OCHA Situation Report No. 1
Paraguay - Floods
15 May 2002


Situation

1.  From January to April, heavy rainfalls have been registered in the
department of Neembucu in the south of Paraguay. The downpours made rivers
burst their banks, thus causing extensive flooding.

2.  On 6 May, the Government declared the department of Neembucu an
emergency area. The Comite de Emergencia Nacional activated its
departmental committees to coordinate emergency assistance in the affected
area.

3.  According to the Secreteria de la Produccion del Departamento de
Neembucu eighty percent of the subsistence crops (manioc, potatoes, beans)
and sixty percent of maize crops (subsistence and cash crops) have been
lost. The yield of cotton crops not yet harvested has been reduced from
900 kg/ha to 500 kg/ha.


National Response

4.  On 8 May, the Minister of Agriculture and the United Nations Resident
Coordinator made an over flight of the areas affected by the floods.

5.  According to preliminary assessment:

  - 15 localities have been flooded
  - 553 families have been affected including 1,107 persons under
    age
  - food and heavy machinery to rehabilitate damaged roads are the
    most needed items.


6.  The Government of Paraguay has not requested international
assistance.


Contributions

7.  UNDP has made a disbursement of USD 20,000 for a project to be
implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture.

8.  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, 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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