OCHA Situation Report No. 2
Suriname: Floods
15 May 2006


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

This situation report is based on information provided by the office of
the United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator in Suriname, the United
Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team and reports
from the Government of Suriname, the National Coordination Centre for
Disaster Control (NCCR), and the International Federation of the Red
Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Situation

1. The highest levels of flooding were recorded on 8 May 2006. The NCCR
reported that these floods are the major disaster in recent times in the
interior of Suriname. The Government was in the process of developing a
national emergency plan when they occurred. Suriname was therefore not
completely prepared for such a crisis. The forecast is for more heavy
rains in the coming weeks. The consensus is that the situation will
probably get worse.

2. Water levels in some areas continue to rise, while in others they
have started to decrease. In the southeast, the water level in the
Tapanahony and Lawa rivers is still rising in most villages. In the
Boven Suriname Area, in south-central Suriname, the situation seems to
have stabilized. In some villages the water has declined, leaving behind
a thick layer of mud. Some villages in the Tapanahony area are
completely abandoned. People have moved to Ga'kaba and Stoelmanseiland,
where schools are functioning as temporary shelters.

3. On 13 May, an UNDP/UNDAC/ECHO assessment team left for Sula on the
Marowijne River, in eastern Suriname, by road and will attempt to reach
Gakaba by boat. On the same day, a UNDP/UNDAC assessment team left for
Afobaka / Brownsweg, and will try to reach Pokigron by boat. Also on 13
May, a Ministry of Defense assessment via helicopter took place, which
was joined by a member of the UNDAC team. Needs assessments by the
military and civil defense are ongoing.

Impact/Needs

4. The first cases of diarrhea were confirmed in two villages.

5. Access and the organization of relief distribution are challenging.
Water transport must be done with flat-bottom, wooden dugout canoes
because of the rocky river beds. Most people in the interior have such
canoes, but many were damaged. Those still usable generally do not have
a large carrying capacity and tend to be used by the affected
population, making them unavailable for relief efforts. Road transport
is increasingly difficult because the roads have been affected by the
rain and by the heavy trucks carrying relief materials.

6. The greatest logistical need is for helicopters. The NCCR has only
one commercial helicopter at its disposal and is leasing airplane
flights from private companies. Helicopters with large lift capacity are
a high-priority need.

7. The NCCR reports a need for logistics and procurement expertise.

8. As dry firewood is scarce, cooking fuel and charcoal are needed.
Potable water and sanitation (including hygiene promotion) are other
high-priority needs. There is also a need for supplementary food
parcels.

National response

9. On 11 May, the authorities and international organisations conducted
nine flights to different areas to assess the situation and deliver some
assistance to isolated areas.

10. So far, the authorities and NGOs have supplied about 4,800 food
packages(1), estimated to be sufficient for 24,000 people for one week,
but some villages (especially in the Marowijne area) have not been fully
supplied. The food packages were distributed by the Suriname military
via military outposts. However, due to shortages of fuel and cooking
materials, cooking the rice is a problem. The Government is considering
distributing military rations (biscuits) that do not require cooking to
overcome this problem.

11. The Suriname military is also distributing hygiene items. Chlorine
tablets were to be distributed over the weekend.

12. The Medical Mission (MM) is providing primary health care services
in the interior. MM monitors health problems in the affected areas on a
daily basis through radios. The floods affected 4 out of 52 medical
centres, but 3 of these have resumed operations in alternate locations.
The Ministry of Health (MoH) has activated medical crisis teams.
Temporary health clinics are being set up on higher ground where
possible. The MM has started health education programmes in the affected
areas to promote prevention of malaria and diarrhea. All volunteers and
relief workers traveling to the affected areas receive preventive
hepatitis vaccinations, impregnated bed nets, and malaria prophylaxis.

13. An assessment of available medical supplies is being conducted. On
the basis of this assessment, requests for medical supplies may be made.

14. The disaster team of the SRC is fully operational. The SRC is taking
part in relief distributions and the provision of first aid. The SRC is
developing a Plan of Action to provide assistance to 20,000 persons
(4,000 families) for the duration of the rainy season (June-August),
including hygiene items, supplementary food parcels, hygiene promotion,
water and sanitation activities, and training of volunteers for hygiene
promotion.

15. Daily meetings are taking place between the NCCR and the UNDAC team.
Further meetings will be organized on a sectoral basis, as well as daily
meetings with the international community.

16. A health coordination group has been formed. The UNDAC team will
work to set up a water and sanitation group with PAHO/WHO in the lead.

International Response

17. A 7-member UNDAC team arrived in Paramaribo on 11 May and a 3-member
team of Telecommunications Sans Frontieres (TSF) arrived on 12 May from
Nicaragua to support them. The UNDAC team is to be further strengthened
by the Head of the OCHA Regional Office for Latin America and the
Caribbean region and an Information Management Expert, who are due to
arrive today, on 14 May. The UNDAC team has established an On-Site
Operations Coordination Centre at the NCCR.

18. A team of technical experts in water and sanitation, flooding, law
and order, environment and crisis management arrived from the
Netherlands on 13 May. The Dutch Government will also send an airplane
(DC-8) with 30 MT from stocks of the Ministry of Defense: 2,000
blankets, 2,000 stretchers, tarpaulins and mosquito nets. The arrival of
the plane is scheduled for 15 May. This is in addition to EUR 1 million
contribution from the Netherlands (see Situation Report No. 1).

19. New pledges include EUR 50,000 from France and a USD 50,000 grant
from the US to the SRC. A Telethon (televised fundraising event) in the
Netherlands today is expected to bring in private donations.

20. UNDP has mobilized USD 50,000 to enable its country office to
support government efforts in coordinating the response (please refer to
Situation Report No. 1). These funds can be used for coordination,
information management, assessment and early recovery planning.

21. The IFRC has advanced CHF 100,000 on 10 May from the Disaster-Relief
Emergency Fund (DREF) to start a joint relief operation with the SRC. An
IFRC water and sanitation team of 4 persons has deployed under the
umbrella of the Pan-American Disaster Response Unit. The IFRC is sending
4,000 hygiene kits (for 5 persons for one month) from Panama by plane.
The Netherlands Red Cross has been requested to deploy a relief
delegate.

22. WFP has activated its regional emergency response mechanism (Latin
America and Caribbean Emergency Response Network / LACERN). Two staff
members will arrive on 15 May: an expert in logistic coordination and
civilian military cooperation and a food security assessment officer.

23. PAHO/WHO has deployed a disaster management expert with IDP
experience.

24. A representative from ECHO arrived on 13 May.

25. A three-person USAID assessment team is en route.

26. The NGO Map Action has deployed two staff members.

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

28. 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 Officer:
  Ms. Marie Spaak
    E-mail: spaak@un.org
    Direct Tel. +41-22-917 21 63

Press contact:
  GVA - Ms. Elizabeth Byrs, Direct Tel. + 41-22-917 2653
  NYC - Ms. Stephanie Bunker, Direct Tel. +1-917-367 51 26
  NYC - Mr. Brian Grogan, Direct Tel. +1-212-963 11 43

Note:

(1) Each food package contains food for 5 persons for 1 week.  The food
packages includes rice, cooking oil, and water

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