OCHA Situation Report No. 2
Romania - Floods
20 March 2001


UNDP Romania provided OCHA with the following updated information on the
effects of the floods:

General Situation

1. The rivers are back to normal levels and meteorologists do not foresee
major rains in the near future.


Government Response

2. The Government granted 10 billion lei (260,000 USD) in humanitarian aid
for the some 4,000 people evacuated, in the form of food, emergency
medical supplies, tents, blankets and clothes, as well as construction
materials for repairing houses. The Minister of Water and Environment
Protection directly coordinated the interventions in the most affected
areas.

3. The Government will also provide 181 billion lei (approximately 6.7
million USD) to the Ministry of Water and Environment Protection for
repairing the damages occurred to dams protecting flood prone areas.

4. The Government will further provide 284 billion lei (approximately 10.6
million USD) to the Ministry of Public Administration for the urgent
repairs of roads, bridges and footbridges destroyed by the floods.

5. For the whole emergency period, local authorities and national
specialized institutions were on permanent alert and promptly intervened
both in order to evacuate the population, and to undertake relief actions,
as well as to urgently carry out repairs.

6. This week, the Floods Commission will finalize the evaluation of the
damages and will consolidate reports and propose to Government urgent
measures in the most critical areas.


UN Activities

7. The UNDP Country Office has been regularly in contact with the Floods
Commission (within the Ministry of Water and Environment Protection) and
the Civil Protection Authority. The UN DMT members have also been kept
informed on the situation.

8. OCHA has monitored the situation in close cooperation with National
Authorities, UNDP Romania and NATO's Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response
Coordination Center.

9. The Minister of Water and Environment Protection participated in the
Disaster Management Seminar organized by UNDP and stressed the commitment
of the Government towards improving environmental protection in Romania
through preventive measures. This was the first stage for coordinating
with the Government on the use of the US$ 50,000 released by UNDP to
Romania, in response to the floods of the Tisa River. UNDP and the
Minister of Environment agreed also on designing a common long-term
strategy for increasing the disaster preparedness capacity of the country.

10.  This is the last OCHA Situation Report on this emergency.

11.  This Situation Report and further information on ongoing emergencies
are also available on the OCHA Internet Website at:
http://www.reliefweb.int.


Telephone: +41-22-917 12 34
Fax: +41-22-917 00 23
E-mail: ochagva@un.org

In case of emergency only: Tel. +41-22-917 20 10

Desk Officers (OCHA Disaster Response Branch):
  Mr Sergio Piazzi Tel: +41 - 22 - 9173518
  Mr Dusan Zupka Tel:  + 41 - 22 - 9171645

Press contact:  Mr. Donato Kiniger-Passigli, direct Tel. +41-22-91726 53


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