was fundamental in assisting family members who were in a state of shock and needed to cope with the loss of loved ones. Source: HRC The IFRC, on behalf of the National Society, would like to extend thanks to the Canadian Red Cross Society and the European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO) for their generous contributions to replenish the allocation made to this operation. The major donors and partners of DREF include the Australian, American and Belgian governments, the Austrian Red Cross, the Canadian Red Cross and government, Danish Red Cross and government, ECHO, the Irish and the Italian governments, the Japanese Red CrossSociety, the Luxembourg government, the Monaco Red Cross and government, the Netherlands Red Cross and government, the Norwegian Red Cross and government, the Spanish Government, the Swedish Red Cross and government, the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID), the Medtronic and Z Zurich Foundations, and other corporate and private donors. Details of all donors can be found on <click here for the final financial report, or here to view contact details>

2 2 The situation On Tuesday, 14 February at 22:50 hours local time (04:50 hours UTC) a large fire took place at Comayagua s penitentiary centre located at the department of Comayagua in central Honduras, 85 km north from the capital city Tegucigalpa. The fire in the Comayagua Farm Penitentiary (Granja Penal de Comayagua) consumed five out of ten homes of the centre. With the penitentiary centre housing 602 inmates above its capacity, the fire had severe human consequences, with hundreds of injured inmates and the loss of life of 360 persons. Overall, Honduras has 24 penitentiary centres with the capacity of holding 8,280 persons, however, in 2011 the system had, approximately 15,000 inmates, 160 per cent above its limit. At the time of the fire, members of the Honduran Red Cross worked alongside the Permanent Contingency Commission (Comisión Permanente de Contigencias, COPECO) and the Fire Department first aid care, transferring injured people to local hospitals and recovering corpses. At first, the HRC worked on evacuating the survivors and providing first aid care to injured ones, while prison authorities secured facilities and inmates. Afterwards, the National Society also provided first aid care to families of inmates that arrived near the centre to gather information about their relatives. As news on the situation were scarce, tension rose and some protests occurred. It soon became evident that there was a strong need for psychosocial support for all persons affected by the emergency and the HRC, with the support of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the IFRC, mobilized their resources to provide ways to better cope with the situation. Red Cross and Red Crescent action The National Society, aware of the magnitude of the emergency, and bound by the Fundamental Principles and Humanitarian Values of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, developed its response capacity to offer a strong internal coordination between its different departments and branches. The HRC efficiently activated five branches: Comayagua, Tegucigalpa, Siguatepeque, Taulabe and Jesús de Otoro, all from the country s central region. More than 35 volunteers worked for 18 hours continuously during the event. Overall, the HRC, with the support of the IFRC s DREF and the ICRC, assisted 302 persons with pre-hospital care and 594 with psychosocial support. In addition, the National Society received support from the IFRC yone office with personnel that went for monitoring and coordination, in order to better understand the situation, and asses if the operation requiered any changes. With the aim of assuring the operation had all the assistance required, the National Society hired a DREF coordinator. Persons reached through DREF-supported operation Minors Women Comayagua Tegucigalpa Comayagua Tegucigalpa Volunteers Men Pre-hospital care Psychosocial support Achievements against outcomes Emergency health Outcome: The emergency medical needs of inmates and the psychosocial needs of 400 families of

3 3 inmates affected by the fire in the Comayagua Penitentiary are covered. Output 1: Inmates are provided with rapid medical management of injuries. Output 2: 400 families of inmates in need of psychosocial support are assisted. Output 3: 130 volunteers supporting activities receive psychosocial support. Activities planned: Replenish materials and tents used in the installation of mobile clinics. Replenish and acquire new protective gear and medical supplies used for the treatment of inmates and their relatives. Provide psychosocial support for affected families who are installed in the National Vocational Training Institute (Instituto Nacional de Formación Profesional, INFOP) camp. Provide psychosocial support for volunteers involved in the evacuations and pre-hospital care activities. Impact: The National Societywas able to provide medical attention to the inmates affected by the fire directly after the event. Being the first response agency to arrive on site, allowed the immediate provision of first aid treatment to the injured and to those affected by the fumes, contributing in reducing the number of fatalities. As time passed, and family members arrived to the Penitentiary Centre, the Red Cross volunteers increased their assistance to ensure that the families were also assisted with prehospital care and psychosocial support. In total, from Comayagua 122 persons were provided with pre-hospital care, 195 with psychosocial support and 70 were transported to medical facilities for further treatment. Furthermore, with the support of Volunteers of the HRC not only provided inmates and their the DREF allocation, the National Society was able family members with psychosocial support but were also to provide water, food and clothing collected recipients of this type of support. Source: HRC nationally in support for the inmates, and the Penitentiary Centre that was left without supplies after the fire. In addition, some 22 volunteers of the HRC provided support to the Attorney General s Office morgue in Tegucigalpa, with the management of the bodies of the deceased inmates that were in need of identification. As many family members came to the capital city to wait for information on their relatives, a camp, denominated Esperanza was installed by governmental institutions such as COPECO, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Education. Therefore, the National Society also worked alongside other organizations to assist families with shelter, food and water, as well as psychosocial support and first aid care. In Tegucigalpa, the Red Cross volunteers assisted 180 persons with pre-hospital care, 258 with psychosocial support and 25 were transported to the closest hospital centre. The psychosocial support to family members of inmates was fundamental during the days of waiting for news, not only to cope with the family loss, but also to reduce the tension between family members and government officials responding to the situation. Pre-hospital care Psychosocial support Comayagua Tegucigalpa Comayagua Tegucigalpa RC Volunteers Men Women Minors Sub-total Total

4 In the Comayagua Farm Penitentiary, a team of seven persons conducted a preliminary assessment of the psychosocial needs. The team, first, identified persons in a state of shock and crisis from the group of family members which were in front of the entry of the penitentiary, to support them to cope with the situation and loss of relatives. Psychosocial support was also provided to individuals within the penitentiary s premises. In Tegucigalpa, a 5-member team established contact with the National Autonomous University of Honduras in order to have psychology students support the activities. The students received a basic induction on the Fundamental Principles, Safe Access methodology and the Code of Conduct in humanitarian interventions. Ten students and a psychology professor supported the HRC team in the premises close to the morgue and in the Esperanza camp in order to provide support to the affected persons. The National Society was also in contact with the Mental Health department of the Health Secretariat, in order to coordinate activities and the methodology of interventions in both locations. The emergency also put a strain to the volunteers responding, the National Society ensured that they also had access to psychosocial support to better cope with the stressful situation. The National Society ensured that debriefing sessions were conducted with each volunteer that supported the activities, in order to address their psychosocial needs after the emergency. In addition, activities were carried out with the personnel and volunteers who worked on the response activities including recreational activities and games. Topics such as stigma, discrimination, motivational talks and relaxation techniques were covered. The psychosocial support interventions reached 141 individuals within the HRC. The National Society s psychosocial support unit required mobile tents with enough space to provide support to the affected individuals. Through this DREF operation, it was possible to replenish 20 family sized tents (through the Regional Logistics Unit) which were damaged and contaminated during the emergency response activities. Lessons learned and conclusions The simultaneous coordination within the five branches involved in the response (C-2 Tegucigalpa, Comayagua, Siguatepeque, Taulabe and Jesús de Otoro) and the health and relief departments at headquarters was fundamental for the success in achieving the objectives of the operation. During the emergency the National Society used almost all their local resources in a short amount of time. The DREF was therefore fundamental to replenish stocks and ensure that activities could continue normally. Although the National Society had trained volunteers and provided psychosocial support on previous occasions, this experience cemented the creation of a Psychosocial Support Unit within the HRC. The unit was able to not only communicate the importance of providing this type of assistance to affected individuals and communities, but also to the Red Cross volunteers giving their time and efforts in benefit of others. The DREF also supported the equipment of the unit that is now capable of setting working tents in different locations as needed. Efforts still need to be put forward to improve the time for the introduction of relief items into the country. In addition, the internal administrative processes within the National Society are in need of revision, as the local procurement process is the same for items purchased in non-disaster time and in disaster times, which can delay the response during the emergency. 4 Contact information For further information specifically related to this operation please contact: In the Honduran Red Cross: o Maria Elisa Alvarado, General Director, Tel ext maria.alvarado@cruzroja.org.hn o Oscar Fernandez, National Director of Operations and Relief, Honduran Red Cross; phone: ; ofernandez@honduras.cruzroja.org IFRC regional representation for Central America: Nelson Aly Rodríguez, acting regional representative for Central America; nelson.alyrodriguez@ifrc.org IFRC Americas zone office in Panama: phone: Benoit Porte, disaster response and early recovery unit acting coordinator;

5 5 Jane Grimshaw; PMER manager; Zone Logistics Unit (ZLU) Americas - Global Logistics Service: Douglas Baquero, zone logistics coordinator; phone: ; douglas.baquero@ifrc.org In Geneva: Christine South, Operations Support; phone: , christine.south@ifrc.org DREF history: This DREF was initially allocated on 23 February 2012 for CHF 81,792 for three months to assist some 400 families. A DREF operation update was issued on 4 June Click here 1. Final financial report belo w 2. Click here to return to the title page How we work All IFRC assistance seeks to adhere to the Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO's) in Disaster Relief and the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response in delivering assistance to the most vulnerable. The IFRC s vision is to inspire, encourage, facilitate and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by National Societies, with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering, and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world. The IFRC s work is guided by Strategy 2020 which puts forward three strategic aims: 1. Save lives, protect livelihoods, and strengthen recovery from disaster and crises. 2. Enable healthy and safe living. 3. Promote social inclusion and a culture of non-violence and peace.

6 International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies MDRHN006 - Honduras - Fire in Comayagua Penitentiary Appeal Launch Date: 23 feb 12 Appeal Timeframe: 23 feb 12 to 06 jun 12 Final Report Selected Parameters Reporting Timeframe 2012/1-09 Budget Timeframe 2012/1-09 Appeal MDRHN006 Budget APPROVED All figures are in Swiss Francs (CHF) I. Funding Disaster Management Health and Social Services National Society Development Principles and Values Coordination TOTAL Deferred Income A. Budget 81,792 81,792 B. Opening Balance 0 0 Income Other Income DREF Allocations 81,792 81,792 C4. Other Income 81,792 81,792 C. Total Income = SUM(C1..C4) 81,792 81,792 D. Total Funding = B +C 81,792 81,792 Coverage = D/A 100% 100% II. Movement of Funds Disaster Management Health and Social Services National Society Development Principles and Values Coordination TOTAL Deferred Income B. Opening Balance 0 0 C. Income 81,792 81,792 E. Expenditure -81,002-81,002 F. Closing Balance = (B + C + E) Prepared on 13/Nov/2012 Page 1 of 2

7 International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies MDRHN006 - Honduras - Fire in Comayagua Penitentiary Appeal Launch Date: 23 feb 12 Appeal Timeframe: 23 feb 12 to 06 jun 12 Final Report Selected Parameters Reporting Timeframe 2012/1-09 Budget Timeframe 2012/1-09 Appeal MDRHN006 Budget APPROVED All figures are in Swiss Francs (CHF) III. Expenditure Account Groups Budget Disaster Management Health and Social Services National Society Development Expenditure Principles and Values Coordination TOTAL Variance A B A - B BUDGET (C) 81,792 81,792 Relief items, Construction, Supplies Shelter - Relief 6,200 5,733 5, Medical & First Aid 30,800 26,939 26,939 3,861 Teaching Materials 3,000 3,000 Other Supplies & Services 10,000 10,723 10, Total Relief items, Construction, Sup 50,000 43,396 43,396 6,604 Logistics, Transport & Storage Storage Distribution & Monitoring 2, ,241 Transport & Vehicles Costs 3,000 6,092 6,092-3,092 Logistics Services 1, Total Logistics, Transport & Storage 6,000 7,478 7,478-1,478 Personnel National Society Staff 1,330 3,464 3,464-2,134 Volunteers 12,870 13,655 13, Total Personnel 14,200 17,119 17,119-2,919 Consultants & Professional Fees Consultants 3,500 3,500 Total Consultants & Professional Fe 3,500 3,500 Workshops & Training Workshops & Training 2,125 2,125-2,125 Total Workshops & Training 2,125 2,125-2,125 General Expenditure Travel Information & Public Relations 2,000 4,755 4,755-2,755 Office Costs 300 3,600 3,600-3,300 Communications Financial Charges 500-3,770-3,770 4,270 Total General Expenditure 3,100 5,940 5,940-2,840 Indirect Costs Programme & Services Support Recov 4,992 4,944 4, Total Indirect Costs 4,992 4,944 4, TOTAL EXPENDITURE (D) 81,792 81,002 81, VARIANCE (C - D) Prepared on 13/Nov/2012 Page 2 of 2