OCHA Situation Report No. 5
Ecuador - Volcanic Eruption
19 November 2002


The Government of Ecuador requests International Assistance

1.  The Permanent Representative of Ecuador met with the Director, OCHA
Geneva, on 15 November 2002 to transmit the request made by the Government
of Ecuador for international assistance following the eruption of El
Reventador volcano.


Situation in the Affected Provinces

2.  According to a presentation made by the Government on 13 November 2002
to the international community in Quito, the eruption process continues,
and the volcano is continuously expulsing gas clouds. The impact felt in
the three affected provinces is as follows:

3.   Pichincha (including Metropolitan District of Quito): Pedro Moncayo,
Cayambe, Quito (Pifo, Checa, Yaruqui, Tumbaco, Cumbaya, Pintag. Lloa),
Ruminahui (Cotogchoa), Mejia (Cutuglahua)

- 24,000 families directly affected, and the regular activities of the
  2 million people living in Quito's urban area disrupted by ash fall.
- 600 ha of flower green houses and 1,600 ha small-size greenhouses
  damaged
- 160,000 ha of farmlands affected, including 40.63 percent (9,114 ha) of
  this year's cultivation, 12.12 percent (185 ha) of vegetable production,
  and 97.59 percent (2,770 ha) of fruit cultivation.


4.   Sucumbios: Gonzalo Pizarro.

- 130 families severely affected. 1,800 families have been evacuated in
  La Libertad.Two  bridges collapsed, 1 km of road destroyed, metal
  sewage systems melted.
- 20,000 ha farmland and 1,000 livestock affected. 5,000 livestock at
  risk.


5.   Napo: El Chaco and Quijos.

- 910 families severely affected and 2,300 people affected.
- 20,000 square meters greenhouse damaged
- 40,000 square meters of water area for trout breeding has also been
  affected205 ha. Vegetable and fruit cultivation affected
- 30,000 ha grasslands and 700 livestock affected and another 19,280 at
  risk



Requirements

6.   The Government of Ecuador request international assistance in the
following areas:

  - Ash removal
  - Health
  - Water
  - Electric Power Supply
  - Emergency Logistics
  - Emergency Communications
  - Agricultural Sector
  - Community Infrastructure
  - Monitoring Equipment
  - Architectural and Artistic Heritage

Further details are available with OCHA upon request.


7.  In order to match possible contributions with available national
resources, contacts and inquiries can be made at the following
governmental office:

   Amb. Juan Salazar Sancisi
   Director Ejecutivo del INECI
   (Instituto Ecuatoriano de Cooperacion Internacional)
   Av. 10 Agosto y Carrion Esquina
   Quito, Ecuador

   Tel.    +593-22-560-989
   Fax     +593-22-504-933 / 507 077
   Email   ineci@mmrree.gov.ec


8.  An initial assessment was undertaken on 6 November 2002 with the
participation of representatives from the UN system in Ecuador, the
Ministries of Agriculture, Social Welfare and Health, the Ecuadorian Red
Cross, ECHO and MSF (OCHA Situation Report No. 3 dated 8 November 2002).
For more information, please contact:

   Ms. Aase Smedler
   United Nations Resident Coordinator
   Quito, Ecuador

   Tel. +593-22-460 330 /332
   Fax  +593-22-461 960
   Email  aase.smedler@undp.org



9.   Contributions reported to OCHA so far are as follows:

   |--------------+----------------------------+----------|
   | Country/     |  Description of assistance | Value    |
   | organization |                            | (in USD) |
   |--------------+----------------------------+----------|
   | OCHA         | Emergency cash grant       |   30,000 |
   |              | A two-member in-country    |      N/A |
   |              | UNDAC team mobilised       |          |
   |--------------+----------------------------+----------|
   | WFP          | 200 weekly family rations  |      N/A |
   |--------------+----------------------------+----------|
   | ECHO         | Emergency relief funds     |  442,478 |
   |              | (EUR 450,000)              |          |
   |--------------+----------------------------+----------|
   | Japan        | 23 water tanks,            |  104,878 |
   |              | 10 electric generators,    |          |
   |              | 10 cord reels, 15 water    |          |
   |              | purifiers with cartridges, |          |
   |              | and 1,080 polyethylene     |          |
   |              | tanks (JPY 12,900,000)     |          |
   |--------------+----------------------------+----------|
   | Norway       |Emergency relief funds      |   19,400 |
   |              |through OCHA                |   27,586 |
   |              |In-kind donation of water   |          |
   |              |storage devices             |          |
   |--------------+----------------------------+----------|
   | Spain        | Seismic monitoring         |      N/A |
   |              | equipment                  |          |
   |--------------+----------------------------+----------|


10.  OCHA is prepared to serve as a channel for cash contributions to be
used for immediate relief assistance, in coordination with relevant
organizations in the United Nations system. For banking details, please
contact the desk officers indicated below. OCHA provides donor governments
with written confirmation and pertinent details concerning the utilization
of the funds contributed.

11.  For coordination purposes, donors are requested to inform OCHA Geneva
on relief missions/pledges/contributions and their corresponding values by
item. The OCHA Standardized Contributions Recording Format for information
on contributions may be found by clicking on Financial Tracking at the top
of the page for this disaster on the OCHA Internet Website
(http://www.reliefweb.int).

12.  This situation report, together with further information on ongoing
emergencies, is 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. E. Haegglund / Mr. R Mena / Ms. M. Kondo
  Direct Tel. +41-22-917 32 99 / 14 55 / 19 97

Press contact:
  (GVA)  Ms. Elizabeth Byrs, direct Tel. +41-22-917 2653
  (NYC)  Brian Grogan direct Tel. +1-212-963-1143


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