OCHA Situation Report No. 3 Viet Nam - Floods 25 September 2000
Situation and Damage 1. People living in the Mekong river delta in southern Vietnam are currently experiencing the longest-lasting and the most severe flooding to assail the area in 40 years. Floodwaters throughout the region still exceed Alarm Level III (very dangerous flood conditions). 2. According to the Vietnamese Hydro-meteorological Service, the upstream floodwater levels reached their peak levels on the evening of 23 September and then started a gradual decline which is expected to persist. Floodwater levels downstream of the river are increasing and will continue to increase. The peak of the floods will be very high and the deep waters may last for many days. 3. According to the Southern Standing Office of the Vietnamese Central Committee for Flood and Storm Control (CCFSC) report, the main damage in the provinces of Long An, Dong Thap, An Giang, Kien Giang and Can Tho can be assessed as follows (as of 24 September): 12 18 24 Compared September September September to 18 September Casualties 3 26 108 + 85 People killed (including 28,129 379,955 66 +174,616 Households affected 9,107 18,959 children) + 22,934 Households evacuated 15,848 48,558 554,571 + 23,168 Households needing 41,893 assistance 71,726 Housing Houses destroyed 85 429 846 + 417 Agricultural production N/A N/A N/A Rice 182, 630 ha inundated/destroyed 48,818 ha (of which heavily 18,968 ha damaged area) Subsidiary crop areas damaged/destroyed Infrastructure Schools flooded 243 1,076 8,639 + 7,663 Hospitals/Clinics N/A 84 175 + 91 flooded 439 km 2,200 km 6,412 km + 4,212 km Roads damaged 81 units 276 units 576 + 300 units Bridges destroyed/damaged Total estimated economic USD 23 USD 27 N/A N/A loss mil. mil. 4. Further updated and more detailed information on the flood situation and its consequences is available on the Website of the Disaster Management Unit (UNDP/DMU) of the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development at http://www.undp.org.vn/dmu 5. UNICEF reports that while food shortages remain a concern, with approximately 50,000 households seriously affected, the question of safe drinking water must also be taken into serious consideration. Pollution from groundwater has reached dangerous levels in some areas. The majority of flood affected persons are consuming unclean riverwater, and therefore outbreaks of malaria, diarrhoea and other infectious diseases are expected. Children will be especially hard-hit by outbreaks of disease. National Response 6. So far, the Vietnamese Government has committed a total of USD 3.5 million for the flood-affected provinces. Provincial governments in the affected areas have themselves allocated USD 5.4 million. In addition, the Military and the Ho Chi Minh Police Newspaper provided 50 and 30 boats respectively to An Giang province. The affected provinces have mobilised boats, rice, water purification pills, family medicine packs and life-buoys. 7. On 21 September the Prime Minister issued a Directive requesting Provincial People's Committees for Flood and Storm Control to find solutions as fast as possible to the huge flooding which is spreading on a large scale and which looks set to last for a long time. The first priority is to safeguard residents; it has been stressed that the local Committees should concentrate their efforts and means of transportation on moving people in deeply-inundated and eroded areas to safe places, taking appropriate measures to stabilize residents' livelihoods in new habitats, protect people's property hasten emergency relief assistance to poor residents in flooded areas which face the worst hardship; ensure sufficient medicine and medical treatment for flood victims, and contain epidemics. Downstream provinces are also requested to prepare actively for overwhelming and long-lasting flooding. The Prime Minister has also directed Ministries and Branches at central level and in the localities to carry out appropriate activities immediately after the recession of floods. Needs for International Assistance 8. While the Vietnamese Government has made no official appeal for international assistance to date, the Government has indicated that it would welcome international assistance to help the victims in flooded areas, not only in the Mekong delta but also in some central areas affected by typhoon "Wukong" which hit the central provinces of Ha Tinh, Nghe An and Quang Binh on 10 September 2000, causing extensive damage to houses (1,248 collapsed), classrooms (30 collapsed), infrastructure like dykes, transportation and irrigation works, and agriculture (23,489 ha of rice inundated). 9. The CCFSC informed the UN Resident Coordinator's Office that the flood-affected people urgently needed boats (motorboats, and small boats/sampans together with fishing nets), food and medicine and pointed out that the Vietnamese Government could provide food and medicine. The CCFSC appreciated the UN commitment to provide motorboats for emergency relief activities in the worst-affected provinces, and small-size boats, measuring about 5 m x 1.15 m and designed to carry 4-5 persons, for evacuating stranded households and to replace lost fishing boats. According to the UN Resident Coordinator's Office, up to 21,000 small boats are required. The boats can be purchased in Ho Chi Minh City at about USD 50 to 70 per unit and therefore cash contributions are most urgently needed in this respect. 10. Other much needed items in the short-term are clothing, shelter (plastic sheeting), safe water, water tanks and medicines, and in the longer-term, rice seed will be highly in demand. International Response 11. The Government of the United Kingdom has decided to provide USD 60,000 through OCHA for the purchase of motorboats, in support for Vietnamese authorities' emergency flood relief programme, in addition to their contribution of GBP 1 million (USD 1.4 million) for Cambodia, Vietnam and Lao in response to IFRC's appeal. 12. The Government of Denmark has recently made a contribution of DKK 2.5 million (USD 300,000) to OCHA's Emergency Grant Reserve, out of which the Government has agreed to allocate USD 30,000 for the purchase of small boats with which to lend assistance to the most vulnerable victims. 13. The Norwegian Emergency Grant of USD 30,000 from a contribution for relief assistance held in reserve by OCHA as well as the OCHA Emergency Grant of USD 30,000 will be also used for the purchase of boats. 14. In response to the IFRC's appeal for CHF 2,584,180 (approximately USD. 1.5 million) issued on 18 September to assist 125,000 beneficiaries for 3 months, contributions from Australia (USD 138,000 from its total contribution of USD 310,000 for Vietnam, Cambodia and Lao), France (USD 20,000), New Zealand (USD 23,000), Japan (USD 50,000), World Vision (USD 3,000), Oxfam (USD 14,300) and St. Andrew's Society (USD 5,000) have been reported on the UNDP/DMU website, in addition to contributions from Canada (USD 27,200), Denmark (USD 32,000), the Netherlands (USD 202,400), the United Kingdom (USD 1.4 million for Cambodia, Vietnam and Lao), the United States (USD 25,000) and UNDP (USD 93,000), UNICEF (USD 30,000) and WFP (USD 200,000). IFRC has released USD 30,000 from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund. In all, approximately USD 1.2 million have been reported to date. The Government of Switzerland has also provided a total amount of CHF USD480,000 (USD 275,000) for Vietnam, Cambodia and Lao through IFRC and Caritas. 15. WFP announced in its emergency report of 22 September that it would provide immediate food aid for some 40,000 of the most vulnerable disaster victims. Each beneficiary will receive 10 kg of rice per month for 2 months. 16. FAO issued a special alert on 22 September reporting that tropical storms, typhoons and monsoon floods seriously jeopardise food prospects and supplies in Asia and bring misery to millions. The organization plans to field an assessment mission to the Mekong delta area in the near future, once the water levels have begun to recede. 17. In order to meet the need for clean water, sanitation and basic primary health care for people in the flooded areas, UNICEF will be providing chlorine tablets for water purification and plastic water containers as well as rubber boats and life vests. UNICEF has provided the Ministry of Health with 5,000 household medical kits (water purification tablets, oral rehydration salts and basic medical supplies, each kit containing enough supplies for 10 people) for the affected families and is in the process of procuring 500 medical kits (antibiotics, anti-malarial medication, flu medication, vitamins A, B1 and C as well as a number of other basic medical supplies, each kit containing enough supplies for 2,500 people) for community health care centres. UNICEF has also pre-positioned educational supplies in Ho Chi Minh City for distribution to 10,000 displaced school children once floodwaters subside. UNICEF is on stand-by to support Government-led relief efforts, lend assistance to flood victims and assist the Red Cross in assessing clean water supply needs. 18. WHO has announced its commitment to provide an amount of USD 5,000 towards preliminary intervention and will also lend technical assistance, if required, to the Ministry of Health and to local health authorities for morbidity assessment of flood-related diseases and for epidemic surveillance. 19. Oxfam Hong Kong, working with other Oxfams in the region, will be providing USD 14,000 to the Vietnam Red Cross for the purchase of strong plastic sheeting for emergency shelters for about 1,500 flood-affected families in An Giang province, as well as USD 16,000 to Ha Tinh province which was badly hit by tropical storm Wukong. ACT is closely monitoring the situation in consultation with its Vietnam representative, Norwegian Church Aid. CRS is collaborating with the Caritas, local organizations, government officials, CIDSE partners, and with IFRC to assess the situation and coordinate relief efforts. CRS is presently finalizing its response plan for Vietnam and Cambodia. 20. OCHA is prepared to serve as channel for cash contributions to be used for immediate relief assistance, in coordination/consultation with relevant organizations in the United Nations system. Funds should be transferred to OCHA account No. CO-590.160.0, Swift code: UBSWCHZ12A at the UBS AG, P.O. Box 2770, CH-1211 Geneva 2, with reference: OCHA ? Viet Nam ? Floods. OCHA provides donors with written confirmation and pertinent details concerning the utilization of the funds contributed. 21. For coordination purposes, donors are requested to inform OCHA Geneva, as indicated below, on relief missions/pledges/contributions and their corresponding values by item. 22. 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. 23. This situation report, together with further information on ongoing emergencies, is also available on the OCHA Internet Website at http://www.reliefweb.int Telephone: +41-22-917 12 34 Fax: +41-22-917 00 23 In case of emergency only: Tel. +41-22-917 20 10 Desk Officers: Ms. S. Metzner-Strack / Mr. R. Mueller / Mr. S. Matsuka Direct Tel. +41-22-917 21 44 / 31 31 / 40 34 Press contact: (in GVA) Mr. Donato Kiniger-Passigli, direct Tel. +41-22-917 26 53 (in NY) Ms. Phyllis Lee, direct Tel. +1-212-963 48 32 distributed by - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Volunteers in Technical Assistance Disaster Information Center lists: www.vita.org/listsub.htm sitreps nat-dsr web: www.vita.org fireline - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -