NEWSLETTER SPRING2013 DISASTER RELIEF
EDITORIAL Getting emergency shelter to families affected by disaster is never easy, whether it’s the logistical challenge of transporting equipment around the world or the obstacles of working in a country torn apart by disaster. Thankfully, there are a lot of people who are dedicated to ensuring life-saving aid reaches those who need it most. Operations Coordinators, warehouse volunteers and lorry drivers - learn about some of the staff and volunteers involved ‘behind the scenes’ and what happens ‘from donation to delivery’ on page 11. Rotarians around the world also play a vital role in our work by raising funds and awareness and providing invaluable support to our teams in the field. Read about Rotarians Alfrancis and Belal on page 15 who have been working with ShelterBox in the Philippines and Iraq to help families in need. Our disaster work wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of supporters like you. Every donation makes a difference and on page 7 we look at how regular gifts by Direct Debit help us prepare for the future and ensure our rapid response. Together we’re making a difference to families made homeless by disaster. Thank you.
Laura Jepson, Editor
CONTENTS
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PG 3 Disaster Report PG 5 Typhoon devastates the Philippines PG 7 Regular gifts: Help us prepare for the next disaster PG 11 Behind the Scenes: From donation to delivery PG 13 Vital shelter and warmth for Syrian refugees PG 15 Rotarians at the heart of ShelterBox’s work
KEEP IN TOUCH: T: 01326 569782 E: info@shelterbox.org ShelterBox: Water-ma-Trout, Helston, Cornwall, TR13 0LW Editor: Laura Jepson (laurajepson@shelterbox.org) Front cover image: Families move into ShelterBox tents after flooding destroyed their homes in Niger. Charity No: 1096479 Company No: 4612652 President: HRH The Duchess of Cornwall ShelterBox is a Charity independent of Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation.
CONTENTS
PG 17 How you can make a difference
DISASTER REPORT Between January and March, ShelterBox worked in eight different countries around the world, helping families who lost everything when disaster struck. Our work is made possible because of your support. Thank you.
FIJI: Cyclone Cyclone Evan, the biggest cyclone to strike the Pacific nation in two decades, left houses flattened and streets flooded. ShelterBoxes already pre-positioned in Fiji enabled our rapid response, meaning aid reached families in days, not weeks.
NIGERIA: Floods Thousands of families were left homeless after the country’s worst flooding in 50 years destroyed houses, villages and crops. More than 1,300 families received the shelter and essential equipment they needed to live in dignity and safety.
AUSTRALIA: Bushfires & tropical cyclone
Within weeks of bushfires that had raged across Tasmania, Tropical Cyclone Oswald caused widespread flooding and destruction in Queensland. An Australia-based Response Team responded instantly and provided families left homeless by the fires with emergency shelter to use while they rebuilt their homes.
SYRIA: Conflict
DISASTER REPORT
The violence in Syria continues to force families from their homes and flee to neighbouring countries for safety. ShelterBox is building a network of local partners to help with the relief efforts in Lebanon and Jordan. See page 13 for more details.
PHILIPPINES: Typhoon Typhoon Bopha caused unimaginable devastation when it hit Mindanao Island in the Philippines. ShelterBox Response Teams worked tirelessly, overcoming the challenges caused by the widespread destruction, to distribute muchneeded shelter to vulnerable families. Read a full report on page 5.
MOZAMBIQUE: Floods Heavy rains and overflowing rivers forced thousands of families to flee to higher ground. A ShelterBox Response Team carried out an assessment in the worst-affected areas but found no need for ShelterBox tents. They are on standby to respond as the rains continue in the north of the country.
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Mother and daughter receive a ShelterBox after Typhoon Bopha destroyed their home in the Philippines.
PHILIPPINES: TYPHOON
TYPHOON DEVASTATES HOMES OF FILIPINO FAMILIES
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When Typhoon Bopha hit the Philippines it caused destruction on a huge scale, leaving an estimated 20,000 people homeless. ShelterBox relief efforts concentrated on Compostela Valley and the isolated eastern coastal regions of Cateel and Baganga - the worst-affected areas of Mindanao Island. Sharon Donald, an experienced ShelterBox Response Team member, had never before seen such devastation caused by a natural disaster: ‘Bopha destroyed everything in its path - coconut trees were knocked down like matchsticks, crops were flooded and thousands of homes were destroyed’. The extensive debris and damaged infrastructure made the distribution of ShelterBox aid challenging. By working closely with local organisation Balay Mindanaw, the Filipino Red Cross, mayors and town captains, ShelterBox Response Teams were able to clear land to make way for tents, keeping families close to their homes wherever possible. Thanks to your support, hundreds of families received much-needed shelter and equipment, families like Marizmer’s. When the heavy rains and violent winds thrashed down on her home, 32-year-old Marizmer Marquez hunted for a safe place to hide her baby and second youngest child as she feared her home would collapse. After ten hours the weather calmed and the family emerged safe and unharmed, but with their home in ruins. Like thousands of other families, they sheltered under a makeshift structure made out of debris. Alice Jefferson, ShelterBox Operations Coordinator, said: ‘The structure they were living in when I met them provided barely any protection against the elements’.
‘Moving into a ShelterBox tent not only gave them shelter from the continuous rains, but also allowed Marizmer and her husband to return to work and save money for the necessary materials to rebuild their home’. Marizmer’s ten-year-old daughter, Maurich, was delighted to find a children’s activity pack amongst the items in their ShelterBox. ‘There is no schooling for our children here at the moment because of the destruction, so it’s great for our children to have this pack to keep them distracted from the situation we are in,’ said Marizmer. For the very latest news about ShelterBox’s work in the Philippines, visit www.shelterbox.org.
REGULAR GIFTS:
HELP US PREPARE FOR THE NEXT DISASTER We don’t know where or when the next disaster will strike, or how many families will need our help, but we do know that being prepared is key to our rapid response. Regular gifts ensure that we are always ready to respond, meaning families receive essential aid in their greatest hour of need. By supporting the ShelterBox Disaster Fund with a regular gift, you’ll help us to invest in our life-saving supplies, pre-position equipment in strategic locations around the world, train our global network of ShelterBox Response Team members, increase our capacity to store and distribute aid, and continue to develop our specialist equipment and deliver the best aid package possible. What are the benefits of regular gifts?
‘Every donation makes a difference, but regular gifts provide ShelterBox with a steady and reliable income that enables us to prepare for the future. It is also one of the most cost-effective ways of giving to ShelterBox as it keeps our administrative costs to a minimum, meaning even more of your gift goes directly on our work’. ‘By making monthly, quarterly or annual payments it helps to spread the cost of your gifts over time. Plus, giving regularly by Direct Debit is a wellestablished and trusted method - it is quick and easy to set up and you can amend or cancel your gift whenever you wish,’ says Tim Bunting, Head of UK Fundraising. Sue has been a committed ShelterBox supporter for more than six years and in 2011 started making regular gifts of £20 a month: ‘When I first saw ShelterBox, what really struck me was just how simple and effective it was. Giving to ShelterBox by Direct Debit makes it so much easier for me - I don’t have to look around for a place to donate - and I’m sure I would forget otherwise. And by giving in this way I know that it will allow ShelterBox to plan ahead and be proactive, not just reactive’.
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When Typhoon Bopha hit the Philippines, thousands of families lost their homes, including 41-year-old Victoria Bunda and her seven children. ‘The winds flattened our home to the ground, scattering pieces everywhere,’ said Victoria. Left with nothing, Victoria and her family were forced to shelter under plastic sheets they found amongst the debris; her youngest daughter soon became very sick with a fever. It was essential they received help as soon as possible. Philippines-based Response Team members were instantly on hand to start identifying the worst affected areas and facilitating the response. Within days, hundreds of ShelterBoxes were being
relocated from the Filipino city of Clark to the affected area, while an additional 700 disaster relief tents were transported from pre-positioned stock in Malaysia and our warehouse in Cornwall. Our rapid response was possible because we had our life-saving equipment ready and highly-trained ShelterBox Response Team members on standby. This level of preparedness meant families like Victoria’s received essential equipment when they needed it most. If you would like to make a regular gift to ShelterBox, simply complete and return the donation form on the back of this newsletter. Or you can call us on 0300 0300 500 or go to www.shelterbox.org/donate.
REGULAR GIFTS
How regular gifts made a difference to families in the Philippines
In August 2012, Typhoon Bolaven caused downpours to sweep across North Korea, destroying homes and leaving more than 26,000 people homeless. ShelterBox returned five months later to visit families in the counties of Pyongsan, Rinsan, Sohung and Kumchon who received much-needed ‘winterised’ shelter.
NORTH KOREA
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BEHIND THE SCENES:
FROM DONATION TO DELIVERY
Getting a ShelterBox to a family in need involves a lot of dedicated people. It starts with our supporters whose generous donations make our disaster relief work possible.
Claire and the Donor Support Team deal with any enquiries and process the donations we receive in the post, online and over the telephone.
Operations Coordinators like Alison constantly monitor disasters occurring around the world. Gathering information from specialist websites, the media, and in-country contacts, they assess the need for emergency shelter after a disaster and make the decision to respond.
Shane, our Logistics Manager, sources our specialist equipment which comes from around the world to our warehouse in Cornwall. All our equipment is carefully selected to ensure it is cost effective, durable and capable of standing up to harsh conditions in the field.
Dedicated volunteers like Roland assist the warehouse team with unpacking stock as it arrives, preparing the equipment and packing every ShelterBox by hand. They can pack more than 100 ShelterBoxes an hour!
Once the ShelterBoxes are packed and ready to go, lorry drivers transport them to a major airport where numerous airport staff facilitate their onward transportation.
12 Most ShelterBoxes go to one of our pre-positioned stock locations around the world. Situated in places like Dubai, Singapore and Panama, these pre-positioned ShelterBoxes mean we can get aid to a disaster-affected country within 48 hours.
Once ShelterBox aid arrives, ShelterBox Response Team members like Dave coordinate customs, storage and transportation to the affected area – by boat, truck, helicopter or donkey whatever it takes.
Response Teams work closely with other international aid agencies, governments and local organisations to identify the worst-affected areas and to distribute aid directly to the most vulnerable families.
Together we provide shelter, warmth and hope to families made homeless by disaster. Thank you for your support.
PROVIDING VITAL SHELTER AND WARMTH TO SYRIAN REFUGEES As the violence in Syria continues, week by week more people flee the country to neighbouring Iraq, Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon to find safety. The plight of refugees has been made all the more acute by winter storms - in some areas the worst seen for 20 years. ShelterBox Response Team member Fiona McElroy, described the conditions in Lebanon as terrible: ‘Most people arrived with a few possessions; many had just the clothes they stood up in. Families have made shelters from tarpaulin and cardboard’.
‘One woman, whose husband was killed in Syria, lives with her children in a shelter where there is barely enough room for the three of them to lie down on the ground at night to sleep. They have one blanket between them.’ The Lebanese Ministry of Social Affairs requested ShelterBox aid to help the most vulnerable families. A ShelterBox Response Team is in the country preparing to distribute 700 ShelterBoxes specifically tailored for the cold winter conditions. At the Al-Salameh refugee camp in northern Syria, ShelterBox, in partnership with Solidarités International, provided all 710 families with winter kits containing thermal blankets and groundsheets, hat, gloves and scarf sets and stoves. In Jordan, the recent influx of refugees is unprecedented, larger than at any other time in the last two years. This is putting a serious strain on the country’s resources, resulting in the Jordanian government calling for urgent international assistance. More than 400 ShelterBoxes are on standby in the capital Amman and a Response Team is working with the Jordanian Red Crescent to distribute ShelterBoxes to the most vulnerable families.
For the very latest news about ShelterBox’s response to the Syrian refugee crisis, visit www.shelterbox.org.
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SYRIA: CONFLICT
Two young Syrian refugees wait at Ar Ruwayshid military base for transport to Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan.
ROTARIANS AT THE HEART OF SHELTERBOX’S WORK In March 2012, Rotary International welcomed ShelterBox as its first ever Project Partner, formalising the 12-year relationship between the two organisations. It also cemented Rotarians at the heart of ShelterBox’s activities. ‘The relationship between ShelterBox and Rotary is invaluable,’ said David Glover, ShelterBox’s Rotary Relations Officer. ‘Since the Haiti earthquake in 2010, Rotary Clubs across the UK and Ireland have donated more than £6 million to ShelterBox and they play a vital role in raising awareness about our work.’ Rotarians are often the first point of contact for ShelterBox Response Teams when they arrive in a disaster-affected country too; they can provide everything from logistical support and translators, to transport and accommodation. Read about Alfrancis and Belal and how they supported our recent work in the Philippines and Iraq.
Rotarian, Past President and District Governor Representative Muhsen R. Mufleh and ShelterBox Response Team member Stafford Sumner in Jordan.
Rotarian ‘great asset’ in assisting typhoon survivors
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Rotarian Alfrancis Verdida from the Philippines first heard about ShelterBox when Mindanao Island was hit by Typhoon Washi in December 2011. His Rotary Club was involved in the emergency response and he helped ShelterBox set up tents. When Typhoon Bopha struck a year later, Alfrancis was on hand to help straight away: ‘I contacted a Philippines-based ShelterBox Response Team member, rearranged my schedule, and told him I was free to help in any way I could. As a Rotarian, I used my contacts to gather the latest information and assist with logistics. I have also been the team’s translator’. ‘Having Alfrancis as part of the team has alleviated a lot of pressure, especially in terms of being able to talk to the affected families, which has allowed us to build relationships with them and identify those most in need. He is a great asset,’ said John Cordell, ShelterBox Response Team member.
Belal Al Ayoubi, a Rotaractor from Beirut, first contacted ShelterBox to ask for help for the influx of Syrian families crossing the border into Lebanon. He has since played a key role in supporting ShelterBox’s response to the Syrian refugee crisis. Belal facilitated a partnership between ShelterBox and Iraq-based Barzani Charity Foundation, as well as visited northern Iraq to conduct needs assessments and collated up-to-date information for the in-coming Response Team. As a result, ShelterBox provided 500 Syrian families in the Domiz refugee camp with special ‘winterised’ equipment to survive the cold climate.
‘Belal was instrumental in our response in Lebanon and Iraq. He was tireless in his efforts and had the upmost concern for the teams’ safety. His local knowledge enabled us to navigate the complicated political and religious divides to ensure a neutral and impartial response,’ said Phil Duloy, ShelterBox Operations Coordinator. ‘This is one great way to promote what our big Rotary family is doing with its partners around the world,’ Belal added. If you would like to find out more about ShelterBox’s work with Rotary throughout the UK and in the field, please contact David Glover, Rotary Relations Officer, on 01326 569782 or davidg@shelterbox.org.
ROTARIANS AT THE HEART OF SHELTERBOX’S WORK
Rotaractor instrumental in response to Syrian refugee crisis
HOW YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE SHELTERBOX EVENTS COMING SOON Join us at Tregothnan Estate Charity Garden Opening (20 & 21 April) For one weekend only, Tregothnan Estate will be opening its gates to the public in aid of ShelterBox. Providing visitors with an insight into the workings of the largest historic garden in Cornwall, this family event will attract thousands of visitors from across the UK. Tea enthusiasts, keen gardeners and those who simply enjoy a walk in the great outdoors are sure to enjoy a visit. Cream teas, light lunches, musical entertainment and children’s activities will also be available. Tickets are on sale at www.tregothnan.co.uk.
HOW YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Run for ShelterBox in the Virgin London Marathon (21 April) If you’ve been lucky enough to win a place in the ballot for the Virgin London Marathon 2013, why not run for ShelterBox? You’ll be in great company as we have four fantastic supporters running for us. Or join the ShelterBox team at the side lines to cheer our runners along. Take part in Big ShelterBox Week (1-8 June) Dig out your apron and dust off your recipe books, the Big ShelterBox Week cake bake is on its way! If you like baking, selling or eating cakes, this is going to be the week for you! Get your Scout group involved in our London Scavenger Hunt (8 June) In its 5th year, ShelterBox is once again inviting Cubs, Scouts and Explorer Scouts from across the UK to navigate their way around London, passing some of the city’s most famous landmarks, carrying a big green ShelterBox! For more information about any of our events, contact our Events Team on 01326 569782 or events@shelterbox.org.
OTHER WAYS YOU CAN SUPPORT SHELTERBOX Buy ShelterBox goodies in our shop Our online shop has a wide range of ShelterBox goodies, including mugs, teddies, jute bags, clothing, and our Global Gifts for your friends and family. Items start from just £1.50! Go to www.shelterboxshop.org.uk Consider leaving a gift in your Will We know that loved ones come first when making a Will, but once you have included the people you care about, you may want to remember the causes you care about. Gifts in Wills are a lasting way to support our work and every gift that ShelterBox receives, large or small, will help disaster-affected families for years to come. Recommend ShelterBox to your company From payroll giving to corporate donations, staff fundraising to Charity of the Year programmes, supporting ShelterBox through your workplace is a great way to motivate and engage staff whilst supporting a fantastic cause. Get your school involved in our Illustration Competition Young ShelterBox and internationally acclaimed children’s author and illustrator Michael Foreman are challenging primary schools across the UK to bring to life our 4th disaster book, The Day the Bombs Fell, with their drawings. Information packs are available now. Closing date for entries is 24 June. For further information about any of the above, or to find out other ways you can support ShelterBox, contact our Fundraising Team on 01326 569782 or fundraising@shelterbox.org.
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Instruction to the bank or building society: Please pay ShelterBox Trust UK & Ireland Direct Debits from the account detailed in this Instruction subject to the safeguards assured by the Direct Debit Guarantee. I understand that this Instruction may remain with ShelterBox Trust UK & Ireland and, if so, details will be passed electronically to my bank/building society.
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. ShelterBox is a charity independent of Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation
Company No: 4612652. President: HRH The Duchess of Cornwall.
ShelterBox is a registered charity. Charity No: 1096479.
**By sponsoring a box you will receive its unique box number and can find out where in the world it goes.
*ShelterBox Disaster Fund enables us to invest in supplies, preposition equipment, train our Response Team volunteers,increase our capacity to store and distribute ShelterBoxes; and continue to develop our specialist equipment.
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