(New York/Geneva, 26 December 2007): In 2007, the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) teams conducted nine missions to the Americas, the highest in the history of the teams, including the first-ever mission to Mexico. Previously, the highest number of missions to the Americas was eight, after Hurricanes Mitch and Georges in 1998.

The missions to the Americas were to Mexico (floods), the Dominican Republic (Tropical Storm Noel), Honduras

Since the end of 2006, several natural disasters have affected food and cash crop production in Latin America and the Caribbean. Their impact on rural development and food security has been varied. It went from moderate crop losses and localized effects as in the case, for example, of floods in Central America in September 2007 or the cold wave in Peru in June 2007, to significant damage to the overall economy as a consequence of the passage of powerful hurricanes over some Caribbean state islands.

In many cases, natural disasters have

El Ministro de Vivienda Ordenamiento Territorial y Medio Ambiente, Mariano Arana, destacó algunas de las líneas estratégicas que considerará su Cartera para el mediano y largo plazo.

Con respecto al medio ambiente, exhortó

El Coordinador del Comité Departamental de Emergencia, José Pedro Rodríguez, señaló que la situación del departamento se encuentra totalmente controlada, pero que el trabajo más arduo será proporcionar las viviendas a las personas que quedaron sin ellas.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

1. On May 23rd, the National Emergency System (SNE in Spanish), reported that there still exist 1,383 affected persons (434 adults and 539 minors) from the following areas: Durazno 708, Mercedes 201, Villa Soriano 4 and Treinta y Tres 470. Of the 12,000 affected people since May 10th, 10,600 have returned to their homes voluntarily

2. The Government of Uruguay, via local

Son las siguientes:

1. Contin=FAe escuchando su radio portátil con frecuencia para mantenerse informado de las noticias y las instrucciones y recomendaciones de las autoridades.

2. Revise su vivienda con mucho cuidado. Si encuentra daños verifique que éstos no constituyan una amenaza para su seguridad (probabilidad de derrumbe), ya que en ese caso deberá abandonar

Spain's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation, which administers the nation's aid budget, is closely following the emergency situation and coordinating with its Montevideo Technical Cooperation Office over any further humanitarian work.

Since April, floods have affected 100,000 people in Uruguay, which has a population of 3.3 million, and caused serious