OCHA Situation Report No. 4
Guinea - Floods
16 November 2001


Situation update

1.  Floods in September-October have affected the poorest region of
Guinea, in Upper Guinea, the region of Kankan. Governmental authorities
reported 9 people dead and more than 200,000 people affected. Worst
affected Prefectures were Kankan, where half of the affected reside, and
Siguiri (approx. 84,000).

2.  A United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination team (UNDAC) was
sent to Guinea for a 10 day-mission (18-29 October 2001) to assess damages
and needs and coordinate the UN response to the worst floods in the past
30 years.

3.  On Friday 09 November 2001, OCHA invited representatives of Missions
to the United Nations Office at Geneva and UN Agencies to an
information-sharing meeting on the flood situation in Guinea-Conakry.
The UNDAC team leader briefed the participants on the outcome of the Joint
Assessment Mission between the United Nations and the UNDAC which was
undertaken in Guinea-Conakry. The report on the UNDAC mission report was
distributed and is available under http://www.reliefweb.int.


Needs

4.  The Government of Guinea, the UN Agencies and the NGOs took the
necessary steps to respond to the most immediate needs of the affected
population. In view of the scale of the recent exceptional floods and the
limited national capacity to respond, the Government of Guinea has
requested international humanitarian assistance for the affected
population in the Upper Guinea.

5.  Donors are invited to consider possibilities for assistance in the
following major priority areas: agriculture (seeds), water and sanitation,
health, education, and prevention and preparedness. Current available
information indicates that immediate food needs can be met with existing
means.

6.  Medium and long-term post-disaster rehabilitation needs will be
further identified. To this end, UNCT will continue its cooperation and
collaboration with the national authorities, interested donors and NGOs.


International response

7.  The United Nations Agencies immediately responded to this disaster.
OCHA and the UN partners in country (UNICEF, WFP, UNHCR and WHO) met to
devise immediate short-term emergency response and set up a UN System
emergency response-working group.

8.  WFP has released USD 257,275 for ongoing emergency food assistance for
some 26,000 beneficiaries. FAO, following the preliminary assessments
undertaken on the agricultural sector, amended its agricultural component
for the UN CAP 2002 Appeal for Guinea including provision of essential
agricultural inputs for additional 5 000 vulnerable farm families affected
by the floods. UNICEF has provided 3,000 blankets, 3,000 oral
rehydratation salt (ORS) and 13 medical kits which are being distributed
through Organisation Catholique pour la Promotion Humaine (OCPH) and
Caritas. Water disinfectant products have been made available to the
Departments of Health and Water and Energy.

9.  The Red Cross Movement distributed mats, blankets, buckets and soap to
over 10,000 beneficiaries in Kankan. In total, 72 volunteers were trained
in public hygiene awareness and prevention; 40 of them are working in
Kankan and 32 in Mandiana. International Federation of Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies (IFRC) has not launched an appeal, as it presently has
the necessary resources for assistance.

10.  EU/ECHO has provided 5000 mats and 10,000 bed sheets which have been
distributed by Organisation Catholique Pour la Promotion Humaine (OCPH)
among the affected population.

11.  Canada, Norway and Switzerland have provided three persons for the
UNDAC mission.

12.  MSF is assessing the water situation in the city of Kankan and its
surroundings, and will be pursuing rehabilitation and emergency water
supply activities in the urban area until the end of November this year.

13.  Contributions reported so far are USD 100,000. UNDP has made
available an Emergency Grant of USD 50,000 and OCHA released USD 50,000
from the Emergency Grant and the Norwegian cash reserve.

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

15.  This is the last report for the floods in Guinea unless there are
unforeseen developments.


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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