GLIDE n=B0 FL-2009-000226-PRY
The International Federation's 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: 256,996 Swiss francs (250,515 US dollars or 170,100 euro) were allocated from the Federation's Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) on 6 November 2009 to support the Paraguayan Red Cross (PRC) in delivering assistance to 10,680 beneficiaries in 54 communities in three departments.
The Paraguayan Red Cross completed this three-month DREF operation and has covered the emergency needs of 2,225 families (approximately 11,125 people) with essential relief items including mosquito nets, hygiene kits, and shelter kits in the departments of Alto Paraná, Misiones and Ñeembucú.
In addition, this DREF operation assisted affected people to recover their livelihoods through technical support and provision of seeds for their small-scale subsistence plots. At the end of this three-month operation, the crops have been planted and await harvest. The involvement and logistic support given by the local authorities, especially at the municipal level, bolstered the achievement of these results. Finally, this PRC-led project was coordinated at the national level with the National Emergency Secretariat (Secretaría de Emergencia Nacional - SEN).
The Canadian government contributed 50,000 Canadian dollars to the DREF in replenishment of the allocation made for this operation. Details of donors to the DREF fund are available at: http://www.ifrc.org/what/disasters/responding/drs/tools/dref/donors.asp
Furthermore, the costs of mosquito nets and hygiene kits for 2,136 families were covered through the tripartite agreement between the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the governments of Canada, Mexico and the United States of America.