OCHA Situation Report No. 4
Central America - Drought
5 September 2001


"Estado de Calamidad Pública" declared in Guatemala

Regional Overview

1.  The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that the rainy
season started with abundant rains in May, and a bumper harvest was needed
for the region to recover from the shortfall caused by a series of natural
disasters in recent years. However, the earlier expectations of a 13 per
cent increase in aggregate cereal output from last year's drought-affected
crop were lowered by a dry spell in June and July. Current estimates
suggest an aggregate cereal output of 2.3 million tons for these
countries, some 8 per cent lower than the last five-year average.

2.  The dry spell in June affected crops in their early stages of growth,
and erratic and unevenly distributed rains of July and August resulted in
localized crop losses throughout the region. The drought severely reduced
cereal as well as vegetable production in home gardens and communal plots,
which are important sources not only of food but also income for the
poorest families.

3.  The first crop harvested in August normally provides small family
farms with food until the end of the year, when the second crop is due to
be harvested, as well as seeds for the following planting season. The
capacity of the affected farmers to recover from the effects of the
drought by increasing the area planted in the second and third planting
season is limited due to the lack of seeds. FAO is collaborating with
governments, international and civil society organizations in the
provision of agricultural inputs for planting second season crops.


Guatemala

4.  According to the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in
Guatemala, seven departments in the south-east of the country have been
affected as reported below:

  |----------------+---------------+---------------------|
  |  Departments   |   Number of   |  Families affected  |
  |                |  Communities  |                     |
  |----------------+---------------+---------------------|
  |  El Progreso   |     67        |        4,032        |
  |----------------+---------------+---------------------|
  |     Zacapa     |     46        |        2,327        |
  |----------------+---------------+---------------------|
  |   Santa Rosa   |     21        |        1,743        |
  |----------------+---------------+---------------------|
  |     Jalapa     |     12        |        1,126        |
  |----------------+---------------+---------------------|
  |  Baja Verapaz  |     30        |        2,636        |
  |----------------+---------------+---------------------|
  |    Jutiapa     |      7        |        1,084        |
  |----------------+---------------+---------------------|
  |   Chiquimula   | Not Available |    Not Available    |
  |----------------+---------------+---------------------|
  |     TOTAL      |    183        |       12,948        |
  |----------------+---------------+---------------------|


5.  Farmers living off less than two hectares of rented land have lost 50
per cent of their harvest and it is estimated that some 60,000 children
are suffering from serious food shortages.

6.  The precarious food situation is not only caused by the severe, but
also by the extensive poverty. It is feared that at the end of 2002 the
number of affected families might increase to 25,000.


National Response

7.  The President of Guatemala declared "El Estado de Calamidad Pública"
on 3 September, as serious food shortages became evident. The action was
taken by the Government to facilitate its response to the emergency.

8.  The Ministry of Agriculture, together with the World Food Programme,
El Fondo de Inversión Social (FIS), El Fondo Nacional para la Paz
(FONAPAZ), La Asociación Intervida y el Proyecto de Desarrollo Integral de
Comunidades Rurales, started delivering food supplies in the department of
El Progreso.


International Response

- WFP is distributing 238 MT of maize, beans and vegetable oil to 4,032
families in El Progreso. WFP is redirecting food supplies from its ongoing
development projects in Guatemala.

- UNICEF has been monitoring the situation on nutrition, and distributing
vitamin A tablets and oral rehydration salts.

- WHO is advising the Minister of Health and coordinating technical
assistance with the Instituto de Nutrición de Centro América y Panamá
(INCAP).

- The United Nations Disaster Management Team (UN-DMT) is monitoring the
situation in collaboration with national authorities.


9.  Thus far, the Government of Guatemala has not requested international
assistance.

Interested donors are requested to contact the following agencies:

- WFP Representative in Guatemala:
   Dorte Ellehammer
   Tel. +(502) 333-5928
   Fax. +(502) 333-7423
   Email: dorte.ellehammer@wfp.org

- UNICEF Representative in Guatemala:
   Elizabeth Gibbons
   Tel. +(502) 333-6373
   Fax: +(502) 333-6317
   Email: egibbons@unicef.org


10.  Information on contributions to this disaster may be found by
clicking on Financial Tracking on the OCHA Internet Website,
www.reliefweb.int.

11.  For coordination purposes, donors are requested to inform OCHA
Geneva, on relief missions/pledges/contributions and their corresponding
values by item.  Donors are encouraged to notify OCHA Geneva of their
contributions to this disaster using the OCHA Standardised Contributions
Recording Format, available electronically on the above-mentioned
Financial Tracking Website.

12.  OCHA is prepared to serve as channel for cash contributions to be
used for immediate relief assistance, in coordination/consultation with
relevant organizations in the United Nations system. Funds should be
transferred to:

   Bank name:      Chase Manhattan Bank, NY
   Address:   International Agencies Branch
   1166, Avenue of Americas, 17th floor
   New York, NY 10036-2708 USA
   A/C name:  United Nations Geneva General Fund
   A/C:       485-001802
   ABA Code:  021000021 (US Banking Code)
   Swift Code:     CHASU33
   Reference:       OCHA - Central America - Drought

OCHA provides donors with written confirmation and pertinent details
concerning the utilization of the funds contributed.


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


Telephone: +41-22-91712 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. Erik Haegglund / Ms. Masayo Kondo
  Direct Tel. +41-22-917 3299 / 1997

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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