OCHA Situation Report No. 4
Ecuador: Floods
28 April 2006


This situation report is based on information provided by the office of
the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Ecuador and the UN Emergency
Technical Team (UNETE).

Situation

1. Weather conditions are changing, but some rivers continue to have
above normal water levels.

2. According to the International Research Centre on the El Nino
Phenomenon (CIIFEN), rains will be scarce in the coastal areas and the
north of the country until June.

Impact

3. As of 13 April, 11,534 families of some 28,000 families affected by
the floods and rains had been identified as being in need of
humanitarian assistance, as follows.

|------------+------------|
| PROVINCE   | # AFFECTED |
|            | FAMILIES   |
|------------+------------|
| Guayas     |      1,594 |
|------------+------------|
| El Oro     |        678 |
|------------+------------|
| Manabi     |      2,833 |
|------------+------------|
| Los Rios   |      6,349 |
|------------+------------|
| Esmeraldas |         80 |
|------------+------------|
| TOTAL      |     11,534 |
|------------+------------|


A WFP Team continues to assess affected areas in the provinces of Los
Rios, El Oro and Guayas.

4. With the resumption of the school year in coastal areas on 17 April,
many families have had to move out of schools that were being used as
temporary shelters, but some schools are still being used as such. This
is affecting the resumption of classes. In the next days, the ministries
of Health and Education, Civil Defense and the Ministry of Social
Welfare will relocate families elsewhere.

5. In Los Rios Province, the rains have decreased in intensity and
frequency, but the situation is aggravating with the appearance of
health problems. A total of 369 cases of dengue fever and several cases
of typhoid fever have been reported. Sixty marginal urban neighbourhoods
and districts are particularly affected. The regional government
administration and the Malaria Eradication Service have carried out
fumigations in some areas, but flooded areas have not been fumigated.

In Quevedo, Babahoyo, Vinces, Baba, Urdaneta, and Montalvo counties,
mosquitoes, frogs, and snakes are proliferating in stagnant water.

In the areas of 21 y 22 de Noviembre, dozens of cane and wooden houses
are under stagnant water and mud. El Pantano neighborhood is the most
affected, houses are still under 50 cm of water and families that left
their homes are living with relatives or friends. Twenty-five families
are sheltered in a youth rehabilitation centre managed by a Foundation.

6. In El Oro Province, heavy rains in the highlands have weakened El
Calvario hill, putting hundreds of houses at risk. Landslides have
affected Portovelo, where hundreds of families are also at risk but do
not want to be relocated. There is a shortage of drinkable water as a
landslide has damaged the pipe system. A total of 962 cases of dengue
fever have been reported.

El Oro Municipality announced that the construction of a 400m retaining
wall would start next month to prevent Rio Zarumilla from overflowing.

7. In Manabi Province, 919 cases of dengue fever, 29 cases of
leptospirosis, and 18 cases of malaria have been reported. In addition,
75% of the public schools face health and hygiene problems, such as lack
of safe drinking water, latrines, and mosquito-borne diseases.

8. In Guayas Province, 1,411 cases of dengue fever, 69 cases of
hemorrhagic dengue fever, and 201 cases of malaria have been reported.

National Response

9. Since early March, WFP has distributed emergency food rations to
flood affected families as follows:

|------------------+----------|
| PROVINCE         | # FOOD   |
|                  | RATIONS  |
|------------------+----------|
| Coastal          |          |
| Provinces        |          |
|------------------+----------|
| Guayas           |    2,472 |
|------------------+----------|
| El Oro           |    1,477 |
|------------------+----------|
| Los Rios         |    7,348 |
|------------------+----------|
| Manabi           |    8,500 |
|------------------+----------|
| Esmeraldas       |       80 |
|------------------+----------|
| Andean Provinces |          |
|------------------+----------|
| Loja             |      100 |
|------------------+----------|
| Azuay            |      100 |
|------------------+----------|
| Cotopaxi         |      180 |
|------------------+----------|
| TOTAL            |   20,257 |
|------------------+----------|

* Each food ration is for 5 persons for 15 days


10. A total of 400 food rations were elaborated with the Government of
Venezuela's 40 MT food donation in WFP's provincial warehouse in
Guayaquil.

11. The Government of Argentina's 4 MT food donation (2,5 MT rice, 1 MT
vegetable oil, and 0.24 MT powder milk) and 1 MT donation of non-food
items (water purifying tablets, oral rehydratation salts, tents,
shovels, and blankets) were delivered to WFP's provincial warehouse in
Guayas. A total of 399 food rations were elaborated.

12. WFP is distributing these food rations and those procured with
OCHA's Emergency Grant in the flood affected provinces in coordination
with the Emergency Operations Centre (COE).

13. WHO/PAHO has been supporting the Ministry of Health for activities
such as the monitoring of water quality and disease prevention and
control. WHO/PAHO has purchased medicines for dengue fever, hemorrhagic
dengue fever, leptospirosis, and other illnesses, as well as 22,000
first aid kits, 5,000 water quality testing reagents, and 12,000 water
containers, which together with medicines donated by Venezuela, are
being distributed in coordination with Civil Defense and the Regional
Health Sub-Secretary. A Supply Management System to manage donations of
health supplies and medicines has been activated in Guayas and Manabi
provinces.

14. WHO/PAHO will support the ministries of Health and Education to
activate a maintenance protocol regarding hygiene measures in public
schools (latrines, water tanks, snack bars). Guayaquil municipality has
installed 800 latrines in several schools.

International Response

15. The Government of Ecuador has received international humanitarian
aid from Argentina, Brazil, and Venezuela.

16. Emergency Grants from Norway and OCHA were allocated to the UN
Resident Coordinator's office to support the UN's response.

17. The Ecuadorian Red Cross has received contributions from USAID - for
a safe water project in flood affected areas in Los Rios and Guayas
provinces - and AECI - for a fumigation project in Manabi province.

18. ECHO has made contributions to WFP and WHO/PAHO.

19. OCHA remains in close contact with the office of the United Nations
Resident Coordinator and will continue reporting as further information
is made available.

20. 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


Tel. +41-22-917 1234
Fax: +41-22-917 00 23
E-mail: ochagva@un.org

In case of emergency only: Tel. +41-22-917 20 10

Desk Officers:
  Ms. Marie Spaak
    E-mail:  spaak@un.org
    Direct Tel. +41 22 917 2163

Press contact:
  GVA - Ms. Elizabeth Byrs, Direct Tel. + 41-22-917 2653
  NYC - Ms. Stephanie Bunker,  Direct Tel. +1-917-367 51 26

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