ReliefWeb

UNDRO 88/0288
BRAZIL - FLOODS
INFORMATION REPORT NR.1
9 FEBRUARY 1988

1. CONTINOUS RAINS HAVE CAUSED SEVERE FLOODS AND NUMEROUS MUDSLIDES IN STATE OF RIO DE JANEIRO. UNDRO/UNDP RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE HAS BEEN IN CONTACT WITH MINISTRY OF INTERIOR, CIVIL DEFENSE AND OTHER CHANNELS, AND ALONG WITH OTHER INFORMATION RECEIVED BY UNDRO, FOLLOWING SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES ARE REPORTED:

2. ROAD CONNECTIONS TO THE TOWN OF PETROPOLIS WERE COMPLETELY CUT OFF, HAMPERING RELIEF OPERATIONS AND DAMAGE ASSESSMENT. LATEST REPORTS INDICATE THESE HAVE NOW BEEN RESTORED. AROUND 300 PERSONS FEARED DEAD AND MANY INJURIES HAVE OCCURRED. APPROXIMATELY 6000 PEOPLE RENDERED HOMELESS, 1000 HOUSES HAVING BEEN EITHER DESTROYED OR MADE INHABITABLE IN REGIONS OF CAXIAS, NOVA IGUACU, PETROPOLIS AND TERESOPOLIS.

3. PRESIDENT JOSE SARNEY HAS MADE AVAILABLE 100 MILLION CRUZADOS TO ASSIST VICTIMS THROUGH THE BRAZILIAN INSTITUTE FOR ASSISTANCE (LBA). BRAZILIAN RED CROSS ACTIVE IN RESCUE EFFORT AND FURNISHING RELIEF ASSISTANCE.

4. TO DATE GOVERNMENT HAS NOT REQUESTED INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE.

ESSAAFI UNDRO GENEVA 28148

UNDRO 88/0314

BRAZIL - FLOODS
INFORMATION REPORT NO. 2
12 FEBRUARY 1988

1. HEAVY RAINS CONTINUING, DANGER OF MUDSLIDES IN SEVERAL AREAS STILL EXISTS. CITIES PRINCIPALLY AFFECTED ARE PETROPOLIS, TERESOPOLIS, S.J. DO MERITI, NOVA IGUACU, DUQUE DE CAXIAS, NILOPOLIS, C. DE MACACU AND RIO DE JANEIRO. 178 DEATHS AND 617 INJURIES NOW CONFIRMED WHEREAS 8,376 PERSONS HOMELESS SHELTERED IN PUBLIC BUILDINGS, SCHOOLS OR TENTS.

2. CIVIL DEFENSE, RED CROSS, AND MILITARY TEAMS STILL ENGAGED IN RESCUE WORK AND CO-ORDINATED ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS.

3. UNDRO/UNDP RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE REPORTS THAT GOVERNMENT WELCOMING VOLUNTARY DONATIONS FROM INTERESTED PARTIES, AND TENTS, BLANKETS, FOOD, CLOTHING AND MEDICINES ARRIVING FROM INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, BUT NOT YET REQUESTING THAT APPEAL BE LAUNCHED FOR INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE.

ESSAAFI UNDRO GENEVA 28148

UNDRO 88/0398

BRAZIL - FLOODS
INFORMATION REPORT NO. 3
22 FEBRUARY 1988

1. LOCAL GOVERNMENT HAS DECLARED EMERGENCY STATE IN METROPOLITAN AREA OF RIO DE JANEIRO (CITIES OF BAIXADA FLUMINENSE, PETROPOLIS, RIO DE JANEIRO, TERESOPOLIS).

2. AS RESULT OF CONTINUED MUD AND ROCK SLIDES: OVER 250 DEAD, 1,000 INJURED AND 25,000 HOMELESS. HOUSES AND HOSPITALS DAMAGED/DESTROYED (FIGURES NOT YET AVAILABLE).

3. RELIEF OPERATION CARRIED OUT BY LOCAL RED CROSS, CIVIL DEFENCE, MILITARY AND VOLUNTEERS.

4. FED GOV NOT LIKELY TO LAUNCH APPEAL FOR INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE. HOWEVER FOLLOWING RELIEF ITEMS STILL REQUESTED: FOOD, BLANKETS, CLOTHING.

5. INITIAL REQUEST BY MINISTRY OF HEALTH OF MUNICIPALITY OF RIO DE JANEIRO FOR MEDICAL SUPPLIES WAS MET BY DONATIONS FROM (1) THE GOVERNMENTS OF ARGENTINA, JAPAN , MEXICO AND (2) PAHO.

6. THE SITUATION WORSENING OWING TO CONTINUING RAINS, A PAHO EXPERT ARRIVES TODAY IN RIO FOR ASSESSMENT OF FURTHER MEDICAL NEEDS INTER ALIA IN CONNECTION WITH RISK OF LEPTOSPEROSIS (AFFECTING KIDNEY SYSTEM AND SPREAD THROUGH CONTAMINATED WATER).

ESSAAFI UNDRO GENEVA 28148

UNDRO 88/0430

BRAZIL - FLOODS
INFORMATION REPORT NO. 4
25 FEBRUARY 1988

STATE OF RIO DE JANEIRO

1. RAINS HAVE CEASED. APPEAL FROM LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN STATE OF RIO DE JANEIRO HAS RESULTED IN NEEDS BEING MET BY NATIONAL AND BILATERAL ASSISTANCE.

2. UNDRO/UNDP RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE REPORTS FOLLOWING DATA THAT SUPERSEDE EARLIER ESTIMATES: 277 DEAD, 735 INJURED AND 18,362 HOMELESS.

3. PAHO ASSESSMENT MISSION REPORTS INCIDENCE OF LEPTOSPIROSIS (150-170 CASES OVER TWO WEEKS) MANAGEABLE. BRASILIAN RED CROSS STRESSES THAT DONATIONS OF SYRINGES AND NEEDLES SATISFY PRESENT REQUIREMENTS.

4. CONTRIBUTIONS AS REPORTED TO UNDRO:

CANADA - MEDICAL SUPPLIES (THROUGH PAHO), AIR FREIGHT COSTS OF MEXICAN CONTRIBUTION (SEE BELOW) AND CASH US DLRS 19,230 THROUGH PAHO.

JAPAN - MEDICAL SUPPLIES (VALUE US DLRS 187,000) AND CASH US DLRS 150,000.

MEXICO - MEDICAL SUPPLIES (VALUE US DLRS 100,000).

UK - MEDICAL SUPPLIES.

US - CASH US DLRS 25,000.

CARITAS (FED REP GERMANY) - CASH US DLRS 62,500 TO CARITAS (BRAZIL).

STATE OF ACRE

5. STATE OF ACRE NOW TARGET FOR EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE. RIVER ACRE HAS RISEN CONSIDERABLY ABOVE ITS NORMAL LEVEL. NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE BEING RECEIVED IS ROUTED TOWARDS AN ESTIMATED 12,000 PEOPLE SHELTERED IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. NO INFORMATION YET AVAILABLE ON DEAD OR INJURED.

6. PAHO IS PURSUING ITS ASSESSMENTS IN STATES OTHER THAN RIO DE JANEIRO.

7. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT NOT LIKELY TO ISSUE AN APPEAL FOR INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE.

ESSAAFI UNDRO GENEVA 28148

UNDRO 88/0512

BRAZIL - FLOODS
INFORMATION REPORT NO. 5
10 MARCH 1988

STATE OF RIO DE JANEIRO

1. EMERGENCY PHASE HAS ENDED. RECONSTRUCTION PHASE IN PROGRESS.

2. FINAL FIGURES ON POPULATION AFFECTED: 290 DEATHS, 734 INJURED, 13,943 HOMELESS.

STATE OF ACRE

3. WATERS ARE RETURNING TO NORMAL LEVEL.

4. 13,126 HOMELESS (OF WHICH 92 PER CENT IN CAPITAL RIO BRANCO).

5. HOUSING: 8,374 UNITS DAMAGED IN CAPITAL AND 1,433 IN RURAL LOCATIONS.

SOME DAMAGE TO 30 PUBLIC BUILDINGS (SCHOOLS, NURSERIES, COMMUNITY CENTRES, HOSPITALS) AND TO 3 BRIDGES AND PART OF ROAD NETWORK.

6. 270 MT OF FOOD, CLOTHING, MEDICINES ALREADY DISTRIBUTED. ANOTHER 1.1 MT UNDERWAY.

7. PAHO MONITORING MEDICAL SITUATION IN BOTH STATES.

FOLLOWING MEDICAL REQUESTS SUPPORTED BY PAHO:

(A) LIQUID FOR PERITONIAL DIALYSIS - 5,000 L (1 PER CENT WITHOUT POTASSIUM), 5,000 L (1/2 PER CENT WITHOUT POTASSIUM).

(B) LIQUID FOR HEMODIALYSIS - 500 GALLONS.

IN VIEW OF POSSIBLE CHANGES IN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SITUATION, DONORS ARE RECOMMENDED TO CONSULT WITH PAHO, WASHINGTON, TEL NO. 001202 861 4325, PRIOR TO FINAL DECISION ON CONTRIBUTION.

(C) FOR STATE OF ACRE, NEED FOR 2,500 UNITS OF BENZETACIL (600 MG), 2,500 UNITS BENZETACIL (1,200 MG) AND 500 UNITS SURGICAL TAPE (LARGE SIZE).

8. CONTRIBUTIONS HAVE SO FAR BEEN REPORTED TO UNDRO BY FOLLOWING DONORS:

GOVERNMENTS: ARGENTINA, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, FRANCE, GERMANY FED REP, ITALY, JAPAN, MEXICO, UNITED KINGDOM, UNITED STATES. NGOS: ARBEITER SAMARITER BUND (GERMANY FED REP), CARITAS (BELGIUM, GERMANY FED REP, SPAIN), CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES (US), CHURCH WORLD SERVICE (US), RED CROSS (SWITZERLAND), SCIAF (UK), SOS (FRANCE), WORLD VISION INTERNATIONAL (USA).

ESSAAFI UNDRO GENEVA 28148