OCHA Situation Report No. 2
Guinea - Floods
05 October 2001


Situation

1.  Following exceptional rains in August and September, major rivers of
the eastern part of Guinea (Haute Guinée ) have burst their banks in
recent weeks: rivers Niger, Niandan, Sankarani, Tinkisso and Mafou.
Governmental authorities reported 9 people dead and 220,000 affected
persons.  More than 20,000 hectares of culture were washed away.

2.  Most severely affected area is the Kankan region (Prefectures of
Kankan, Mandiana, Kouroussa and Siguiri).  Faranah region is also reported
to be affected.  Results of the joint OCHA-SENAH (Guinean National Service
of Humanitarian Action) assessment mission carried out in Kouroussa,
Kankan and Mandiana Prefectures between the 20 and 30 September indicate:


 |----------+------------+----------+---------------+---------------|
 | Pref'ture|   Total    | Affected |  Destruction  |  Destruction  |
 |          | population |  people  |     houses    |    culture    |
 |----------+------------+----------+---------------+---------------|
 | Kankan   | 262,547    | 40,000   | 759 hut / 45  | 17,127        |
 |          |            |          | houses        | hectares      |
 |----------+------------+----------+---------------+---------------|
 | Mandiana | 170,895    | 11,400   | 272 hut / 47  | 2,761 hectares|
 |          |            |          | houses        |               |
 |----------+------------+----------+---------------+---------------|
 | Kouroussa| -          |    900   | 195 hut / 7   | 643 hectares  |
 |          |            |          | houses        |               |
 |----------+------------+----------+---------------+---------------|
 | Total    | -          | 52,300   | 1226 huts / 99| 20,531        |
 |          |            |          | houses        |               |
 |----------+------------+----------+---------------+---------------|


3.  Many areas of the Prefectures of Mandiana, Kankan (sub-prefectures of
Bate-Nafadji and Balandou) and Kouroussa (Balato and Koumana)  are still
inaccessible and cannot receive assistance except by pirogue. The maximum
water level registered in Kankan, 7,5 meters, is exceeding of 2,5 meters
the alert danger point.

4.  There is a high risk of waterborne diseases in the flooded areas
(cholera, yellow fever, and paludism)  which may increase as floodwaters
recede.


National and international response

5.  The Government of Guinea has provided food and medicine to the worst
affected areas.  So far, Kankan and Kouroussa Prefectures received:  115
tons of rice, 5 tons of salt, 250 cartons of fresh fish and 2 tons of
smoked meat. In addition, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent
Movement, whose operations are being coordinated by the ICRC, have
distributed Non Food Items to 10,905 affected people: 3,365 mats, 5,308
blankets, 1,077 buckets and 5,259 soaps.


Coordination

6.  OCHA office in Guinea has facilitated various meetings to better
coordinate national response to the crisis. On 27 September, OCHA assisted
the Ministry of Territorial Decentralisation, Decentralisation and
Security (MATDS) in organising a meeting between the representatives of
SENAH, WFP, WHO, UNICEF, FAO, the ICRC, Action contre la Faim and Première
Urgence to envisage further assessments missions.  A Joint Government-UN
Field Assessment mission was dispatched at the beginning of October and
should come back in the coming days with detailed needs and a plan of
action on medium and long-term emergency requirements.

7.  On 28 September, OCHA and the UN partners (UNICEF, WFP, UNHCR and WHO)
met to devise immediate short-terms emergency response and set up a UN
System emergency response-working group.


Requirements

8.  While waiting for the latest needs assessment mission to quantify
needs, the Government has requested so far:



Immediate needs
   Food : need for 146,000 people
   Non Food Items: soap, mats and blankets.
   Disinfecting kits, sanitation equipment
   Drugs


Medium term needs
   Agricultural seeds and tools
   Material for reconstruction and rehabilitation of houses


9.  OCHA Headquarters is in close contact with the OCHA Field Office in
Guinea and will revert with further information, as it becomes available.

10.  This situation report, together with further information on ongoing
emergencies, is also available on the OCHA Internet Website at
http://www.reliefweb.int


Telephone: +41-22-91712 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:
  Ms. Ute Kollies-Cummings / Mr. Max Bonnel
  Direct Tel. +41-22-917 3948 / 1457

Press contact:
  (GVA)  Ms. Elizabeth Byrs, direct Tel. +41-22-917 26 56
  (NYC)  Ms. Phyllis Lee, direct Tel. +1-212-963 48 32


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