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Nicaragua Floods: Emergency Plan of Action Operation Update no. 2 (MDRNI007)

Countries
Nicaragua
Sources
IFRC
Publication date
Origin
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Summary: Following the declaration of a yellow alert on 4 October 2017, the NRC activated its emergency operation centre, and it prepared its staff at the national and branch levels; it also activated its Monitoring and Information Commission to track situation reports from the Pacific Region departments of Rivas, Carazo, León and Chinandega and in the central regions of Matagalpa and Juigalpa.

An initial Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) allocation was requested on 5 October 2017 to support the Nicaraguan Red Cross’ preparedness actions, such as pre-positioning NRC staff and volunteers for the arrival of Tropical Storm Nate.

On 7 October, SINAPRED reported that the following 16 departments were affected by floods and heavy winds:
Rivas, Chontales, Madriz, Boaco, Rio San Juan, Nueva Segovia, Estelí, Carazo, Managua, Masaya, Granada, Chinandega, León, Matagalpa, Jinotega and the Autonomous regions of the North Caribbean Coast and the South Caribbean Coast; the flooding affected a total of 87 municipalities, with 7,840 families impacted (270 families in collective centres), 5,900 affected homes (211 damaged, 32 destroyed and 27 at risk of collapsing) and 15 people reportedly died .

On 14 October, the IFRC published DREF operation update no.1, which reflected the assessment’s results and the National Society’s response activities after the passage of Tropical Storm Nate; furthermore, it outlined the emergency plan of action) with an overall budget of 162,543 Swiss francs and an operational timeframe of three months and the scaling up of the response through the provision health and care, water, sanitation and hygiene promotion and shelter (including non-food items.

Twenty volunteers from the branch in Rivas, who were supported by a volunteer from the headquarters, carried out damage and needs assessments in the communities of Ochomogo and Gil González (Rivas department); additionally, National Society personnel evacuated people from flooded homes and provided immediate assistance to the most affected. A water and sanitation team has been deployed, and it is conducting rapid assessments in health, water and sanitation, including chemical analysis of water sources and wells; it is estimated that 432 families are affected, and 87 wells are flooded and contaminated in Rivas. Volunteers have provided psychosocial support (PSS) and are carrying out a survey of families that are being sheltered in Lilly Pedroza School (Ochomogo community, Belén municipality, Rivas department).

The NRC’s Communication and Press Department has been providing recommendations and key messages to affected people through the communicators network. In addition, the NRC’s Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) is receiving daily status reports from the local branches, and the logistics department has opened collection centres in the NRC’s headquarters and branches to receive donated items for the affected families.

The NRC’s EOC e continues to coordinate with several branches through a strategy and structure defined by the National Council, which is in line with the NRC’s national response, contingency, and standard operating procedures (SOPs) Plans.