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Yemen

Yemen floods Situation report No. 6 - 01 Nov 2008

OVERVIEW

- WHO planning donor appeal for health response.

- No reported disease outbreaks.

- Joint UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, IOM and WHO assessment mission to Hadramout Governorate has been completed.

- Health services have been disrupted in many areas, especially in remote villages, due to damage to roads, facilities and lack of staff.

- WHO malariologist travelled today to Hadramout.

SITUATION UPDATE

- The joint UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, IOM and WHO assessment mission to Hadramout Governorate returned to Sana'a on 30 October. WHO's findings and recommendations for the health sector include:

- Health services have been disrupted in many areas, especially in remote villages, due to damage to roads and facilities, as well as to a lack of staff. Some areas and IDP settlements are served by charity programmes or local NGOs on an irregular basis. The Ministry of Public Health and Population (MoPHP) is trying to set up and dispatch mobile teams to remote areas to conduct: health needs assessments; provide immunization services to residents; and collect surveillance data on diarrhoeal diseases, acute respiratory infections, malaria, etc.

- Considerable assistance, including drugs, medical supplies and in some cases staff, has been received from neighbouring countries and donors. The MoPHP needs support to effectively coordinate health partners, send them where they will be most needed and organize supply distribution areas in need.

- No outbreaks have been reported so far. However, vigilance is crucial as conditions remain precarious and are conducive to possible disease outbreaks such as measles, diarrhoeal diseases, acute respiratory infections, malaria or dengue fever.

- No new reports of injuries or deaths.

NATIONAL RESPONSE

- The MoPHP today initiated several disease prevention activities in the Hadramout governorate, in the presence of the Minister of Public Health and the WHO Representative. These activities included:

- Spraying insecticides for vector control in the districts of Sah, Tareem, As Soum, Sayoun, Shibam, Wadi Al-Ain, Hawra and Al Qasha camp,

- Communicable disease surveillance in As Soum district,

- Bed-net distribution in the Tareem and Sah districts.

INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE

- On 1 November, the UN Assessment Mission reported to the Resident Coordinator its findings and recommendations in different sectors, estimating that 25 000 people have been affected. The Disaster Management Committee in Hadramout, chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister, reported that 3264 houses had been damaged or destroyed, with an average of seven people per household.

- The mission also briefed the three-member OCHA team in Sana'a on its observations, including the needs in each sector.

WHO RESPONSE

- WHO is supporting the Yemen MoPHP in coordinating the health cluster activities of UN agencies, international and national nongovernmental organizations and local partners.

- WHO is in the process of preparing a proposal to the CERF and other donors to raise funds for implementing health activities in flood-affected areas in Hadramout and Al Mahrah governorates. These activities would include EPI, vector control, diseases surveillance, water and sanitation and provision of emergency medical kits.

- The WHO Malariologist departed for Hadramout governorate today; the National Surveillance Officer and the Water & Sanitation Engineer will travel to Hadramout on 3 November.

- A consignment of 2 Inter-agency Emergency Health Kits and one diarrhoeal disease kit (altogether nine pieces weighing 2,451 kgs) was dispatched through WHO/HQ/EMRO (leaving the United National Humanitarian Depot in Dubai) has arrived in Sana'a, were cleared from the airport and will be sent to Hadramout soon.

- The WHO Representative and Resident Coordinator are on mission in Hadramout Governorate and are scheduled to return to Sana'a via Mukala on 3 November.

CONTACTS

For further information please contact:

WHO Yemen Country Office
Dr Ghulam Popal
WR Yemen
e-mail: wr-yemen@yem.emro.who.int
tel: + (967) 1 252213

WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean
Mr Altaf Musani
e-mail: musania@emro.who.int
tel.: + (202) 26 76 50 25
mobile: + (201) 02 58 58 22

WHO headquarters
Mr Paul Garwood, Communications officer
Health Action in Crises
e-mail: garwoodp@who.int
tel. + (41) 22 791 3462
mobile: + (41) 79 475 5546

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