Ecuador: Floods OCHA Situation Report No. 2

Ref: OCHA/GVA - 2006/0045
OCHA Situation Report No. 2
Ecuador - Floods

This situation report is based on information provided by the office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Ecuador, the United Nations Emergency Team (UNETE), the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and Catholic Relief Services.

Situation

1. Heavy rains and floods continue in the coastal provinces of El Oro, Esmeraldas, Guayas, Los Ríos, and Manabí. Houses, basic infrastructure, and crops have been severely affected. Since early February 11 people have died due to the floods. According to the weather forecast, heavy rains will continue affecting the coast of Ecuador until May 2006.

2. A total of 11,442 flood affected families (approximately 52,000 people) in the provinces of El Oro, Esmeraldas, Guayas, Los Ríos, and Manabí are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance and 703 families are living in temporary shelters. WFP Emergency Food Security assessments carried out last week in the provinces of Guayas, El Oro, and Los Ríos identified 5,300 families as requiring urgent food assistance. One of the greatest concerns is for public health, as stagnant waters could lead to outbreaks of tropical diseases such as dengue, as well as respiratory diseases.

3. As of 21 March, the number of flood affected families requiring urgent humanitarian assistance was as follows:

<i>*The situation in the province

of Esmeraldas is worsening.

4. A WFP Emergency Food Security Assessment in Manabí has identified 2,952 families as requiring urgent humanitarian assistance. In the county of Tosagua, which has been most severely affected, 833 families have lost their homes and crops, and large numbers of cattle are in danger.

5. Floods in Los Ríos province continue since 18 March. A total of 757 families have been evacuated from their homes. According to the Civil Defence, 252 families have been moved to temporary shelters and homes of relatives. Children and elderly people are increasingly suffering from respiratory, dermatological, and gastrointestinal illnesses. Access to clean water has become one of the main concerns.

6. According to Civil Defence in Esmeraldas, floods and landslides have affected 990 families. A WFP assessment mission will be carried out this week in the province in order to evaluate the food security situation in the province.

National Response

7. On 13 February, the Government declared an emergency in the coastal provinces affected by floods.

8. A total of 5,000 food rations including oil, rice, sugar, tuna, and lentils were purchased by WFP with a Government contingency fund and distributed by Civil Defence volunteers and staff of the ministries of Agriculture and Livestock and of Social Welfare.

9. The Ministry of Social Welfare has started issuing USD 90 emergency grants in two monthly instalments for beneficiaries of the "Bono de Desarrollo Humano" (a social safety net programme for the most vulnerable female-headed households) affected by the floods. The Ministry has made USD 600,000 available for this operation.

10. The Ministers of Social Welfare and Agriculture and Livestock visited the affected areas of El Oro province with the local authorities. They then issued an Early Warning declaration (which is one step before the emergency) for the province.

11. Since early March, WFP has distributed emergency food rations to flood affected families as follows: 1,400 food rations in El Oro, 300 in Guayas, 1,400 in Los Ríos, and 5,868 in Manabí.

12. An emergency food ration (for a family of 5 persons for 15 days) contains:

13. The Pan American Health Organisation is working with the Ministry of Health on sanitation issues and supporting the activation of Health Emergency Operations Centres.

International Response

14. The Government of Ecuador has requested international assistance through a letter from the Minister of Social Welfare to the UN Resident Coordinator.

15. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (COSUDE) has responded to a request from Civil Defence in Manabí by providing support for the purchase and distribution of hygienic kits for 600 families in the counties of Tosagua and Chone.

16. Catholic Relief Services has disbursed USD 50,000 to Caritas and diocesan partners to respond to immediate needs, in particular food and medical care. CRS is also working with medical teams to provide emergency shelter and mosquito nets for evacuees.

17. The Ecuadorian Red Cross is in the process of scaling up its response and is considering with the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies the launch of an emergency appeal.

18. OCHA remains in close contact with the office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator and will continue reporting as further information is made available.

19. This situation report, together with the information on contributions and other ongoing emergencies, is also available on the OCHA Internet Website at http://www.reliefweb.int

MAP: Ecuador: Floods - Situation map

Tel. +41-22-917 1234
Fax: +41-22-917 00 23
E-mail: ochagva@un.org

In case of emergency only: Tel. +41-22-917 20 10

Desk Officers:

Ms. Marie Spaak
E-mail: spaak@un.org
Direct Tel. +41 22 917 2163

Press contact:

(GVA) - Ms. Elizabeth Byrs, Direct Tel. + 41-22-917 2653
(N.Y.) - Ms. Stephanie Bunker, Direct Tel. +1-917-367 51 26