OCHA Situation Report No. 2
Venezuela - Floods
15 February 2005


Situation

1. The United Nations Resident Coordinator in Caracas reports that the 
torrential rains for more than three days have had a serious impact on 
the population of Venezuela. According to the Ministry of Interior and 
Justice, some 25,000 people have been affected, 33 people lost their 
lives and 43 are still missing. The Government has declared a state of 
emergency in nine states: Aragua, Carabobo, Capital District, Falcon, 
Miranda, Tachira, Vargas, Yaracuy and Zulia.

National Response

2. On 10-11 February, the Venezuelan Armed Forces, the Civil Protection 
and the Venezuelan Red Cross Society evacuated 15,000 people blocked by 
overflowing rivers, from locations along the coastal areas in the state 
of Vargas.

3. The Civil Protection officials are working to restore roads cut off 
by mudslides and to set up temporary bridges where permanent structures 
were washed away.

International Response

4. The United Nations Disaster Management Team (UN-DMT) met on 11 
February, convened by the UN Resident Coordinator, to exchange 
information and analyse the situation. The Team is in constant contact 
with the national authorities, the Mayor's office in Caracas and the 
Venezuelan Red Cross Society, expressing the UN Country Team's readiness 
to support the coordination effort in this emergency situation.

5. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)'s staff has visited the 
main refugee centre in Caracas, to identify needs and priorities. UNICEF 
will start training volunteers in the state of Falcon for psychosocial 
support. Basic hygiene supplies are being purchased.

6. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has met with the Ministry 
of Agriculture on 11 February. The Minister announced that a Situation 
Room, to monitor the effects of the heavy rains in the rural sector in 
each state, was being established. FAO is to support the Ministry in 
damage assessment and to prepare a small project for production 
rehabilitation.

7. According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red 
Crescent Societies (IFRC), more than 300 Venezuelan Red Cross volunteers 
have been taking part in search and rescue operations, the 
transportation of evacuees, collection of humanitarian goods and 
providing first aid. The IFRC has released CHF 100,000 (USD 83,000) from 
its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund to support the Venezuelan Red Cross 
response to the emergency.

8. The Government has not made a request for international assistance.

9. This situation report, together with the information on contributions 
and other ongoing emergencies, is also available on the OCHA Internet 
Website at http://www.reliefweb.int



Telephone: +41-22-917 12 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
     E-mail: haegglund@un.org
     direct Tel. +41-22-917 32 99
   Ms. Masayo Kondo
     E-mail: kondo@un.org
     direct Tel. +41-22-917 19 77

Press contact:

   GVA - Ms. Elizabeth Byrs, direct Tel. +41-22-917 26 53
   NYC - Ms. Stephanie Bunker,  direct Tel. +1-917-367 51 26
   NYC - Mr. Brian Grogan, direct Tel. +1-212-963 11 43

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Appropriate Donations for International Disaster/Humanitarian Needs
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Center for International                  web: www.cidi.org
     Disaster Information             listserv: www.cidi.org/listsub.htm
                                    guidelines: www.cidi.org/donate.htm
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