Cuba: WFP approves IRA/EMOP to
assist 24,770 people for three months
Nearly 5,900,000 persons were affected
directly or indirectly as a consequence of the total or partial loss of
crops, homes and other assets, and because of the interruption of the electrical,
water and telecommunications services caused by Hurricane Michelle. The
provinces with the greatest amount of reported damage are Matanzas, Cienfuegos,
Villa Clara, Sancti Spiritus and La Habana.
The UN interagency mission that visited the provinces of Matanzas, Cienfuegos and Villa Clara on 7-8 November found that some 10,600 persons were reported to be in government shelters. Although these numbers have drastically decreased, not all families will be able to return to their homes due of the high number of destroyed houses. It is therefore foreseen that a considerable number of persons, mainly women, children and elderly, will remain in Government shelters for up to one year while their homes are rebuilt. The affected people will in most cases carry out rebuilding themselves with construction materials provided by the Government.
WFP will participate in this reconstruction process by assisting 4,800 persons living in shelters in the five hardest-hit provinces of Matanzas, Cienfuegos, Villa Clara, La Habana and Sancti Spiritus during 3 months through the use of IRA/EMOP resources. About 60% of the beneficiaries are expected to be women, taking into account that a large percentage of people in shelters are women heads of households.
Due to expected difficulties regarding food availability as a result of the hurricane, this IRA/EMOP will also address the situation of 19,970 pregnant women in the same five (most affected) provinces for three months.
Sufficient stocks of wheat flour and vegetable oil are presently available in the Port of Havana from Project CUBA 5686 to immediately address the food needs of both groups of beneficiaries. IRA-EMOP resources will be used to replace the commodities borrowed from this project.
WFP assistance will be distributed as a complement to the Government's regular food ration.
The Ministry of Domestic Trade will be responsible for transporting, handling, storing and distributing the food commodities to the beneficiaries in the different shelters, as well as to pregnant women in the five most affected provinces using the normal government distribution networks. The provincial Governments in each territory will be directly responsible of ensuring the timely distribution of commodities in accordance to what has been planned by WFP in co-ordination with the Cuban government.
Belize: WFP assisting 4,000 in the wake of Hurricane Iris
WFP has exchanged letters with PAHO/WHO, which will represent WFP in the implementation of the three-month IRA/EMOP to assist 4,000 persons living in the Stann Creek and Toledo Districts. This arrangement is in accordance with the recently signed WFP/ODM and PAHO/WHO Memorandum of Understanding that provides specifically for situations where WFP has no presence in disaster-affected countries.
The Ministry of Human Development will be responsible for the distribution of food to the affected families through NGOs operating in the selected areas.
Final preparations for food distribution are under way, with purchases of maize, wheat flour and beans having been carried out and commodities delivered to the designated extended delivery point of Punta Gorda. The delivery of vegetable oil has been delayed by several days due to the diversion of the vessel carrying this commodity in the wake of Hurricane Michelle.
Honduras: WFP responds as flood damages from Tropical Storm Michelle are quantified
In response to flooding provoked by Tropical Storm Michelle, WFP will provide 3,500 families living in the Department of Yoro with emergency food assistance for 48 days. World Vision will participate in this operation as implementing partner. Assistance will be focused on the rehabilitation of water systems and agricultural and grazing areas through food-for-work activities.
Tropical Storm Michelle resulted in 7 deaths, 14 people missing, 25,270 evacuees, and 52,397 people affected overall in Honduras. Some 1,200 homes, 11 bridges and 6 schools were damaged, another 72 homes and 32 bridges were completely destroyed, and over 22,000 hectares of crops were lost.
Nicaragua: WFP providing relief assistance to coastal population affected by Tropical Storm Michelle
In response to the flooding caused by Tropical Storm Michelle, an assessment mission traveled to the North Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAN) from 7-11 November. As a result of meetings with the emergency committee in the regional capital of Puerto Cabezas, a list of targeted communities for food assistance has been elaborated. The estimated number of affected people remains at 17,438. Some communities are still isolated due to the increased level of rivers and destruction of bridges and roads, and exact information from these areas is not available.
The main obstacles to food distribution in the area are related to the absence of basic infrastructure, including road networks and the necessary requirements for river transport (boats, motors, fuel, etc.) Fuel and other items are scarce due to rupture in supply caused by the increased levels of the rivers. Following the meeting with the emergency committee, available vehicles and boats were identified and are now being used for distribution of relief commodities.
WFP plans to send a total of 120 MT to the affected region, which will provide some 17,500 people in Puerto Cabezas, Rosita and Waspán with a two week ration of maize, chickpeas, CSM and vegetable oil.
Guatemala: Additional WFP assistance to address new crop losses while assessment of the results of the second harvest underway
A high-pressure system continues affecting the entire country, resulting in a cold front and very high winds in the mountainous areas of El Progreso, Jalapa, Chiquimula, Zacapa and Jutiapa and provoking serious losses - in some cases nearing 100% - of maize and bean crops. Loss of this harvest is particularly devastating to small farmers in this area as there is only one 7-month long yearly planting season.
The situation has provoked a substantial increase in prices, as maize and beans are being brought in from other parts of the country and sold at the local markets. The price of maize has increased by 10%.
There is a lack of both governmental and non-governmental assistance programs in this area. To address this situation, WFP has increased its assistance from 20,062 families (those currently receiving food aid due to the situation of irregular rains) to 22,068 families in order to accommodate those who have recently lost their crops due to the negative effects of the prolonged high-pressure system on the mountainous areas.
The second food distribution to families affected by irregular rains began this week with the participation from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Red Cross, various NGOs and municipal organizations.
The Terms of Reference for the upcoming evaluation of the results of the second harvest were approved and circulated. A training workshop for those who will be gathering the data was carried out on 9 November, and the assessment mission began on 12 November with the participation of WFP, the Ministry of Agriculture, UNICEF, FAO and various government field offices.
El Salvador: New strategies to link development assistance with emergency response
The general food security situation remains volatile for many families affected by the recent drought. In some areas there will be some recuperation through the coming harvest this November, however in many areas the production will not cover the significant losses of staple crops suffered in the previous harvest time. The current low price of coffee is starting to have devastating effect on household economies. Although the picking season has started, plantations are not hiring workers. This will mean a substantial loss of income for both men and women in all regions of the country. Many people affected by the two earthquakes in January and February are now being hit by general unemployment.
Within the framework of the current development projects and the EMOP 10022.0 (Assistance to Earthquake Victims), WFP El Salvador is encouraging the development of a more sustainable emergency response system. In an active negotiation with government and partner NGOs, WFP is looking to use the existing network of the school-feeding programme as a complementary or alternative network for immediate emergency distributions. Initial responses at all levels have thus far been positive.
Ecuador
Last week concluded the distribution of food rations of the food-for-work initiative in the four provinces of the Amazonian region affected by heavy rains and flooding in June of this year and to families affected by volcanic eruption of August 14.
Monitoring and evaluation of the impact of the two emergencies on the affected populations continues, as does WFP's coordination and cooperation with the Civil Defense (counterpart), Government, and international and private organizations that responded to these crises.
The affected families are participating in rehabilitation activities that are enabling them to reestablish normal life. The majority has been able to sow their traditional fields and a small percentage of others have fields that are in growing and harvesting stages.
The Geophysical Institute reports continued volcanic activity with emissions of steam and ash reaching altitudes of three kilometers. In light of the volcano's instability, the Geophysical Institute and the Civil Defense recommend that the communities remain in a state of alert.
Peru: Contribution of USD 300,000 enables WFP to assist 15,000 people affected by June earthquake
A WFP mission traveled to Arequipa and Moquegua to identify, in collaboration with Government, Civil Defense and NGO representatives, people who will be receiving food assistance under the emergency operation. It is estimated that WFP will be able to provide assistance to 15,000 out of the 30,000 people included in the original EMOP document with this first contribution of USD 300,000.
Suppliers are being identified and contacted for the local purchase of pulses and vegetable oil. WFP is looking into the possibilities of purchasing rice from neighboring Ecuador due to more competitive prices there.
The June 23 earthquake measured 7.9 on the Richter scale and left 77 persons dead, 68 missing, 2,713 injured and some 50-60,000 destitute. As a consequence of the tsunami that hit the coast at Carmana, 2,500 hectares of agricultural land suffered heavy damages, including significant losses to rice, bean, potato, and onion crops.
In response to an official government request for assistance, WFP Peru immediately approved an IRA/EMOP for USD 200,000, which provided food aid to 20,000 people for one month.
WFP followed up with EMOP operation 10096.0, approved in August, to provide food aid to 30,000 of the poorest and most food insecure households in the hardest-hit departments Arequipa and the coastal provinces of Camaná and Islay. Groups targeted for food aid include small subsistence farmer families whose crops were destroyed by the tsunami, and families living in small population centres who have lost their homes and goods, who make a living from rural employment and who, as a result of the destruction of irrigation systems, have temporarily lost their employment due to a halt in agricultural activity.