Appeal Target: US$ 57,810

From 23-27 July 2008, torrential rains lashed Central and Eastern Europe[1], including the most impoverished areas of Moldova (officially the Republic of Moldova, a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east and south).  There was heavy damage to crops, the principal source of income for the local population.  The floods destroyed bridges, roads, transmission lines and other communications, and have affected the most impoverished areas of Moldova.

As a result of the rains, 46 villages were flooded, and 836 houses and 10,500 ha of agricultural land are now covered with water. One third of the wine harvest of the Republic has been destroyed. About 8,000 people were left without a roof over their heads, and some 5,700 people were evacuated by authorities from the flooded areas to temporary shelters in schools, hostels and tent camps.

An ACT Alert was issued on “Heavy Flooding in Moldova” on 8 August 2008 (number 30/2008).  The Alert noted that ACT member, the Russian Orthodox Church (RoC),  had already begun distributing relief to the most vulnerable of the affected people. Church parishes and organizations in Moldova have started raising donations and supplying food and clothes to those in need.  The Russia Round Table (RRT), a special institution of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, dealing with emergencies on behalf of the RoC, plans to provide emergency aid (food, drinking water and sanitary and household packages) to flood victims through its church partners in the region.

The project will be implemented by ROC/RRT with participation and support of the church parishes and organizations in the region.  Their participation in the project implementation will also support networks of the local diaconical and emergency initiatives of parishes and will contribute to their capacity building.  While preparing this project proposal, ROC/RRT used verified information provided by local social security bodies, local authorities and Moldova Orthodox Church (MOC) parishes.  MOC is an autonomous part of ROC.

This Appeal requests US$ 57,810.46.  The goal is to diminish the suffering and offer some hope to the victims of flood in Moldova by providing emergency assistance and developing the capacity of local parishes which are dealing with the flood response.  The  project’s main objective is to alleviate the need for food, water, hygiene and household items among victims of the flood (910 of the most needy flood victims).

Project Completion Date: 31 October 2008

Reporting schedule:

Signed by:

John Nduna
Director, ACT Co-ordinating Office