OCHA Situation Report No. 7 Vietnam - Floods 15 November 2000
The United Nations Inter-Agency Appeal for Emergency Relief and Initial Rehabilitation which was launched on 20 October 2000 remains drastically underfunded. The United Nations Inter-Agency Appeal seeks USD 9,433,650 to assist the worst affected members of the population for a period of 6 months. UNDP, WFP, WHO, UNICEF, FAO, and OCHA aim to provide assistance in the following sectors: alternative livelihoods, shelter, health, water and sanitation, education and child protection, food and agriculture, and also coordination, management and logistical support. So far only USD 1.4 million, or about 14 per cent of the targeted amount, have been contributed towards the Appeal. Current disaster situation: 1. Although floodwaters in the Mekong Delta are receding, and should continue to abate through November and December, they nonetheless exceed the average level for this time of year. Water levels in rivers flowing through the provinces from Thua Thien Hue to Binh Dinh are still on the rise and are considered highly dangerous in some cases. For instance, floodwaters measured at Tra Khuc gauging station on 12 November reached 0.63 metres above Alarm Level III. Rivers running through the plains and highlands of central Vietnam are fluctuating at present. The population of the Mekong Delta continues to suffer the consequences of the floods: 2. Judging from a UNICEF report issued on 6 November, this disaster continues to affect huge numbers of the population and is entering into a phase in which the health risk may well escalate. Up to 4 million people are homeless or have insufficient shelter, and more and more families are abandoning their wrecked homes. 3. As floodwaters start to recede affected communities are at increased risk of contracting diarrhea, cholera, dengue fever and malaria. The Red Cross has expressed concern that the majority of displaced families are consuming river water and therefore heightening their exposure to water-borne diseases, including diarrheal dehydration which is a grave threat to children's health. 4. 74,000 hectares of rice fields and 4,200 acres of coffee plantation have been destroyed or seriously damaged by the floodwaters. Horticulture and fruit production also face dire consequences: some 5,605 hectares of orchards in Ca Be district alone have succumbed to the floods, and the Southern Fruit Tree Institute calls for 34 million seedlings for the Mekong Delta this year. 5. School education has been suspended for 800,000 pupils, and 350 hospitals and clinics have been flooded. 6. Over 13,000 bridges have collapsed or suffered major damages as a result of flooding, and 3,842 miles of roads have been damaged. Current estimates of combined agriculture, property and infrastructure damage are set at US$ 251 million. National and International Response: 7. During a national conference on measures to overcome the consequences of the flooding of the Mekong Delta, held from 10 to 11 November in Cao Lanh Town, the Prime Minister announced the Government's decision to add a further US$ 56 million to this year's capital construction fund in order to repair and upgrade flood-damaged infrastructure. The conference focused on the advantages of combining rice cultivation, aqua culture and fruit tree planting to ensure food security, and addressed the need to construct flood-proof homes and a sustainable infrastructure in the flood-prone delta. 8. Earlier the Prime Minister ordered the release of 3,000 tons of rice from strategic government stocks, for distribution in the three most affected provinces of Long An, Dong Thap and An Giang. 9. As an initial response to emergency food needs, 8,000 to 9,000 tons of rice were made available to flood victims by the Government, as well as the IFRC, the Vietnam Red Cross, World Vision, WFP, the German Red Cross, and local NGOs. WFP estimated that this should cover the basic food aid requirements of the most affected people for the initial relief phase. 10. WFP made an assessment of the situation in the two most affected provinces of Dong Thap and An Giang in early October and fielded another mission in the second half of the month to monitor the first deliveries of WFP rice and distributions by Vietnam Red Cross. First deliveries of WFP food started on 19 October and all deliveries have been completed by end of October. Actual distributions continue until mid-November. 11. The final beneficiary lists submitted by the Vietnam Red Cross give a higher number of people in need of food aid than originally foreseen in communes and towns of 7 districts in three provinces. A second distribution of relief food will be needed for these beneficiaries in December, from other sources, if an adequate supply of emergency food is to be ensured. 12. A mission deployed by the FAO is currently assisting with seed purchase in Vietnam. Drawing on the limited amount of funds currently available, the mission has placed the order and the seeds will be delivered to the Dong Thap Province. Similarly UNICEF and WHO are poised to carry out activities as soon as funds are available. 13. The table below indicates the status of funding against the appeal to date: |---------------+------------+----------------+--------------+-----------| |Sectors |Coordinating|Requirements |Contributions |Shortfall | |addressed in |Agency |outlined in the |received | | |the Appeal | |Appeal | | | |---------------+------------+----------------+--------------+-----------| |Support to |UNDP |USD 980,000 |NIL |USD 980,000| |Alternative | | | | | |Livelihood | | | | | |(Boats and | | | | | |fishing nets) | | | | | |---------------+------------+----------------+--------------+-----------| |Shelter |UNDP |USD 500,000 |NIL |USD 500,000| |---------------+------------+----------------+--------------+-----------| |Health |UNICEF/WHO |USD 307,750 |USD 307,750 |NIL | | | | |(Luxembourg) | | |---------------+------------+----------------+--------------+-----------| |Water and |UNICEF/WHO |USD 1,546,500 |USD 562,250 |USD | |Sanitation, | | |(OCHA, |1,381,150 | |Health | | |Denmark, ECHO | | | | | |Luxembourg, | | | | | |Netherlands, | | | | | |Norway) | | |---------------+------------+----------------+--------------+-----------| |Basic Education|UNICEF |USD 350,700 | | | |---------------+------------+----------------+--------------+-----------| |Child |UNICEF |USD 46,200 | | | |Protection | | | | | |---------------+------------+----------------+--------------+-----------| |Food |WFP |USD 1,696,500 |NIL |USD | | | | | |1,696,500 | |---------------+------------+----------------+--------------+-----------| |Agriculture |FAO |USD 3,776,000 |USD 428,800 |USD | | | | |(OCHA, |3,347,200 | | | | |Denmark, | | | | | |Netherlands | | | | | |Norway) | | |---------------+------------+----------------+--------------+-----------| |Coordination, |UNDP/OCHA |USD 230,000 |NIL |USD 230,000| |Management and | | | | | |Logistics | | | | | |Support | | | | | |---------------+------------+----------------+--------------+-----------| Priority Needs 14. Of all the above requirements, the most pressing are for seeds, which should arrive in time for the winter-spring crop planting season, and emergency repair of medical facilities for containing any outbreaks of water-borne diseases. In addition, support to sectors of alternative livelihood, shelter and coordination is required. 15. To respond to the UN Inter-Agency Appeal, donors can make their contributions directly to the United Nations Agencies concerned or directly to the Vietnamese Government. The UNDP Country Office in Viet Nam has established a Trust Fund to serve as a rapid channel for contributions that will be prioritized and allocated in close consultations with UNDMT members and government officials. Donations can be made directly to this Fund or through OCHA which is also available to serve as channel for unearmarked contributions. OCHA will provide donors with written confirmation and pertinent details concerning the utilization of the funds contributed. Funds channelled through OCHA 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. 16. The contributions table for this disaster contains data reported to OCHA Geneva by donors on the date of issue of this report. Any future updates on contributions to this disaster my be found by clicking on Financial Tracking at the top 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. 17. This Situation Report and the UN Inter-Agency Appeal is available on the OCHA Internet Website at http://www.reliefweb.int and from OCHA Geneva and New York, on request. For additional information, please contact the Asia and Pacific Desk of the Disaster Response Branch, OCHA Geneva, as indicated below. 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 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -