OCHA Situation Report No. 1
Ecuador - Floods
17 March 2006


This situation report is based on information provided by the office of 
the UN Resident Coordinator in Ecuador and reports from the 
International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and 
CARE International.

Situation

1.  Heavy rains since early February west of the Andes caused the water 
level of the Guayas Basin and several rivers to rise, provoking flooding 
and landslides in 35 cantons of the 5 coastal provinces of El Oro, 
Esmeraldas, Guayas, Los Rios, and Manabi. The flooding is affecting 
areas that already suffered from flooding in 2005. The National 
Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology expects heavy rains to continue 
until April.

2.  The floods are affecting houses, roads and farmland. According to 
Civil Defense authorities in the affected provinces, as of 11 March, 9 
people had died (4 in El Oro and 5 in Los Rios), 474 families lost their 
homes, 315 families had been evacuated, and 17,535 families directly or 
indirectly affected (1,683 in Manabi, 13,794 in Los Rios, 999 in Guayas, 
313 in Esmeraldas, and 746 in El Oro). An estimated 5,000 families have 
become highly vulnerable following the loss of most of their assets. 
Extensive damage to crops (bananas, maize, yucca, etc.) as well as 
poultry and livestock has been reported in some areas, which will cause 
important economic losses in the agricultural sector. The damage to 
primary and secondary roads and bridges is complicating access to the 
affected areas.

3.  The main problems identified are that most of the buildings housing 
evacuated families have been improvised and lack basic services such as 
safe drinking water and electricity, and that the local authorities have 
neither foodstuffs and relief items to assist them, nor the means to 
protect and cater for the most vulnerable groups. In a number of places 
where floodwater is receding, pools of stagnant water mixed with 
sewerage are generating immediate risks of outbreaks of diseases, dengue 
and malaria.

4.  Immediate needs are for foodstuffs, drinking water, medicines and 
sanitation, and assistance for the repair and reconstruction of houses.

National response

5.  The humanitarian response is focusing on 5,000 families considered 
to be highly vulnerable due to the loss of most of their assets, while 
UN recovery efforts, which UNDP will lead, will focus on over 17,000 
families directly or indirectly affected.

6.  The Government has deployed 6 health units to the affected areas, 
has distributed foodstuffs and medicines, and is planning to send more 
assistance, including foodstuffs, medicines, and household items such as 
mattresses and water containers. The Government has also made USD 20 
million available to assist farmers whose livestock has been affected.

7.  The national and local capacity to respond is complicated by 
budgetary constraints, political strikes and road blockades in 8 
provinces (none of which are directly affected by the floods).

8.  At the request of the Government, a UN interagency team comprising 
WFP, UNDP, WHO/PAHO, and UNFPA visited the affected provinces of 
Esmeraldas (Eloy Alfaro), Guayas (Salitre), Los Rios (Baba) and Manabi 
(Portoviejo, Montecristi) from 14-23 February in order to carry out a 
preliminary assessment of the damage and the major needs of the 
population, evaluate the local capacities for disaster prevention, 
response preparedness, response, and rehabilitation, and formulate 
recommendations for improvements where necessary.

9.  On 15 March, 800 Government/WFP food rations were distributed by the 
Red Cross and the Civil Defence to flood victims in Los Rios and El Oro 
provinces and on 16 March, an additional 1,000 of them to flood victims 
in Manabi province.

10.  Due to the worsening of the situation, WFP dispatched an assessment 
team to Manabi province on 14 March, whose preliminary findings indicate 
that the most severely affected cantons are Chone, Tosagua, Rocafuerte, 
and Sucre.

11.  The Ecuadorian Red Cross (CRE) has responded to the disaster by 
launching search and rescue operations, providing primary health care, 
distributing relief supplies, engaging in shelter management, and 
carrying out needs assessments. The CRE has developed a plan of action 
focusing on the provision of relief and hygiene items to 1,600 families 
in El Oro, Guayas, Los Rios, and Manabi provinces.

12.  CARE International has completed assessments of the situation and 
needs in the cantons of Huaquillas, in the border area with Peru, and 
Arenillas (El Oro province).

International Response

13.  So far, there has been no request for international assistance.

14.  The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent 
Societies has made CHF 75,000 (approximately USD 56,900) available to 
the CRE from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund.

15.  At the request of the UN Resident Coordinator, OCHA has allocated 
an OCHA Emergency Grant of USD 40,000 and an additional USD 40,000 from 
emergency funds pre-positioned with OCHA by the Government of Norway for 
the local purchase of 5,000 food rations and medical and sanitation 
supplies to assist the affected population.

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

17.  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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