OCHA Situation Report No. 4
Uruguay: Floods
26 May 2007


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

This situation report is based on information received from the United
Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team in Uruguay.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

1. On May 23rd, the National Emergency System (SNE in Spanish), reported
that there still exist 1,383 affected persons (434 adults and 539
minors) from the following areas: Durazno 708, Mercedes 201, Villa
Soriano 4 and Treinta y Tres 470. Of the 12,000 affected people since
May 10th, 10,600 have returned to their homes voluntarily

2. The Government of Uruguay, via local emergency committees,
implemented the "Return Home Plan" in direct coordination with local
governments, thus guaranteeing the restoration of services such as
water, electricity, telephones and most importantly, security, for all
returnees.

3. The National Information System and local governments reported that
water levels had reached approximately 12 meters between May 7th and 9th
along the river, but had now reached their normal levels.

4. Meteorological reports indicate that there are windstorms with speeds
between 100 and 120km/h expected, with wind chills of 10 below zero
centigrade. This will principally impact coastal areas.

NATIONAL RESPONSE

5 The Government of Uruguay via the SNE began the transition phase to
reconstruction.

6. The different ministries of government have begun work on defining
sectoral activities to respond to needs within the framework of short
and long-term rehabilitation plans. To date there has been no commission
created for this phase. For this reason, the Office of Planning and
Budget (OPP in Spanish), will be placed in charge of continuing
activities within intersectoral plans.

7. The United Nations for its part has received technical assistance
from a BCPR expert, who has met with OPP and the UNDAC teams in order to
establish linking mechanisms between the emergency and transition stage,
looking towards reconstruction.

8. The Ministry of Education, through its national directors and
departmental inspectors for primary and secondary schools, continue to
supervise student's return to school. The Ministry has given orders so
that the integration of students who were flood victims be performed
adequately and tolerantly in each educational institution. The Ministry
continues to distribute teaching, recreational and sporting materials
for these schools.

9. The Ministry of Health continues with epidemiological control and a
vaccination campaign against Hepatitis A and influenza.

10. There are hygiene and medicine supplies being distributed to the
affected population to clean and disinfect homes and provide vector
control.

11. The Ministry of Housing continues to evaluate damage in Treinta y
Tres and Durazno departments. It was unable to provide a definitive
figure on damages until May 31st. The evaluation can only begin after
the river returns to its normal levels.

12. The Ministry of Public Works reported that it was finalizing its
damage evaluation and that priority would be placed on the
rehabilitation of national roadways, followed by departmental, urban and
final rural roadways. Access to the main affected areas has been
re-established and there have been no problems with roadway blockage.

13. The municipalities of Montevideo and Soriano reported that they have
adequate supplies of clothing, but have problems in classification and
distribution of the supplies. They believe that no further donations are
necessary.

14. The National Administration of Electricity reported that the most
serious infrastructure damage occurred with medium and low tension
wiring, but is still awaiting final damage estimates.

INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE

15. UNDP, through its BCPR expert, has held meetings with UNDAC and
other governmental entities in order to provide recommendations for the
reconstruction stage. At the same time, the head of the UNDAC team and
the BCPR representative visited Durazno department in order to provide
technical assistance on shelter management and to complement information
provided at the local level.

16. The UNDAC team has continued to provide information on the emergency
and recommendations will be presented in the final report.

17. SNE, together with UNDP and UNDAC organized a multi-sectoral
coordination meeting with the participation of 40 personnel from 25
institutions, including representatives from vice-ministries and
national directors of UN agencies.

18. Among attendees were Col. Carlos Lorente, SNE Director, university
professors and the BCPR representative.

19. Institutions participating in the UNDAC team coordination exercise
filled out a matrix of institutional offerings by sector. This exercise
provided the motivation to create working groups that will continue
their work in the reconstruction phase.

20. UNICEF, together with UNFPA, the Ministry of Education, the YMCA and
IFRC, began a process to adapt methodologies for psycho-social
recuperation during the flooding in Santa Fe, Argentina.

21. UNESCO announced the distribution of US$50,000 for work on the
preparation of a curriculum on risk management. It also announced that
an expert would soon arrive from its Chile office to support in
evaluation of damages in cultural patrimony areas in impacted zones,
with US$5,000 apportioned for this effort, in addition to another
US$5,000 for a study of the environmental impact of the flooding.

22. Technicians from the "Telecoms sans Frontieres" TSF NGO finalized
their preparation of a video of all their work in information response
and coordination. They also prepared CDs with protocol on shelters. In
addition, they coordinated the Working Group on Energy and
Telecommunications.

New Donations:

24. AECI confirmed that it had donated US$150,000 to be implemented in
two stages, the first with mattresses, blankets and other materials, and
the second in construction materials, the composition of which would be
determined by SNE.

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