Summary: 52,450 Swiss francs were allocated from the IFRC’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) on 30 November 2012 to support the Red Cross Society of Panama to carry out assessments and deliver immediate assistance to some 750 beneficiaries. On 20 December, the budget was revised to reassign expenditure lines and increase the number of beneficiaries to 2,757 families (13,785 beneficiaries).
A low pressure system caused strong rains, severe flooding and landslides in Panama and Colon provinces. Final figures from the National Civil Defence System (Sistema Nacional de Protección Civil--SINAPROC) and humanitarian partners indicate that 2,570 houses were damaged and 6,500 families were affected.
The Red Cross Society of Panama launched a very successful collection campaign across the country, resulting in some 40 tons of relief items. The DREF supported the distribution of these items to 3,722 families, surpassing the original target of the operation.
The IFRC, on behalf of the National Society, would like to extend thanks to all DREF donor and partners for their generous contributions, particularly to ECHO for the contribution to this particular emergency operation. The major donors and partners of DREF include the Australian, American and Belgian governments, the Austrian Red Cross, the Canadian Red Cross and government, the 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.
