PWR El Salvador
NATIONAL EMERGENCY
Situation Report #7
Adverse event Floods and mudslides caused by heavy rain
Date of occurrence 7-8 November 2009
Specific area of impact Departments in the central part of El Salvador
Date of report 17 November 2009
1. Current situation:
Response activities are being concentrated on the recovery of water systems and epidemiological surveillance to prevent outbreaks of dengue, leptospirosis, diarrhea and other diseases.
According to the Ministry of Health, between 8 and 15 November, a total of 22,340 people received medical care at the shelters. The main cases treated include respiratory infections, skin infections, trauma, severe diarrhea, bacterial conjunctivitis and pneumonia.
The five departments affected by the emergency have reported confirmed and suspected cases of dengue-most of them classic.
The Ministry of Health also confirmed that 25 Health Units suffered damage. The cost of replacing the lost installations and equipment has been calculated at US$3.7 million. An additional US$6 million are needed to purchase medicines to treat the population affected by the emergency.
According to U.N. reports, US$5.8 million have been pledged by bilateral agencies, U.N. agencies and NGOs.
The Ministry of Public Works, together with the Salvadorian Association of Engineers, has estimated the damage to the infrastructure at US$870 million. This includes damage to bridges, highways, and water systems.