OCHA Situation Report No. 3
Ecuador - Floods
22 March 2002


Situation

1.  Heavy rains continue having an impact in the provinces of El Oro,
Guayas, Los Rios and Manabi. Rainfall in February and March has been two
to three time above the normal level (source of information: Instituto
Nacional de Hidrologia y Meteorologia).

2.  In the province of Manabi, water has to be discharged from the dam
Poza Honda, which will cause flooding along the river Portoviejo with
impact in the city of the same name.

3.  The Civil Defense has reported the following information about the
impact on persons and housing:

         |---------------------+--------|
         | Dead                |     13 |
         |---------------------+--------|
         | Severely affected   |  1,225 |
         |---------------------+--------|
         | Affected            |  4,904 |
         |---------------------+--------|
         | Houses damaged      |    771 |
         |---------------------+--------|
         | Houses destroyed    |     68 |
         |---------------------+--------|


4.  In the province of Guayas, flooding has caused damage to 14,554
hectares of crops (source of data: Ministry of Agriculture).

5.  Damage has also been caused to several schools, which is preventing
classes from beginning.


In-country response

6.  In areas affected, the Government first declared an emergency with
regard to the status of access by road, and it has now taken the same
measure concerning sanitation. Contamination of sources of drinking water
as well as cases of diarrhoea, skin infections and respiratory problems
have occurred. With technical support from WHO/PAHO and UNICEF, steps are
undertaken to ensure drinking water quality and to carry out
epidemiological surveillance.

7.  So far, in-country resources cover the needs for medical supplies and
medicines.

8.  The Government has made available to the National Civil Defence the
amount of USD 300,000 for immediate response. A Crisis Committee stays in
session to coordinate assessments and response in the provinces affected.


Joint Assessment Mission (Government, UN System, Red Cross, ECHO)

9.  The United Nations Resident Coordinator has decided together with the
in-country United Nations Disaster Management Team to send an inter-agency
technical assessment team to the coastal areas. This assessment mission
will take place from 24 March to 27 March and is being organized with the
support of the OCHA Regional Disaster Response Advisor and will, in
addition to participants of UN agencies (WFP, WHO/PAHO, UNDP, UNFPA,
UNICEF), include experts from the Ministry of Health, the National Civil
Defence, Red Cross, ECHO and also two national experts who have received
UNDAC training.


Request for international assistance

10.  So far, the Government has not requested international assistance.

11.  This Situation Report and further information on ongoing emergencies
are also available on the OCHA 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 direct Tel. +41-22-917 32 99
  Ms. Masayo Kondo direct Tel. +41-22-917 19 97
  Ms. Federica D'Andreagiovanni direct Tel. +41-22-917 14 78

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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