Times Of Swaziland: RED CROSS’S E67M EMERGENCY PLAN RED CROSS’S E67M EMERGENCY PLAN ================================================================================ Nhlanganiso Mkhonta on 30/01/2023 08:25:00 MBABANE – Baphalali Eswatini Red Cross Society is gearing up for this year’s possible emergencies by coming up with its 2023 IFRC network country plan that will require over E67 million. The plan was published last week detailing its target and how the said funding was expected to be distributed to reach thousands of emaSwati with different needs. Baphalali Eswatini Red Cross Society Secretary General (SG) Danger Nhlabatsi, confirmed the plan, stating that they intended to assist the nation in livelihood matters. Nhlabatsi said the success of the plan relied on them getting the funding they required in getting things done. He said their plan was to assist to mitigate the situation before it became a crisis because once it reached that stage, it would be costly. The plan is to cater for disaster risk reduction, food security and livelihoods, climate change adaptation, health, water, sanitation and hygiene programmes. According to Red Cross, the plan is to reach 20 000 people, who would be affected by climate and environmental changes. It was noted that climate change in Eswatini was expected to lead to overall warming and increased aridity, with a greater frequency and intensity of droughts and floods. It is expected that there would be considerable negative impacts on the agricultural and water sectors. Yields of staple food crops such as maize, sorghum and beans, are likely to decrease, threatening national food security. Last week, this publication reported that indicators from the Ministry of Agriculture had shown that Eswatini could experience maize shortages after this year’s harvest. Increase This means that prices for maize products would increase as opposed to dropping to the normal after harvest. It also means a threat to food security, which is embodied in Sustainable Development Goal No.2. Goal No.2 seeks sustainable solutions to end hunger in all forms by 2030 and to achieve food security. Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Agriculture Sydney Simelane had stated that indicators had shown that Eswatini would get lower harvest than it had anticipated due to the recent high temperatures, which resulted in the country having no rains for over two weeks. Simelane shared that in a bid to bring awareness to the nation, the ministry had started taking samples from some Regional Development Areas (RDAs) in order to respond appropriately. He stated that samples which were taken from Madlangampisi RDA had pointed out that farmers were likely to lose 30 per cent of their produce in 10 000 hectares. Simelane stated that the anticipated loss was attributed to the extreme temperatures. Temperatures It was worth noting that the temperatures would go up to at least 39 degrees Celsius in certain places, especially in the lowveld. Areas around Big Bend and Lavumisa were the mostly affected areas as temperatures in those areas would reach above the 39 degrees Celsius. According to the Red Cross plan/report, groundwater reserves, which are an important source of water for many rural communities, may be reduced as a result of increased rainfall intensity and associated increases in surface run-off. Variable precipitation patterns, droughts, desertification, higher temperatures and increased storm intensity have already affected Eswatini’s main economic sectors, and the consequences of recent severe droughts have left 25 per cent of the population vulnerable. This population is currently food and water insecure, and many households are reliant on social welfare and safety nets. Besides vulnerability to drought, according to the Eswatini National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), the country is prone to climate-related disasters, such as cyclones, flash floods and windstorms. Of all these disasters, droughts cause the most hardship and deaths. The negative impacts of climate change will be further exacerbated by widespread land degradation, as a result of deforestation, alien plant invasions and the overstocking of livestock. Economically, climate change has already had an adverse impact on Eswatini. Government has expressed concern that it is exacerbating existing social challenges such as poverty, a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS and food insecurity, and this will drastically restrict the country’s ability to develop. Sustainability The Baphalali Eswatini Red Cross will also work on its environmental sustainability by assessing the impact of its operations, including its modes of transport and fleet of vehicles, through the IFRC network’s Pilot Programmatic Partnership with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DGECHO). It will identify relevant environmental screening tools, such as the Nexus Environmental Assessment Tool (NEAT+), along with training and piloting. The Red Cross Society stated that their plan was also expected to reach 121 000 people who were expected to be affected by natural disasters and crises countrywide. The organisation stated that Eswatini was prone to disasters and crises of different magnitudes. They said the most commonly occurring natural hazards were windstorms and hailstorms, but drought severely affects the highest number of people. The report noted that in the Lowveld in November 2022, a hailstorm with strong winds and massive hailstones affected mostly the Nsingizini and Nsubane communities under Hosea and Somntongo in the Shiselweni Region. An estimated 1 058 people (213 households) were affected by the storm, with some families losing their roofs, which were blown away or damaged by the hailstones. Windows were also shattered and household furniture, food, documents and educational materials were soaked in water. The people affected were exposed to further danger and had no choice but to remain in damaged property overnight. The community reiterated the need for support with shelter and food, according to the joint assessment conducted by the Baphalali Eswatini Red Cross and the National Drought Management Authority. The affected communities are subsistence farmers, who thrive on agricultural activities such as crops and poultry. Their economic status categorises them as the most vulnerable, which means they may struggle to recover from the impact of the storm. Assessments further revealed that food items were destroyed by rainwater after roofs were damaged by hailstones. Households in the Shiselweni Region were already affected by food insecurity – the storm exacerbated their situation and afterwards they needed an even higher level of support. Assist Red Cross’s 2023 network country plan is also expected to reach and assist about 177 000 people in health and wellbeing issues. The organisation stated that the fight against COVID-19 would be reinforced through a continent-wide initiative between the IFRC and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to invest in building resilient public health security infrastructure in Africa. Under the US$39 million Saving Lives and Livelihoods initiative, funded by the Mastercard Foundation, the IFRC and African National Societies are building a programme that aims to ensure that 60 per cent of African people are vaccinated against COVID-19. The Baphalali Eswatini Red Cross’s focus on community awareness for vaccine rollout will be further strengthened with support from the American Red Cross. The organisation says it will enhance knowledge, local capacity and local solutions among staff, volunteers and the community at large through community engagement and accountability training, community feedback training and community sensitisation. Red Cross’s volunteers and staff will be trained on vaccine rollout advocacy through the development, design, production and dissemination of information, education and communications materials, including audiovisual products and jingles. Director of Health Services Dr Velephi Okello said they welcome the plans by Red Cross to strengthen their community awareness for vaccine rollout programmes. She said as a ministry, they were also looking forward to continue working with organisations like Red Cross in and across all the disaster or pandemics, as it had always been in the past.