OCHA Situation Report No. 1
Ecuador - Floods
11 March 2002


Situation

1.  Heavy rainfalls have been registered in Ecuador in the past couple of
weeks in the coastal provinces of Guayas, Los Rios and Manabi, causing
floods and landslides in several areas. According to the National
Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (INAMHI), the rainy season that
runs usually from December to March started late this year in February
with intense rainfalls.

2.  On 8 March, the Civil Defense reported the following official figures
of the impact on persons, housing and crops:

     |----------------------+-----------|
     | Dead                 |         8 |
     |----------------------+-----------|
     | Evacuated            |       535 |
     |----------------------+-----------|
     |Affected              |       669 |
     |----------------------+-----------|
     | Homeless             |       145 |
     |----------------------+-----------|
     | Houses damaged       |       132 |
     |----------------------+-----------|
     | Houses destroyed     |        19 |
     |----------------------+-----------|
     | Crops lost in Guayas | 48,000 ha |
     |----------------------+-----------|



3.  In the province of Manabi, owing to inclined and water-saturated
terrain, some housing units are exposed to possible landslides,
particularly in Puerto Lopez, where 685 persons are at risk. In the cities
of Manta and Portoviejo, (population: 200,000 each) electric power supply
has been cut off up to three times a day.


National response

4.  The Civil Defense has set up an Emergency Operation Center (COE) in
each province to provide assistance for the affected population, in
collaboration with local authorities and national entities.

5.  The Government of Ecuador has not requested international assistance.

6.  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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