OCHA Situation Report No. 9 Belize - Hurricane "Keith" 13 October 2000
Floodwaters rising again in Orange Walk and Corozal Districts Situation 1. According to reports from the UNDP Sub-Office in Belmopan, new rains caused by a stationary cold front over Belize have worsened the situation in some of the affected areas. Rivers in the Cayo and Belize Districts that were subsiding are rising again and the flooded areas in the Orange Walk and Corozal districts are expanding. More villages have been cut off and some completely evacuated. Transportation is restricted except by boat in some areas due to extensive flooding of access roads. The state of emergency continues nation-wide. The dusk to dawn curfew continues only for the islands of San Pedro and Caye Caulker. 2. The Ministry of Human Development estimates that 6,600 households totaling 26,000 people, or over 10% of the population, have been directly affected by Hurricane "Keith" and consequent flooding. Hundreds of people in rural areas have been evacuated to shelters in higher areas. Temporary schools have been set up. 3. With the floodwaters continuing to rise, the estimates of total damage and needs have increased. The National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) estimates that the total damage is now over US$261.5 million and increasing. The calculation of this figure is explained in the most recent "preliminary report" of the Damage and Assessment Committee of NEMO. This report is available at OCHA Internet Website at http://www.reliefweb.int. By sector, the latest information indicate : - Road and bridge infrastructure - The Western highway is inundated in one section but the northern highway is flooded in several areas and only accessible only by large trucks. - Health - Reports of waterborne and sanitation related diseases such as skin infections, diarrhea and food poisoning continue to increase. The preventative health campaign by the Government and NGOs has been expanded. Emergency requirements 4. The emergency requirements identified by NEMO, and mentioned in OCHA Situation Report no.8, of 11 October 2000, remain the same (e.g. building materials, electric generators, food and clean water). 5. The Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) and the Health Committee of NEMO have finalized the health assessment. . Questions related to the existing medical needs can be addressed to the PAHO/WHO Office in Belmopan, Belize: telephone number: 501-2-44885 and fax number: 501-2-30917. National response 6. The Government of Belize is seeking soft, long-term loans to be able to address quickly and comprehensively the negative impact of Hurricane "Keith." In this connection, discussions are now underway with the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). International Response 7. The UN Emergency Disaster Management Team in Belize continues to coordinate the UN response in the country. UNDP has allocated US$100,000 (50% in kind) for supporting coordination and logistics efforts of the government, the UN agencies and NGOs. UNICEF is finalizing a project, which amounts to USD 150,000 for relief assistance in areas not being presently covered by other UN agencies. FAO technical assistance for agricultural recovery is being planned 8. SUMA (Supplies Management system) organized by PAHO/WHO is set up at the airport and is getting all incoming supplies to pass through the system. Contributions reported to OCHA 9. A list of cash and in kind contributions reported to OCHA, as of 13 October 2000, is attached to the present situation report. 10. OCHA is prepared to serve as channel for cash contributions to be used for immediate relief assistance, in coordination/consultation with relevant organisations 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 - Belize - Hurricane "Keith." OCHA provides donors with written confirmation and pertinent details concerning the utilisation of the funds contributed. 11. For coordination purposes, donors are requested to inform OCHA Geneva, as indicated below, on relief missions/pledges/contributions and their corresponding values by item. 12. 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 Standardised Contributions Recording Format, available electronically in the above mentioned Financial Tracking Website. 13. 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: Mr. E. Haegglund / Mr. C. Monteiro-Pereira / Ms. M. Kondo Direct Tel. +41-22-917 32 99 / 13 83 / 19 97 Press contact: (in GVA) Mr. Donato Kiniger-Passigli, direct Tel. +41-22-917 26 53 ANNEX 1 PRELIMINARY REPORT ON ASSESSMENT OF DAMAGES AND NEEDS FROM NEMO (PAGE 4 OF REPORT REPRODUCED VERBATIM) Extent of Damages The preliminary valuation of costs and damages associated with these two events - the passage of Hurricane Keith and the resulting floods - stand at some $523.1 mn. This figure can be broken down into three elements. The first of these, the direct cost of responding to the crisis, that is the mobilization to effect clean-up and temporary stabilization of transportation and communication infrastructure, is estimated at more than $40.0 mn. The second element consists mainly of losses in agriculture and infrastructure; and this has been calculated at some $523.1 mn. A summary of these losses can be found at Table 1 below, with further details in Table B of the appendix. The third element is attributed to the social needs that arise out of displacement due to both the wind damage and storm surge during the Hurricane and the consequent floods. Preliminary estimates place this figure at some $10.0 mn in a worse case scenario and $4.0 mn in the best case scenario. Table 1: Summary of Damages to the Various Sectors Sectors Value of Damages (BZ$mn) Economic Infrastructure 32.1 Economic Services 280.3 Agriculture 84.2 Livestock 11.9 Fishing and Aquaculture 14.00 Tourism 120.20 Environment 50.00 Transportation Network 132.7 Roads 70.00 Streets 26.60 Other 10.80 Vessels 25.3 Social Infrastructure 78.00 General Public Services na GRAND TOTAL 523.1 distributed by - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Volunteers in Technical Assistance Disaster Information Center lists: www.vita.org/listsub.htm sitreps nat-dsr web: www.vita.org fireline - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -