REDLAC Weekly Note on Emergencies: Latin America & The Caribbean - Year 2, Issue 100

HIGHLIGHTS:

BOLIVIA: Bolivian health authorities estimate than the dengue epidemic will be totally controlled in a month. The Health Minister offered support to Argentina in the fight against dengue.

ARGENTINA: Health Minister, Graciela Ocaña, admitted last week that the situation "is serious" and that 4,147 people have contracted the dengue virus in six provinces.

DENGUE OUTBREAK

BOLIVIA: During the latest days, the number of cases reduced and authorities estimate than the epidemic will be totally controlled in a month. The number of cases reported daily decreased from 1,500 to 200. The total amount of dengue infections reached 53,000. Last week, Bolivian Health Minister offered support to Argentina in the fight against dengue.

Source: La Nacion

ARGENTINA: Health Minister, Graciela Ocaña, admitted last week that the situation "is serious" and that 4,147 people had contracted the dengue virus in six provinces. The official figures, lead to the conclusion that the epidemic is the worst since the virus reappeared in the country in the late 1990=B4s. In the intervening period, the worst outbreaks occurred in 2004 and 2007, with nearly 2,000 cases reported on each occasion, according to the health ministry's Epidemiology Department. So far the ministry has not officially reported any fatal cases but, in Chaco, two women are said to have died from the illness, and another death has been reported in the adjacent province of Salta. Paraguay and Brazil have also notified cases of dengue fever.

Source: Inter Press Service

FLOODS

BOLIVIA: Heavy rains, overflowing of Rivers and cold have affected 5,000 families and crops in 11 municipalities in the department of La Paz. Major crops damaged include: potato, quinua (grain), barley and forage. The government is assessing the situation to assist the affected people and will designate a special fund for the purchase of agricultural supplies. The most affected provinces includes: Ingavi, Aroma, Jose Manuel Pando, Gualberto Villarroel, and Pacajes.

Source: Prensa Latina

VOLCANIC ACTIVITY

CHILE: Llaima volcano, one of South America's most active, belched ash 4 miles (7 km) into the sky that was blown towards neighboring Argentina in an intensifying eruption that prompted more evacuations. Llaima, which is in Chile's picturesque lake region about 435 miles (700 km) south of the capital Santiago, began spitting lava in a fresh bout of activity on Friday night. It erupted fiercely on Jan. 1, 2008, and has expelled rock and ash sporadically since then. State National Emergency Office ONEMI said a towering cloud of ash was being blown towards Argentina, extending 62 miles (100 km) southeast of the volcano. ONEMI said 71 people have been evacuated from the vicinity of volcano, which is surrounded by small towns and villages as well as the Conguillio national park. Chile's chain of about 2,000 volcanoes is the world's second-largest after Indonesia. Some 50 to 60 are on record as having erupted, and 500 are potentially active.

Source: Reuters

ACTIVITIES IN THE REGION

PANAMA: The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, through its Regional Office for Latin America, organized a Training of Trainers workshop on "Right to Food", with a special focus on indigenous and afro-descendant populations. Various regional UN agencies, including OCHA, participated in this workshop. The workshop included a session in human rights and people affected by disasters, which included related materials to be used by trainers in the countries

Source: UN Panama