OCHA Situation Report No. 2
Ecuador - Floods
28 March 2006


This situation report is based on information provided by the office of
the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Ecuador, the United Nations
Emergency Team (UNETE), the International Federation of the Red Cross
and Red Crescent Societies, and Catholic Relief Services.

Situation

1.  Heavy rains and floods continue in the coastal provinces of El Oro,
Esmeraldas, Guayas, Los Rios, and Manabi.  Houses, basic infrastructure,
and crops have been severely affected. Since early February 11 people
have died due to the floods. According to the weather forecast, heavy
rains will continue affecting the coast of Ecuador until May 2006.

2.  A total of 11,442 flood affected families (approximately 52,000
people) in the provinces of El Oro, Esmeraldas, Guayas, Los Rios, and
Manabi are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance and 703 families
are living in temporary shelters. WFP Emergency Food Security
assessments carried out last week in the provinces of Guayas, El Oro,
and Los Rios identified 5,300 families as requiring urgent food
assistance. One of the greatest concerns is for public health, as
stagnant waters could lead to outbreaks of tropical diseases such as
dengue, as well as respiratory diseases.

3.  As of 21 March, the number of flood affected families requiring
urgent humanitarian assistance was as follows:

|-------------+----------|
| PROVINCE    | FAMILIES |
|-------------+----------|
| El Oro      |      722 |
|-------------+----------|
| Esmeraldas* |      990 |
|-------------+----------|
| Guayas      |    1,468 |
|-------------+----------|
| Los Rios    |    5,300 |
|-------------+----------|
| Manabi      |    2,952 |
|-------------+----------|
| TOTAL       |   11,442 |
|-------------+----------|

*The situation in the province of Esmeraldas is worsening.


4.  A WFP Emergency Food Security Assessment in Manabi has identified
2,952 families as requiring urgent humanitarian assistance. In the
county of Tosagua, which has been most severely affected, 833 families
have lost their homes and crops, and large numbers of cattle are in
danger.

5.  Floods in Los Rios province continue since 18 March. A total of 757
families have been evacuated from their homes. According to the Civil
Defence, 252 families have been moved to temporary shelters and homes of
relatives. Children and elderly people are increasingly suffering from
respiratory, dermatological, and gastrointestinal illnesses. Access to
clean water has become one of the main concerns.

6.  According to Civil Defence in Esmeraldas, floods and landslides have
affected 990 families. A WFP assessment mission will be carried out this
week in the province in order to evaluate the food security situation in
the province.

National Response

7.  On 13 February, the Government declared an emergency in the coastal
provinces affected by floods.

8.  A total of 5,000 food rations including oil, rice, sugar, tuna, and
lentils were purchased by WFP with a Government contingency fund and
distributed by Civil Defence volunteers and staff of the ministries of
Agriculture and Livestock and of Social Welfare.

9.  The Ministry of Social Welfare has started issuing USD 90 emergency
grants in two monthly instalments for beneficiaries of the "Bono de
Desarrollo Humano" (a social safety net programme for the most
vulnerable female-headed households) affected by the floods. The
Ministry has made USD 600,000 available for this operation.

10.  The Ministers of Social Welfare and Agriculture and Livestock
visited the affected areas of El Oro province with the local
authorities. They then issued an Early Warning declaration (which is one
step before the emergency) for the province.

11.  Since early March, WFP has distributed emergency food rations to
flood affected families as follows: 1,400 food rations in El Oro, 300 in
Guayas, 1,400 in Los Rios, and 5,868 in Manabi.

12.  An emergency food ration (for a family of 5 persons for 15 days)
contains:

|-------------+----------|
| COMMODITY   | QUANTITY |
|-------------+----------|
| Rice        |     8 kg |
|-------------+----------|
| Lentils     |     2 kg |
|-------------+----------|
| Canned fish |  0.68 kg |
|-------------+----------|
| Sugar       |     2 kg |
|-------------+----------|
| Oil         |  1 litre |
|-------------+----------|


13.  The Pan American Health Organisation is working with the Ministry
of Health on sanitation issues and supporting the activation of Health
Emergency Operations Centres.

International Response

14.  The Government of Ecuador has requested international assistance
through a letter from the Minister of Social Welfare to the UN Resident
Coordinator.

15.  The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (COSUDE) has
responded to a request from Civil Defence in Manabi by providing support
for the purchase and distribution of hygienic kits for 600 families in
the counties of Tosagua and Chone.

16.  Catholic Relief Services has disbursed USD 50,000 to Caritas and
diocesan partners to respond to immediate needs, in particular food and
medical care. CRS is also working with medical teams to provide
emergency shelter and mosquito nets for evacuees.

17.  The Ecuadorian Red Cross is in the process of scaling up its
response and is considering with the International Federation of the Red
Cross and Red Crescent Societies the launch of an emergency appeal.

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

19.  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

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -