OCHA Situation Report No. 10 Belize - Hurricane "Keith" 19 October 2000
State of Emergency Continues Nation-wide Situation 1. According to reports from the UNDP Sub-Office in Belmopan, large areas of the Belize, Orange Walk and Corozal districts remain under water as river levels increase again. The slow rise of floodwaters is due to the cold front that dumped rain mostly in the northern part of the country until 15 October. 2. Dozens of rural villages remain cut off and some remain evacuated. Food, clean water and medicines have to be brought in by boats or high trucks. The Western highway is still flooded in one section. The Northern highway has suffered extensive damage due to floodwaters and is still impassable for small vehicles. The state of emergency continues nation-wide. The dusk to dawn curfew is effective only for the islands of San Pedro and Caye Caulker. 3. The Ministry of Health and PAHO/WHO estimates that the floods have affected some 62,000 people. The National Emergency Management Office (NEMO) has put the official number of fatalities at eight. 4. Estimate of damages remains at US$261.5 million, but is expected to increase. Preliminary reports on damage and needs (health, agriculture, fisheries and environment), are available upon request and posted on OCHA Internet Website at: http://www.reliefweb.int. Health reports are also available at the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) Website at: http://www.paho.org/english/ ped/keith.htm. Emergency requirements 5. The emergency priorities identified by NEMO continue to be building materials, food, electric generators, clean water and medicines. International Response 6. Following the Government's policy of seeking soft loans for the rehabilitation/reconstruction efforts, delegations from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the World Bank have visited Belize to discuss loan details. The IDB and World Bank are also to assist in organizing a donor conference in November. Contributions reported to OCHA 7. A list of cash and in kind contributions reported to OCHA, as of 19 October 2000, is attached to the present situation report. 8. 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. 9. For coordination purposes, donors are requested to inform OCHA Geneva, as indicated below, on relief missions/pledges/contributions and their corresponding values by item. 10. 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 (at 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. 11. This situation report, together with further information on ongoing emergencies, is also available on the OCHA Internet Website as above. 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 distributed by - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Volunteers in Technical Assistance Disaster Information Center lists: www.vita.org/listsub.htm sitreps nat-dsr web: www.vita.org fireline - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -