Samoa/Tonga: Tsunami OCHA Situation Report No. 8

This report was issued by OCHA New York, with inputs from OCHA Fiji and the OCHA Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. It covers the period from 8 to 10 October. The next report will be issued around 14 October.

I. HIGHLIGHTS/KEY PRIORITIES

- The death toll in Samoa is 138. Six people are still missing.

- In Samoa, the Ministry of Health estimated that 4,500 people are directly affected by the Tsunami.

- About 3,000 people attended the national memorial service on 8 October in Samoa.

- In Samoa, family food security is considered very fragile due to the tsunami impact on livelihood.

- Loss of pigs and poultry, fishing gears and canoes urgently needs replacement as means to restore livelihood activities that ensure family protein source.

- In Samoa, reopening of schools is a priority. However, this requires basic furniture, access to sufficient clean water and sanitary facilities for the host schools, possibly school tents for additional space, first aid kits and transport.

- A rapid environmental impact and needs assessment is taking place in Samoa. An international tsunami survey team will start a scientific assessment on 14 October. Early Recovery Cluster presented preliminary findings of the socio-economic assessment to the Government of Samoa.

- The Government of Tonga's Early Recovery Plan will be ready early next week.

II. Situation Overview

Samoa

The official death toll stands at 138 with six missing. While humanitarian response in various sectors, including WASH, non-food Items, shelter, health, education, logistics and protection are ongoing, the Government of Samoa and international humanitarian agencies, including UN, NGOs and Red Cross, are already planning for the early recovery phase. The most updated figure of directly affected population is about 4,500, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH). IFRC will revise their preliminary appeal from the originally estimated target of 15,000 people to 4,500. The economic and social impact on indirectly affected populations such as host families of displaced population will need to be taken into consideration.

On 7 October, a tsunami alert was sent out all over Samoa following a powerful earthquake of magnitude 8.0 with the epicenter at 295 km north-northwest of Vanuatu. Rapid evacuation of population living in lowland areas followed. The tsunami alert was later lifted.

A National Mourning was declared for 9 October. A national memorial service was held in Apia and was attended by 3,000 people.

The UNDAC team has completed its mission and will depart from Apia on 10 October.

Tonga

Official reports indicate that nine people died and seven were seriously injured as a result of the tsunami. Out of total 225 houses, 89 were totally destroyed and 56 were damaged. Public buildings were also destroyed and water and sanitation systems seriously damaged. The Government of Tonga has been providing emergency relief with assistance from Red Cross, religious groups, private Tongan citizens, and FRANZ (Australia, New Zealand and France agreement to respond to disasters in the Pacific). Emergency relief needs have been almost fully met. A French navy vessel carrying relief items was expected to have arrived in Niuatoputapu on 9 October night. The emergency relief phase is expected to be declared to be completed soon.

The Government is preparing an early recovery plan which is expected to be ready early next week. The Government is concerned with the early warning system and is seeking help from the international community to improve it. UNDP has dispatched a team to look into the possible UN support during early recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction phase. Donors and UN agencies are ready to assist in the recovery and reconstruction efforts.

III. Humanitarian Needs and Response

Initial Assessment

Samoa

- Preliminary findings of the early recovery assessment were presented to the Government for further feedback. The draft of the Early Recovery Framework will be available for official submission by 14 October.

- A rapid environmental impact and needs assessment has been carried out under the aegis of the Early Recovery Cluster. The team consisted of various in-country scientists from a range of disciplines with specific knowledge of affected areas. The objective was to identify specialists and resources required to address issues such as pollution, coral reef damage, threat to ecological system, solid waste management, salinisation, etc. The assessment will help ensure that early recovery efforts are carried out in an environmentally sustainable way. The report will be available by early next week.

- The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, FAO and Women in Business have conducted a Food Security Survey. The findings will be fed into the Early Recovery Framework. Please refer to "Food and Nutrition" section below on key findings.

- An international tsunami survey team, consisting of specialized scientists, will start a scientific assessment on 14 October.

- Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has conducted a preliminary survey on the bulky wastes that were generated. The findings suggest that the waste in the affected areas in Aleipata required appropriate waste management to prevent the public from associated accidents and diseases.

- A New Zealand team will carry out an environmental assessment at the Aleipata wharf.

Tonga

- Assessment teams were dispatched to Niuatoputatpu on 7 and 8 October. Team members included officials from various government ministries, AusAID and the UN Resident Coordinator. The assessment looked into both gaps in humanitarian assistance and early recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction needs.

Logistics

Samoa

- A DHL Disaster Response Team will develop simple data-entry forms for incoming humanitarian items.

- The Logistics Cluster will introduce a car-pool system to facilitate regular field visits by all organizations.

- Any organization or entity that requires accreditation from the Disaster Advisory Committee for customs privileges should notify the Logistics Cluster. Bilateral (Government to Government) aid commitments should also be notified to the Logistics Cluster for overall database compilation.

Emergency Shelter/NFIs

Samoa

- The Logistics Cluster reported that the National Disaster Management Office was aware of the urgent needs of certain non-food items, including lanterns, mosquito nets and hand agricultural tools.

- Red Cross is ordering additional relief items, including 100 water tanks, 500 family tool kits, 1,000 female hygiene kits, 20 community construction kits, and 1,500 mosquito nets.

- For the shelter programme, Red Cross will target 500 families.

- HMNZS Canterbury, a multi-role vessel of the Royal New Zealand Navy, will transport relief items to Samoa.

Tonga

- HMNZS Canterbury will transport 15 pallets of supplies donated by Tongan communities in New Zealand to Nuku'alofa.

Education

Samoa

- Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture (MESC) confirmed that five schools were damaged by tsunami. An assessment indicated that about 1,000 children have been affected by disruption in school functioning due to damages.

- Reopening of schools is a priority. However, it requires basic furniture, access to sufficient water and sanitary facilities for host schools, transport, first aid kits, and possibly school tents for additional space. Text books and stationeries can be fully provided by MESC.

- MESC's draft report on tsunami-affected schools and needs has been forwarded to the National Disaster Council. The report was expected to be shared with Education Cluster members on 9 October.

- Education Cluster members will develop a detailed education response plan.

Tonga

- Primary school buildings in Hihifo and Falehau have been partly damaged. They are under temporary rehabilitation, but require long-term reconstruction. High school is used as an operation centre for the relief operation.

- A situation report received from the Operation Niuatoputapu Command Post indicated that basic school supplies are the most urgently needed items.

Emergency Telecoms

Samoa

- Affected villagers have identified AM/FM radios as essential means of receiving local information. This was apparently demonstrated when the Tsunami Alert was broadcast by local radio stations across Samoa on 7 October.

Tonga

- Land-line telephone communications in and out of Niuatoputapu has now been fully restored.

Food and Nutrition

Samoa

- A joint UN-Government-NGO Food Security Survey confirmed that the livelihood for the majority of affected households included subsistence agriculture, backyard pig and poultry production for self-consumption, and artisanal/subsistence fisheries. In addition, tourism was the main source of cash income.

- Damage to the plantation was in general limited, but most of the farming tools and equipment have been lost. Farmers affected may not be able to carry out essential farming works in the coming weeks.

- Home gardens have been totally destroyed. These home gardens are important for a nutritionally balanced family diet as most of the nutritious foods come from the garden.

- A number of pigs and poultry along with fishing gear and canoes were lost. As a result, the affected families lost most of the protein sources for their diets.

- Due to the loss, family food security is extremely fragile. Most victims are at the moment relying on external food assistance or moved to live with relatives and/or friends, putting additional pressure on the limited food availability. Providing key lost assets that are essential for food security is an urgent priority, which will enable rural households to resume food production.

- The current fish supply for the local market in Samoa is reduced by approximately 50 percent, due to damage to vessels. The repair/replacement of lost vessels is an immediate priority for the restoration income generating activities and food availability in Samoa.

Tonga

- Crops and livestock are reportedly to be mostly intact, while a number of boats were lost.

Health

Samoa

- MoH has officially established a Health Working Group, which includes all actors in the heath sector. As the Health Cluster Leader, WHO will make sure that all Health Cluster members will be integrated into this Government working group.

- The Government has agreed to launch a measles campaign, which is expected to start in 10 days.

- MoH is working on an exit strategy for medical personnel in order to balance the return to business-as-usual with the need for continuing support to the ongoing emergency response.

- A New Zealand surgical team and nursing staff have replaced Australian staff. The surgical team is focusing on treating respiratory conditions rather than emergency trauma/injuries. They continue to see up to 100 patients per day.

Tonga

- An emergency health team has departed, and the staffing at the hospital on Niuatoputapu is back to pre-tsunami normal operation.

- The hospital was totally destroyed and a temporary clinic has been set up in a church. All health records were lost, thus the health staff is currently conducting a new health survey.

- Medical equipment has been lost and need to be re-installed. These include cold chain equipment (refrigerators), generator, water tank, sterilizer, etc.

Protection

Samoa

- A Protection Cluster team joined the early recovery assessment and mainstreamed protection concerns. The Protection Cluster will work closely with the Early Recovery Cluster to ensure that durable solutions for displaced population are in line with the IASC Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement. Concerns around gender and groups with special needs will be reflected in the design and implementation of the Early Recovery Framework.

- On 8 October, the Protection Cluster held its last official meeting, as the OHCHR, the Cluster Lead agency, was expected to depart from Samoa on 9 October. The Regional Protection Cluster with the support of country-based protection team members will follow up on protection concerns during the early recovery phase.

- Registration and monitoring of families and children in the shelters need to be followed up, with particular attention to unaccompanied children.

- UNICEF and Save the Children will establish Child Friendly Spaces in the shelters and will conduct awareness raising campaigns to prevent gender-based violence.

Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene

Samoa

- The WASH Cluster is now officially chaired by the Government. The solid waste issue will not be covered by the WASH Cluster but by the Environmental Working Group under the Early Recovery Cluster.

- Water supply systems in the affected areas have now been recovered and Samoa Water Authority is extending the pipeline to the evacuation sites.

- In coordination with the Samoan Water Authority, the Samoa Red Cross has started to distribute water using two water trucks. Trucks carry inflatable bladders of water with a capacity of 5,000 litres. The truck supply will continue until a regular safe water supply system is established. UNICEF and OXFAM also provide support to rent additional water trucks.

- MoH has dispatched environmental health officers to communities to run awareness campaigns.

- JICA has dispatched emergency relief items including WASH equipment to Samoa. The assistance, which includes tents, tarpaulins, water containers, sleeping mats, blankets and water purifiers, is expected to arrive early next week.

- NZAID is liaising with the Samoa Water Authority regarding the placement of New Zealand's water treatment plant on 10 October.

- Construction of pit latrines is ongoing.

Tonga

- The New Zealand Red Cross dispatched a desalination plant and an engineer to Niuatoputapu.

- A water supply system started to operate but still requires major rehabilitation. Many of the water tanks used to catch rainwater have been displaced or damaged.

Early Recovery

Samoa

- Preliminary findings of the early recovery socio-economic assessment were presented to the Government on 8 October. With the Government feedback, the draft report will be finalized by 14 October.

- The Early Recovery Cluster has consulted other Clusters to integrate their inputs into the final Early Recovery Framework. The findings and recommendations from two other assessments, namely the Food Security Survey and the rapid environmental impact and needs assessment, will also be integrated into the Framework.

- Shelter may require a sub-working group under the Early Recovery Cluster as a number of agencies will be involved in the semi-permanent shelter activities to ensure standardized approach.

Tonga

- The Government is currently compiling the Early Recovery Plan, which is expected to be available early next week.