Nicaragua: Floods - Oct 2007

The fourth edition of ‘Shelter Projects’, is launched at a time when shelter is more relevant than ever as an instrument of humanitarian response. The case studies in this edition reflect the on-going challenges posed by responses to complex emergencies such as Haiti and Pakistan as well as new challenges derived from unprecedented level of population displacement in Africa, Asia and in the Middle East.

By Rick D'Elia

Beneath the daily downpour, Eligio Machado Rizo stands knee-deep in a muddy ditch in the impoverished northern highlands of Nicaragua. Eligio is president of the potable water committee in Potrerillo, a town in Esteli department. He and a crew of neighbors set up a new 1-inch pipeline that will bring potable water to six rural homes and a school downslope from a natural water source.

Until recently, water technologies have been out of reach for the rural poor of Nicaragua.

By: Nadia McGill

Silver Spring, Maryland [January 30, 2008]-Nearly five months after Hurricane Felix ripped through Latin America and the Caribbean, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is continuing to aid survivors of the storm in Nicaragua through the distribution of more than $44 million in donated medicine and pharmaceutical supplies.

ADRA partner organizations Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief (CPAR), along with the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy, donated the medicines worth $44,492,146, which are expected to benefit more than 1,000,000 residents directly …

ACTED Indonesia: A new boat to go beyond road access problems

ACTED teams working in the ?eld do so in collaboration with local economic and social actors as well as with the populations. In the course of their projects, ACTED teams also interact with their local counterparts as well as with other international NGOs when present. Those exchanges sometime lead to speci? c collaborations...

ACTED Indonesia has been in charge of a new means of ? uvial transportation for several weeks now, after having been given a 10 meter sea-boat by the German NGO HELP.

This year, three key developments have influenced WHO's emergency work: 1) the increasing demands from Member States to strengthen WHO's emergency response operations; 2) the implementation of the humanitarian reform, resulting in new responsibilities for WHO; and 3) lessons learned during recent crises.

This report covers the period of 01/06/07 to 31/10/07.

In a world of global challenges, continued poverty, inequity, and increasing vulnerability to disasters and disease, the International Federation with its global network, works to accomplish its Global Agenda, partnering with local community and civil society to prevent and alleviate human suffering from disasters, diseases and public health emergencies.

In brief

Programme Summary:

The Panama Regional Representation has been strongly supporting the important work of National Societies which focuses on assisting people of …

• Appeal Amount: US$ 351,182 (238,994 euros)

  Background

  In October, a tropical wave provoked heavy rains in Nicaragua, resulting in flooding and landslides throughout much of the country. A total of 6,807 families (31,025 people) were affected. More than 5,000 people were evacuated with the help of local authorities and sheltered in temporary housing.

  Damage from the storm was extensive. Thousands of homes were partially damaged or completely destroyed, as well as many bridges and roads.

ROME - Two major logistics companies, UPS and TNT, have joined forces for a humanitarian cause by offering free warehousing facilities to the United Nations Humanitarian Response Depots (UNHRD), run by the UN World Food Programme in Ghana and Panama. This follows discussions between major players in the Logistics and Transport industry (UPS, TNT and Agility) on common industry-wide support to humanitarian operations.

"This generous TNT-UPS contribution to the UNHRD network means that WFP and our partners are able to respond faster to urgent needs in all regions.

ROME, le 4 décembre 2007 - UPS et TNR, deux grandes entreprises de logistique, se sont unies pour aider la cause humanitaire, en mettant à disposition gratuitement des hangars pour les entrepôts de fournitures humanitaires des Nations Unies (UNHRD) situés au Ghana et au Panama et gérés par le Programme alimentaire mondial des Nations Unies (PAM).

Compañeros del Instituto Nicaragüense de Turismo donaron 25 mil 583 córdobas equivalente a un día de salario en apoyo a los afectados por las intensas lluvias y será destinado a la compra de ayuda humanitaria que continua siendo la prioridad del Gobierno de Reconciliación y Unidad Nacional.

By Michael Christie

MIAMI, Nov 27 (Reuters) - For a second year in a row, the United States has escaped a severe hurricane hit, pushing memories of Hurricane Katrina and the flooding of New Orleans another notch into the past.

But for Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, the 2007 hurricane season ending on Friday has hardly been benign.

"No, not at all.

(Extract)

Bangladesh

Several thousand people were killed when Cyclone Sidr hit the southern coast of Bangladesh on Nov. 15.

CHURCH WORLD SERVICE
EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM

CWS EMERGENCY APPEAL:
NICARAGUA FLOODS

Appeal Number: 6760

Appeal Target: US$ 306,444

Geneva, 15 November 2007

Dear Colleagues,

Torrential rains hit the Pacific Western Region of Nicaragua from 10 to 15 October 2007, reaching 15,620 millimeters per square meter in some areas, far above the season average norm of 350 millimeters. The rains caused the rise and overflow of rivers in several districts. On 14 October 2007, a red alert was declared in the department of Chinandega where nine of the 13 municipalities suffered damages.

OTTAWA-Today in Nicaragua, on behalf of the Honourable Beverley J. Oda, Minister of International Cooperation, the Honourable Helena Guergis, Secretary of State (Foreign Affairs and International Trade) (Sport) announced that the Government Canada will provide $4 million to the World Food Programme's school-feeding program in Nicaragua for one year.

"This money will go to some of the poorest areas of Nicaragua and feed over 175,000 school children," said Minister Oda.

1) Flooding continues to be a problem along the northern Honduran coast as well as the northeastern portion of Nicaragua. This is the result of several weeks of heavy rainfall onto soils already oversaturated by Hurricane Felix. Rainfall has caused damage to infrastructure, fatalities and cut off communities from receiving aid. Additional rainfall is expected this week and will aggravate problems.

According to United Nations estimates, 24,000 people have been affected and close to 2000 homes damaged in Nicaragua as a result of the extreme rainfall and flooding that occurred across Central America in October.

In cooperation with the Nicaraguan Ministry of Education and UNICEF, SOS Children's Villages Nicaragua will participate in an emergency relief programme for children of communities in the North Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAN) of Nicaragua, one of the most severely affected areas.

With the supply of didactic materials and books, SOS Children's Villages Nicaragua …