Summary: CHF 196,831 was allocated from IFRC’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) on the 8th February 2012 to support Lesotho Red Cross Society (LRCS) in delivering immediate assistance to some 800 families (4,000 beneficiaries) for four months. Unearmarked funds to repay DREF are encouraged.
Prolonged periods of drought followed by excessive rains resulted in food insecurity in Lesotho due to significant crop losses during the 2011 cropping season.
After detailed needs assessments in February 2012, DREF resources were prioritised to support the four districts of Mokholong, Kena, Mafeteng and Quthing, which had strong National Society branch structures.
Beneficiary identification, selection and verification were conducted during March and April, and distribution of food rations continued up until the end of June. The operation was initially planned to be implemented over four months; however, a one month extension was requested to complete the relief distributions.
LRCS provided assorted food to 1,063 households (4,000 beneficiaries) in the form of maize meal, pulses, vegetable oil and salt and also continued to train volunteers who had been deployed at the onset of the disaster. The families reached were reportedly able to maintain three meals per day which significantly improved their nutritional status and reduced stress related to search of food. The operation also built the capacity of Lesotho Red Cross to manage similar operations in the future through the valuable lessons learnt in the four districts.
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, the European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO), the Irish and the Italian governments, the Japanese Red Cross Society, 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. The IFRC, on behalf of the National Society, would like to extend thanks to all for their generous contributions.
