Ref: DHAGVA - 98/0163
Situation
1. In consultation with the national authorities, the United Nations Resident Coordinator reports that the effects of El Niño have worsened over the first two weeks of February owing to heavy precipitation and frequent heavy seas along various parts of the coast. Serious damage has been caused right along the seaboard, i.e. the five coastal provinces and the low-lying parts of the upland provinces.
2. In contrast, the Andean provinces of Imbabura and Carchí, by the Colombian border, and Loja on the Peruvian frontier, are suffering from an acute drought which threatens to bring about costly losses in the farming sector, basically in the potato, broad bean, kidney bean and maize crops.
3. According to official sources, the cumulative count of casualties and homes affected is as follows:
| Dead | 111 |
| Injured | 42 |
| Missing | 14 |
| Homes affected | 6842 |
| Homes destroyed | 688 |
Areas most affected
4. According to information from damage assessment teams, which are working with technical backstopping from the United Nations system, the most critical areas at present are:
Guayas: El Triunfo (La Troncal road), Milagro, Javita, areas influenced by the Chongón and San Marcos dams on the Santa Elena Peninsula.
Los Ríos: Mocache, Vinces, Baba, El Salto, Barreiro, Pimocha, La Carmela, La Angélica and El Porvenir.
El Oro: the urban fringe districts of Machala, Bajo Alto, Huaquillas, Chacras, Carcabón, Balsalito, Guabillo, Quebrada Seca, El Progreso, and the cantons of Chilla and Las Lajas, which have been cut off.
Azuay: Zhagal (Molleturo parish), Zhumiral.
Manabí: Chone, Rocafuerte, Puerto López, the Poza Honda district, Jipijapa, Montecristi. Esmeraldas: Quinindé, the Viche district, Limones.
Damage to road network
5. Over the past ten days a number of bridges on major roads have been destroyed, including the bridge over the Bucay in Guayaquil-Machala, halting traffic on one of the country's main commercial arteries. The road from Guayaquil to the Santa Elena Peninsula has been cut for the same reason. Other important roads for trade in goods between the coast and the uplands have had to close: for instance, the road linking Cuenca with Molletura and Naranjal.
Health sector
6. The main problem in the health sector is drinking-water supply, but the decline in health standards throughout the area affected by the flooding has been striking. According to Ministry of Health sources, there have been 11 confirmed cases of leptospirosis and another 18 are under study. The Ministry, in collaboration with WHO/PAHO, is stepping up and intensifying its epidemiological surveillance, malaria monitoring and public information programmes.
Damage to schools
7. In the education sector, according to information from the Ministry of Education and the Department of Schools Construction (DINACE), a total of 372 facilities in 11 provinces have been destroyed. According to the same source, 1,268 facilities are in urgent need of repair.
Contributions (reported since OCHA-Geneva Situation Report No.5, of 16 January 1998):
| Inter-governmental organizations | US$ | |
| ECHO | Response and Rehabilitation Fund | 2, 025, 000 |
| Governments | ||
| The People's Republic of China | Donation through INNFA | 50, 000 |
| Netherlands | Donation to Ecuadorian Red Cross | 20, 000 |
| Norway | medical supplies (private donation) | 150, 000 |
| Switzerland | water-supply equipment | 240, 000 |
| Cash contribution through OCHA | 16, 600 |
8. OCHA is prepared to serve as a channel for cash contributions to be used during the immediate relief phase in coordination/consultation with relevant organizations of the United Nations system. OCHA provides donors with written confirmation and pertinent details concerning the utilization of the funds contributed.
9. Donors wishing to channel their contributions through OCHA should transfer funds to OCHA account no. CO.590.160.1 at the Swiss Bank Corporation, Case Postale 2770, CH-1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland, with reference: ECUADOR - FLOODS.
10. For coordination purposes, donors are requested to inform OCHA Geneva, as indicated below, of relief mission, pledges or contributions and their corresponding values by item.
Telephone number: + 41-22-917-1234
In case of emergency only: + 41 22 917 2010
Desk Officers: Mr. Erik Haegglund, direct tel: + 41-22-917-3299 and
Mr. Carlos Monteiro-Pereira, direct tel: +41-22-917-1383
Contact for medias: Ms M. Moulin-Acevedo, direct tel: + 41 22 917 2856
Telex 41 42 42 dha ch
Fax: + 41 22 917 0023
E-mail: info at dha.unicc.org
Disclaimer
- UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
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