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Paraguay El Niño Floods Situation Report No.3

Страны
Парагвай
Источники
UN DHA
Дата публикации

OFFICE FOR COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS (OCHA)



UNDAC TEAM ENDS ITS MISSION TO PARAGUAY


1. As reported in the OCHA/DHA Situation Report No.1 and 2, of 26 and 30 December 1997 respectively, abnormal rains have caused severe flooding in Paraguay, since December 1997, prompting the Government to issue, on 24 December 1997, an appeal for international assistance to the victims of this emergency, that affected several provinces in the country, in particular Asuncion and its metropolitan area.

UNDAC TEAM DEPLOYED

2. In order to assist the Government and the UN Resident Coordinator, in the assessment of relief needs and coordination of the relief operation, OCHA deployed, from 12 to 20 January 1998, a two-person United Nations Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) Team to Paraguay.

UNDAC FINDINGS

3. According to the UNDAC Team, the floods, caused by the overflowing of the Paraguay and Parana rivers, have affected an area from the north to the south of Paraguay, of approximately 20,000 km2.

4. According to the figures provided by the UNDAC team and the National Emergency Committee (CNE), approximately 10,000 (some 50,000 people) families have been placed in temporary shelters. The most affected people have been those in the Province of Asuncion, in particular people living in the outskirts of the capital, where approximately 3,600 families (some 18,000 people) are in 60 temporary shelters, the majority of which lacking the necessary basic conditions (i.e. medical assistance, sanitation and fire safety-measures).

5. The damage to agriculture (in particular cotton crops) and livestock was reduced by early-warning measures that have enabled farmers to sow before the flooding and cattle-owners to transfer their livestock to higher areas.

EL NINO - FORECAST

6. Rains have now stopped in some regions, in particular in the northern part of the country. Nevertheless, according to meteorological studies prepared by the ''Mercado Comun del Cono Sur''(MERCOSUR), and Paraguay's hidrometeorological historical data, if the unusual weather conditions caused by the El Nino phenomenon continue to prevail, flooding will reach its peak by May/June 1998.

NEEDS

7. According to the UNDAC Team, immediate relief requirements include: construction materials for the establishment of temporary shelters, electric-pumps, cash grants for construction of latrines, showers, toilets as well drainage systems in the temporary shelters. Technical assistance is also required for the management and maintenance of temporary shelters. Food needs are being assessed by the World Food Programme, that dispatched an expert to Paraguay for this purpose.

8. Needs have also been identified in the areas of disaster preparedness (i.e. technical assistance in disaster management, funds for national capacity building projects). These needs are particularly important considering the possibility of future floods and reduced capacity of the local structures to cope with future emergencies.

NATIONAL RESPONSE

9. Following the declaration of state of emergency in the riverside areas of the Paraguay river, on 22 December 1997, the Government approved the allocation of USD 800,000 to strengthen the National Emergency Committee (CNE) and its response capacity.

10. As stated in the OCHA/DHA Situation Report no.1, of 26 December 1997, the National Emergency Committee (CNE) is coordinating the relief operations. As a young institution, the National Emergency Committee is strengthening its structure and role, specially in the areas of logistics, local structures, prevention and mitigation activities.

11. In Asuncion, the National Emergency Committee is working closely with the municipality and the ''Pastoral Social'', a NGO working in the capital's poor neighbourhoods. A team and an inter-institutional organigram have been established for the Asuncion area (including the metropolitan area) in order to cope with present and future emergencies.

RESPONSE PREPAREDNESS

12. OCHA made available the services of one consultant from Ecuador, that visited Paraguay twice (from 18 to 31 October 1997 and from 7 to 23 January 1998). The consultant assisted the Government and the UN Resident Coordinator in the area of contingency planning and evaluation of the national disaster prevention and response systems,

13. Contributions reported to OCHA, since Situation Report No.2, of 30 December 1997

USD
Governments

Japan Relief shipment (tents,
plastic sheeting blankets)
YEN 10,485,360 80,656

United Kingdom Cash grant for the purchasing
of relief supplies USD 100,000,
through OCHA 100,000


Switzerland Cash contribution through DHA
CHF 25,000 17,000

NGOs

Medecins sans
Frontières (MSF) Medical team (three persons) +++


Assistance programme for the
cities of Pilar and Alberdi
(temporary shelter equipment,
and epidemiologic monitoring
and prevention plan) +++

+++ value not available


14. OCHA is prepared to serve as a channel for cash contributions to be used during the immediate relief phase in coordination/consultation with relevant organizations of the United Nations system. OCHA provides donors with written confirmation and pertinent details concerning the utilization of the funds contributed.

15. Donors wishing to channel their contributions through OCHA should transfer funds to OCHA account no. CO.590.160.1 at the Swiss Bank Corporation, Case Postale 2770, CH-1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland, with reference: PARAGUAY - FLOODS.

16. For coordination purposes, donors are requested to inform OCHA Geneva, as indicated below, of relief mission, pledges or contributions and their corresponding values by item.

17. This Situation Report and further information on ongoing emergencies are also available on the OCHA Internet WebSite at: http://www.reliefweb.int.



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