OCHA Situation Report No. 2
Ecuador - Floods
15 March 2002


Situation

1.  On 14 March 2002, the Ecuadorian Civil Defense reported that the
Ecuadorian coastal provinces of Guayas, El Oro and Manabi were still
suffering from heavy rainfalls causing floods and landslides.

2.  The Civil Defense reported the following official figures of the
impact on persons and housing:

   Dead                12
   Affected         2,213
   Houses damaged     358
   Houses destroyed    29


3.  Many housing units are at risk in the cities of Portoviejo, Manta,
Montecristi, Charapoto, Bahia de Caraquez and San Vincente (province of
Manabi) and in Guayaquil, Duran and Esmeraldas (province of Guayas). In
some of the most risk areas the Civil Defence has already started
evacuations.

4.  In the province of Manabi, telecommunications were disrupted due to
the fall of electric poles.


National response

5.  The Government has set up a Crisis Committee comprising the Ministries
of Social Welfare, Public Works, Health, Housing, Labor, Economy and
Environment to advise and coordinate on emergency response activities.

6.  In the flooded area, the Ministry of Health is carrying out disease
surveillance and vector control with the support of PAHO/WHO.

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

8.  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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