OCHA Situation Report No. 26 Mozambique - Floods 19 May 2000
Situation 1. This situation report summarises recent INGC situation reports and information from the OCHA/UNDP Coordination Team in the INGC. 2. The Reconstruction Conference was held in Rome on 3 and 4 May and attended by 306 participants representing 40 countries, 19 United Nations agencies, 22 regional international organizations and 15 Mozambican and foreign NGOs. At the conference, USD 452,9 million were pledged. 3. Given the participation of most of the heads of agencies in the Rome Conference, the United Nations Disaster Management Team did not meet during the past two weeks. Recently, a meeting was held on 16 May, during which the reorientation of the focus of response and coordination activity was discussed. 4. The coordination activity in the flood affected areas from the central level is becoming difficult: i.e. the transition period from a strictly emergency response to a level of intervention that is increasingly in line with the regular programmes or mandates of agencies, NGOs and the ministries involved has set in. As a result, the level of interest in the coordination fora which had been created to share and obtain information, and a coordinated approach for assistance is diminishing. 5. The present emphasis is on reconciling positions for further intervention, and there are several conference on health and food security running concurrently in Maputo to discuss positions and modalities for further interventions. The need for a "lessons learned exercise" to capitalize on the experiences of the Government, the UN agencies and NGOs in response to the flood disaster has been recognized. The exercise is scheduled for mid-July. 6. Logistics: The Joint Logistics Operation Centre was formally closed on 12 May with the phase-out of the remaining air assets, while some operations continued until 15 May. It is generally recognised that there is no longer a need for this pool of assets, given alternative means of access at a significantly reduced cost. However, the recent rain in Gaza province has proved that access problems remain, especially in part of the waterlogged Limpopo valley, which will require air assets in the short-term. The South African Government was recently approached by the Mozambican Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide in-kind support, through its National Defence Force, in the form of a fleet of all-terrain vehicles that could service common transportation needs and a floating bridge. 7. Food: WFP has sufficient food in the food pipeline through mid-July. The present distribution is undertaken by road, some also by boat, and less than 1% by air. WFP has used air assets for the re-positioning of food stock in areas with limited access by road. Storage points are being relocated as the target beneficiaries leave the temporary accommodation centers and return to their original residence. WFP indicated that the area between Changane and Limpopo rivers was still waterlogged, restricting access to areas in Gaza, and hindering rehabilitation activities. From the beginning of the emergency operations on 11 February until 9 May, the WFP distributed a total of 7,118.1 tonnes of various food items. The food distribution benefited 589,632 people at 292 distribution points in six provinces and Maputo city. 8. Agriculture: A present focus is on the transportation of the last batch of agricultural tools to the provinces of Maputo, Gaza, Inhambane and Sofala and the completion of seed distribution in Inhambane. The distribution of tools in Manica and Tete has been completed, as well as the distribution of seeds in Maputo, with the exception of Maputo city. 9. Health: The Ministry of Health is presently leading a conference in Bilene town, aiming at completing an assessment of damages done to health infrastructure. Preliminary data indicated that almost the entire health care network in the flood stricken provinces has been affected: 96% in Maputo, 90% in Gaza , 93% in Inhambane and 94% in Sofala). The field hospital established in the Chaiaqualane accommodation centre, has been transferred to Chokwe. The Ministry of Health reported a reduction in the cases of acute diarrhoea, and related cases of Cholera, across the affected provinces. 10. Shelter: The Shelter group is working on identification of resettlement areas, definition of resettlement kits and estimation on the number of households in need of assistance. While data is not yet fully available, most of the accommodation centers, originally over 100, have been closed down. 11. Information on contributions is reaching OCHA from multiple sources. Therefore, in order to avoid duplications/omissions and subsequently to allow for accurate contribution tracking and coordination, donors are strongly urged to verify the contributions and inform OCHA Geneva of corrections/additions as required, using the form provided. 12. OCHA is prepared to serve as a channel for cash contributions for the immediate relief needs. Funds channelled through OCHA will be spent in co-ordination with the relevant organisations of the UN system and OCHA will provide written confirmation of their use. Funds should be transferred to OCHA Account No. CO-590.160.1 SWIFT-code UBSWCHZ12A - at the UBS AG, PO Box 2770, CH-1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland, with reference: OCHA - Mozambique - Floods 2000. 13. Any future updates on contributions to this disaster may be found by clicking on Financial Tracking at the top of the page for this disaster on the OCHA Internet Website (http://www.reliefweb.int). Donors are requested to verify this table and inform OCHA Geneva of corrections/additions/values. Donors are encouraged to notify OCHA Geneva of their contributions to this disaster using the OCHA Standardized Contributions Recording Format, available electronically in the above mentioned Financial Tracking Website. 14. This Situation Report and further information on ongoing emergencies are also available on the OCHA Internet Website at: http://www.reliefweb.int. Telephone: +41-22-91712 34 Fax: +41-22-917 00 23 In case of emergency only: Tel. +41-22-917 20 10 Desk Officers (OCHA Disaster Response Branch): Mr. K. Wiersing /Ms. Y. Sawada, direct Tel. +41 22 917 2270/ +41-22-917 1768 Press contact: Mr. Donato Kiniger-Passigli, direct Tel. +41-22-91726 53 distributed by - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Volunteers in Technical Assistance Disaster Information Center lists: www.vita.org/listsub.htm sitreps nat-dsr web: www.vita.org appeal fireline - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Southern Africa - http://www.vita.org/humanitarian/safrica