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Venezuela

Emergency relief assistance for the victims of flood in Venezuela

Background:
According to the information released by the Government of Venezuela, heavy rains have triggered landslides and flood in particular the coastal regions from the eastern State of Anzoategui to the State of Zuli on the West Coast. On 16 December 1999, the National Assembly of Venezuela declared the State of Emergency, for the Federal District of Caracas and eight of the country's states. As the preliminary reports, the affected population is estimated to be more than 120,000 people, and the number of people dead is reported more than 5,000. However, according to unofficial newspaper reports, the number of casualties may be significantly higher. Serious damage has been reported to housing, transportation, electricity, and communications infrastructures. National and international airports serving the Caracas metropolitan area has been closed until further notice. Landslides have interrupted the highway connecting Caracas to airport and port areas of la Guira Vargas State.

Urgent Relief Needs:

Food is identified, as the most urgent relief need. Other urgent relief needs are including shelter (plastic sheeting), safe drinking water and medicines. According to the media of Venezuela, a large percentage of victims have been left without food and water. Purified drinking water is not available, raising concern regarding the risk of water-borne diseases and possible outbreak of malaria. There is a strong possibility for the outbreaks of epidemic and communicable diseases. Utensils, mosquito nets, clothes, blankets, vessels, canvas tents, life saving drugs and other medical supplies are also urgent needs of the victims.

Most of the victims are suffering from intestinal infections, respiratory infections, diarrhea, dysentery, fever, malaria and physical injuries.

AMDA's Activities:

AMDA Headquarters dispatched various AMDA Multinational Medical Mission (AMMM) teams of the following members on December 20, 1999 from AMDA Headquarters in Japan as well as from AMDA-Bolivia, AMDA-Peru and AMDA-Honduras for the immediate relief assistance to the victims.

Sr. No.
Names AMDA Chapters
1.
Mr. Shunsuke Suzuki AMDA Headquarters
2.
Dr. Amado Mole AMDA-Bolivia
3.
Dr. Jose C. Yamaniha AMDA-Peru
4.
Dr. Guillermo Perez AMDA-Honduras

The teams are tasked to assess and review the situation, identify the priority needs and to coordinate relief activities. It was decided that the AMDA team would provide humanitarian assistance to the victims for lifeline in form of food, water and medicines.

Appeal for Donations:

AMDA is prepared to serve as channel for cash contribution to be used for immediate relief assistance. Contributors from Japan are requested to deposit the fund to Postal Transfer Account named AMDA, Account No. 01250-2-40709 with reference: Venezuela - Flood. Foreign donors are requested to deposit their funds to Chugoku Bank, Head Office, Okayama with Account No. 1219 or by using International Money Order in the name of AMDA with the following address.

This situation report and also further information reports ongoing emergencies are also available on the AMDA Internet web site at http://www.amda.or.jp

For Further Information:

AMDA Headquarters

310-1 Narazu, Okayama 7701-1202, Japan
Tel. +81-86-284-6758
Fax +81-86-284-8959
E-mail: zaman@amda.or.jp

Persons to contact:

Advisor of Project: Dr. Shigeru Suganami, M.D., Ph.D.
Head of Project: Prof. Dr. Hidetoshi Matono, M.D., D.Sc., Ph.D.
In-charge of Project: Dr. Khan M. Zaman, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Domestic Information: Ms. Hiroko Tomioka