OCHA Situation Report No. 4
Suriname - Floods
19 May 2006


This situation report is based on information provided by the United Nations 
Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team and WHO/PAHO.

Situation

1. The situation in the interior of Suriname is stabilizing. The floods have 
had significant, yet not immediately life threatening, consequences on the 
affected region. Water levels in the Upper Suriname region have receded.  High 
water levels do continue to affect populations in the Eastern region.  The 
water level in the Saramacca River is high and still rising. The road near that 
river has been damaged by flooding. The risk of new and more flooding later in 
the season should not be disregarded with more rain expected.

2. Food, water, and shelter needs are generally being met through a good 
coordination between governmental, non-governmental and local actors and 
deployed representatives of the international community; however there are 
pockets of vulnerability in some areas. The majority of the needs -such as 
water and sanitation- are actually more chronic than flood-related.

3. There is no need for additional international coordination capacity as 
slowly the transition from the relief phase to the rehabilitation phase is 
being made.

4. The risk for outbreaks of malaria and diarrhea remains and the lack of 
access to clean drinking water is concerning.

Impact/Needs

5. Due to bad road conditions distribution of food parcels to Pokigron, near 
Brokopondo Lake, was delayed. Out of 500 only a mere 150 parcels were 
delivered.

6. Some estimates put flood-damaged crops at 70%; however, WFP reports that 
reliable estimates are not yet available.  According to some NGOs, the harvest 
of rice (one of the main staples) will be delayed until December 2006 or 
January 2007.  However, the other products (beans, vegetables) can be recovered 
sooner.  A period of decreased food access is expected during the period 
leading up to the harvest.

7. Teachers that had left the disaster area for Paramaribo are starting to plan 
their return to the region, and will receive assistance with transportation 
from the Government's Crisis Team starting Sunday, 21 May.

8. The first cases of watery diarrhea have been confirmed, but according to the 
Health Crisis Team of the Ministry of Health (MoH), which is monitoring the 
situation, there is no outbreak at this moment.

9. A small Malaria outbreak has been detected in Asigron, near Brokopondo Lake. 
However, this outbreak seems not directly related to the flooding. However, the 
risk of an outbreak is real.

10. Priority needs remain fuel, clean drinking water, sanitation, replacement 
of damaged foodstocks, disease surveillance, house cleaning kits, school 
materials, repair of generators, replacement of hand tools for woodworking (for 
home repair), and agricultural recovery.

National response

11. The National Coordination Centre for Disaster Control (NCCR), with 
technical assistance from the UNDAC team, has established a plan to execute 
relief delivery using logistical assets provided by international partners, 
including Brazil, the Netherlands and Venezuela.

12. The NCCR has established 5 hubs at Lange Tabbetje, Stoelmanseiland, 
Dritabiki, Djumu and Kwamalasamutu from where they continue to distribute food 
packages and hygiene packages. Purified water is also distributed, but not in 
large quantities. The hubs will also have refueling facilities for helicopters 
to enable these to deliver goods closer to affected villages. In each hub, 
coordination teams composed of staff from the police, Ministry of Defense, fire 
fighters, and local NGOs are present to supervise distribution of relief items.

13. All 52 MM centres are operational again. The Medical Mission (MM) has 
requested the NCCR, with the aid of the police and the military, to assist in 
the transport of sick people to medical centres.

14. The Ministry of Health (MoH) has finalized an assessment of medical 
supplies on stock and is preparing an associated request for needed supplies. 
The MoH has further requested to vet all medical supplies that are to enter the 
country.

15. All volunteers, military staff and police going into the field are first 
vaccinated for hepatitis B and yellow fever. They also receive an impregnated 
bed net and malaria prophylaxis. First aid responders are supplied with the 
necessary kits.

16. The Shelter Group recommends using plastic sheeting for provisional 
shelter.  Shelter kits serving 5 families and including reinforced plastic 
sheets, nylon rope, nails, a hammer, a machete with wet stone and one shovel 
will be provided. Common assessment forms for shelter needs analysis will be 
used by the Suriname Red Cross (SRC) and local NGOs.  The SRC will deliver 
plastic sheeting for 2,500 families, pending further needs assessments. The 
NCCR will initially purchase 5% of required tools, ropes, and nails. Additional 
NCCR assistance is depending on further assessments. Shelter kits will be 
transported to the main logistical hubs for distribution purposes.

17. It is expected that the Ministry of Regional Development will provide 
leadership for the recovery of the region, with technical support from UNDP. 
Agricultural recovery will be an important and urgent area in which the 
international community can invest; a Dutch expert is looking at ways in which 
Netherlands could support the Ministry of Agriculture.

18. Hydrology assessments have been conducted by the University of Suriname's 
hydrologists, assisted by students; three stations were established at Djumu, 
Debike, and Pokigron.  The stations are monitored twice a day, and reports sent 
to Paramaribo. Sampling of the soil's absorptive capacity is also being done.

19. Solid waste from the distribution of relief packages is being collected to 
prevent pollution of the environment.

International Response

20. Sectoral coordination mechanisms/groups have been set up as follows:

HEALTH (this group also deals with water quality, sanitation, providing 
medicines, prevention and secondary problems):

Ministry of Health; Bureau of Public Health Care; MM; University of Suriname - 
Medical Department; UNDAC team; WHO/PAHO; Red Cross (SRC/IFRC). A sub-group on 
Trauma Assistance is being formed.

EDUCATION

Ministry of Education and Development; Evangelical Brotherhood City Suriname; 
Roman Catholic Special Education; Bahai; NGO Education Network.

SHELTER

Social Housing Network NGOs; Red Cross (SRC/IFRC); NCCR; UNDAC team; MapAction.

FOOD and AGRICULTURE

Ministry of Agriculture, Stockbreeding and Fishing
Dutch Mission
NGOs
WFP
Red Cross (SRC/IFRC)

PRESS

NCCR (with support from WHO/PAHO and NGOs).

FINANCIAL

NCCR (with support from WHO/PAHO and NGOs).

LOGISTICS

NCCR; Ministry of Regional Development; District Commissioner; UNDAC team;
NGOs; Red Cross (SRC/IFRC).

HYDROLOGY

University of Suriname; Dutch Mission.

LEGAL

Legal advisors; individual volunteers.

ENVIRONMENT

NCCR and the Ministry of Environment

RECONSTRUCTION, LIVELIHOOD, ECONOMICS

Under development.

21. Contributions made thus far:

|-----------------------------+-----------------+------------------|
|            Donor            |    Recipient    |Amount / Commodity|
|                             |                 |   (US dollars)   |
|-----------------------------+-----------------+------------------|
|Netherlands                  |UN Agencies      |      $1,273,540 /|
|                             |                 |       Helicopters|
|-----------------------------+-----------------+------------------|
|OCHA                         |Through the UN RC|           $30,000|
|-----------------------------+-----------------+------------------|
|France                       |Suriname      Red|           $64,000|
|                             |Cross            |                  |
|-----------------------------+-----------------+------------------|
|Netherlands Red Cross        |IFRC             |          $250,000|
|-----------------------------+-----------------+------------------|
|US                           |Suriname      Red|           $50,000|
|                             |Cross            |                  |
|-----------------------------+-----------------+------------------|
|Brazil                       |Government     of|       Helicopters|
|                             |Suriname         |                  |
|-----------------------------+-----------------+------------------|
|Organization of American     |NCCR             |           $10,000|
|States (OAS) + Pan American  |                 |                  |
|Development Foundation (PADF)|                 |                  |
|-----------------------------+-----------------+------------------|




22. The UNDAC team has established an On-Site Operations Coordination Centre 
(OSOCC) next to the national crisis centre in Paramaribo. It is providing 
support to the Suriname authorities and international responders in the area of 
assessment coordination and consolidation of findings on emergency needs and 
priorities for assistance. The team is also initiating discussions on 
transition issues in order to ensure continuity of coordination structures into 
the early recovery phase. The UNDAC Team focuses on the following areas of 
coordination: Assessment coordination; OSOCC management; Reporting; Liaison 
with the national authorities; Liaison with all humanitarian partners; Donor 
relations; Public information; Environmental issues.

23. A MapAction staff member attached to the UNDAC team participated in an 
aerial survey of the Dritabiki / Stoelmanseiland / Langa Tibiki area. A map 
showing the water status in this area was developed and was made available on 
the Virtual OSOCC, showing that eleven villages were dry, 17 were partially 
flooded, and 13 completely flooded.

24. The Dutch Navy ship with five helicopters (four from the Netherlands, one 
from Belgium) has arrived and operations have begun on 18 May. The helicopters 
moved from the ship to Zanderij, Langatabbetje, and Stoelmanseiland. Operations 
with the Brazilian helicopter continue. One UNDAC team member and one WFP staff 
participated in a Brazilian helicopter assessment of the Marowijne area 
(Stoelmanseiland, Anapaike, and Kumakapan). It has traveled on to Zorg and Hoop 
to Kwamala for a fuel drop and to start operations there. The deployment of the 
helicopters will last at least until the weekend of 26 May and possibly for 2 
weeks.

25. Venezuela sent a team of experts on May 17 to assess the fuel situation.

26. IFRC will be distributing 4,000 hygiene kits. The IFRC has also dispatched 
a consignment of food parcels which will reach Suriname today, May 19, and help 
ensure food availability for 20,000 people until mid June.

27. WFP's initial recommendations regarding food and related needs include: 
deployment of additional food monitors, to better organize and supervise 
distributions, deployment of one to two food security/livelihoods experts, to 
advise the Suriname Government and NGOs on livelihoods interventions; 
assessments (under the lead of the Ministry of Agriculture) of the impact of 
the floods on livelihoods, including agricultural production and livestock; 
establishment of a nutritional monitoring system, through the Health Service 
system, to closely monitor the acute malnutrition levels; and provision of fuel 
for boats and other means of relief transportation systems.

28. With support from the Netherlands, WHO/PAHO will provide 70,000 water 
purification tablets, water tanks for the collection of rainwater as well as 
training to set up systems for an alternative water supply when rainwater is 
not available.  Relief efforts will furthermore focus on doubling the 
percentage of households with access to systems for the collection of 
rainwater, from 5% to 10%.  Education activities about the importance of safe 
drinking water, and the provision of alternative sources of it are being set 
up.  The Suriname water company has distributed flyers on this topic, advising 
people to boil water before use. The IFRC has also initiated a hygiene 
awareness campaign.

29. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) made available 12 Nera 
satellite phones to the Government of Suriname on loan. An ITU delegate from 
South Africa has come to Suriname to train members of the police, army, fire 
brigade, and the Surinamese Telecommunication Company.  The phones will be 
installed in the five main logistics hubs to support aid distribution, and for 
use by the local populations.  The ITU will fund all communication costs. 
Telecommunications capacity for relief operations is thereby covered.

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

31. 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

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