OCHA Situation Report No. 6
Algeria  - Floods
19 November 2001


This report summarises information received from the UN Resident
Coordinator's Office in Algiers, Algeria.

Situation:

1.  Nine days after one of worst natural disasters in four decades, the
latest provisional toll announced by the Algerian authorities reached 729
people killed and 423 wounded by floods throughout the country. Some 170
persons are still missing. Algiers alone records 679 deaths.

2.  Floods have caused nearly USD 300 million worth of damage according to
the Ministry of Interior. Algerian authorities reported 5,000 families
without electricity but gas had already been restored to 10,000 out of
200,000 households whose gas supply was affected by the bad weather. Also,
out of the 109 roads, almost 95 were reopened to circulation.

3.  Search and rescue operations continue and involve 5,000 persons, in
addition to 2,000 soldiers and 400 fireworkers. Operations are hampered by
the return of warm weather, which hardened mud. As many victims were
washed out to sea, frogmen of the Civil Protection are seeking for bodies
in the areas of El Kettani (Bab El Oued), Sidi Fredj and Tamentefoust.

4.  Search operations are followed by teams from the public water company
(L'Hydraulique) and the Groupe des Eaux de Marseille, which are clearing
mud since 15 November.


National response

5.  An inter-ministerial meeting was held on 17 November with the
participation of the 14 districts (wilayas) affected by floods, in order
to prepare an exhaustive assessment of relief operations since 10
November. A team of 31 engineers already assessed 1,600 houses in Bab El
Oued's area.

6.  Some 500 affected families were relocated, out of the 1,579 recorded
affected families.

7.  In order to avoid any misappropriation of funds to the affected
families, authorities have opted for more decentralization. Eight centers
were created in the most affected districts of Algiers (Bab El Oued, Oued
Korich and Bologhine) to receive food assistance. Redistribution of
national and international aid will be operated under police and
gendarmerie's supervision.


International response

8.  Contributions reported to OCHA since Situation Report N°5 are the
following:

|-------------------+------------------------------+---------------|
|       DONOR       |             ITEM             |  Value in USD |
|-------------------+------------------------------+---------------|
| Norwegian         | 12,000 quilted blankets, 36  | USD 141,000   |
| Government        | tents, 30 palltanks trucks   |               |
| OCHA Warehouse    | (1,000lt), 21 palltanks      |               |
|                   | storage (1,000 lt), 10       |               |
|                   | pillowtanks (5,000 lt) and   |               |
|                   | 10 pillowtanks (10,000 lt).  |               |
|-------------------+------------------------------+---------------|
| United Kingdom    | Cash donation to the British | USD 220,000   |
| Government        | Red Cross Societies          |               |
|-------------------+------------------------------+---------------|
| Mauritania        | 03 tons of fresh fish        | Not specified |
| Government        |                              |               |
|-------------------+------------------------------+---------------|
| Quebec - Canada   | Donation                     | USD 31,000    |
|-------------------+------------------------------+---------------|
| Saudi Arabia      | 60 tons of food, tents,      | Not specified |
| Government        | medicine                     |               |
|-------------------+------------------------------+---------------|
| Organisation of   | Cash donation                | USD 100,000   |
| the African Unity |                              |               |
|-------------------+------------------------------+---------------|
| Group des Eaux de | - convoy of 5 trucks with 2  | Not specified |
| la ville de       | electric group, 3 pumps and  |               |
| Marseille         | light equipment (helmets,    |               |
|                   | pickaxes, chain saws,        |               |
|                   | shovels,?)                   |               |
|                   | - 30 technicians for         |               |
|                   | rehabilitation of            |               |
|                   | potable water network        |               |
|-------------------+------------------------------+---------------|


9.  The total amount of contributions so far recorded/reported to OCHA is
of USD 2,7 million.

10.  OCHA is prepared to serve as a channel for cash contributions to be
used for immediate relief assistance, in coordination with relevant
organizations in the United Nations system. For banking details please
contact the desk officers indicated below. OCHA provides donor governments
with written confirmation and pertinent details concerning the utilization
of the funds contributed

11.  For coordination purposes, donors are requested to inform OCHA
Geneva, as indicated below, on relief missions/pledges/contributions and
their corresponding values by item.

12.  OCHA is in close contact with the Office of the UN Resident
Coordinator in Algeria and will revert with further information, as it
becomes available.

13.  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:
  Mr. Max Bonnel Direct Tel. +41 22 917 1457
  Mr. Marcel Mikala Direct Tel. +41-22-917 1729

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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