Tuvalu Cyclone Nina Jan 1993 DHA-UNDRO Situation Report 1
05JAN93-6982 LMURPHY tuvalu.cyclone.jan93
(1)
UNDRO 93/0007
TUVALU - CYCLONE 'NINA'
DHA-UNDRO SITUATION REPORT NO.1
5 JANUARY 1993
SITUATION
1. ON 3 JANUARY 1993, TROPICAL CYCLONE
'NINA' SEVERELY AFFECTED TUVALU (TOTAL POPULATION APPROX. 8,500).
STRONG WINDS OF UP TO 70 KNOT S WERE REPORTED THROUGHOUT THE TUVALU
GROUP. HIGH SEAS FROM THE WESTERN SIDE ALSO CAUSED FLOODING OF THE
MAIN VILLAGES
OF FIVE OF THE OUTER ISLANDS: NANUMEA,
NANUMAGA, NIUTAO, NUI AND VAITUPU.
2. REPORTS RECEIVED BY THE MORNING OF
4 JANUARY INDICATE THAT UP TO 30 FAMILY HOUSES HAVE BEEN BLOWN DOWN OR
WASHED AWAY BY BIG WAVES. A LARGE NUMBER OF FAMILIES HAVE BEEN LEFT
HOMELESS. NO CASUALTIES HAVE BEEN REPORTED.
3. THE SUPPLY OF FOODSTUFF AND OTHER
ESSENTIAL MATERIALS LIKE FLOUR, SUGAR, RICE, KEROSENE, BATTERIES, PETROL
IN THE SHOPS ON THE BADLY AFFECTED ISLANDS IS EXPECTED TO LAST FOR LESS
THAN TWO DAYS. AT PRESENT, GOVERNMENT VESSEL UNABLE TO MOBILIZE SUPPLIES
TO THE OUTER ISLANDS BECAUSE OF STRONG WINDS AND ROUGH SEAS.
APPEAL FOR INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE
4. THE GOVERNMENT OF TUVALU IS APPEALING
TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY FOR EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE TO PROVIDE ESSENTIAL
RELIEF SUPPLIES TO THE PEOPLE OF THE OUTER ISLANDS. CASH CONTRIBUTIONS
ARE NEEDED TO PURCHASE THE REQUIRED ITEMS EITHER LOCALLY OR IN
THE REGION.
5. UNDP/DHA-UNDRO RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE
AND DHA-UNDRO/SOUTH PACIFIC PROGRAMME OFFICE (SPPO) IN SUVA, FIJI, IN CONTACT
WITH NATIONAL AUTHORITIES TO MONITOR SITUATION AND REVERT WITH UPDATED
INFORMATION ON THE EXTENT OF DAMAGE AND EMERGENCY NEEDS AS SOON
AS AVAILABLE.
6. CASH CONTRIBUTIONS CAN BE CHANNELLED
THROUGH DHA-UNDRO, SWISS BANK CORPORATION, CASE POSTALE 2770, CH 1211 GENEVA
10, ACCOUNT NO. CO-590.160.1, WITH MENTION TUVALU - CYCLONE NINA.
7. FOR COORDINATION PURPOSES, PLEASE
INFORM DHA-UNDRO IMMEDIATELY AS INDICATED BELOW OF PLEDGES/CONTRIBUTIONS.
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