OCHA Situation Report No. 4
South Pacific: Tsunami
5 April 2007


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

This situation report is based on information received from the National 
Disaster Management Office (NDMO) and National Disaster Council (NDC) in 
the Solomon Islands, the UNDP Resident Coordinator in Fiji, OCHA Offices 
in Fiji and Bangkok, UN agencies, NGOs, donors and media sources.

I. SITUATION

1. An earthquake measuring 8.1 struck 345km northwest of the Solomon 
Islands' capital Honiara at 0740 local time on 2 April. (2040 GMT 1 
April). The earthquake created a tsunami causing significant damage in 
the Solomon Islands.

2. The NDC reports that the affected area includes Gizo, Simbo, Ranogga, 
Shortlands, Munda, Noro, Vella la Vella, Kolombangarra and parts of the 
southern coast of Choiseul. Aerial surveillance shows that the 
worst-affected areas are the southern coast of Gizo, Simbo island and 
the central southern coast of Choiseul between Moli and Posarae and 
Sasamunga.

3. Preliminary aircraft surveys by the Australian Regional Assistance 
Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) have not revealed any signs of 
widespread death in the adjacent provinces.

4. The NDC puts the current death toll at 34, with several dozen more 
missing. 5,500 people are thought to have been displaced in total. The 
Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) estimates that up to 
50,000 people may be affected out of a total population of 100,000 in 
Western and Choiseul provinces.

5. Intermittent problems with telephone communications with the Solomon 
Islands persist. Commercial flights between Honiara and Gizo resumed on 
5 April following repairs to the runway, which was damaged by the 
earthquake and tsunami.

II. NATIONAL RESPONSE? SOLOMON ISLANDS

6. The Government's response is coordinated by the NDMO and NDC, chaired 
by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Central Coordinating Group (CCG), 
headed by the Chief Police Officer, is tasked by the NDC to consider 
operational issues. The CCG has established an operations centre in 
Munda, which is the largest town in Western Province. The NDC has 
'Action Desk' committees in seven areas, each with its own field work 
team: 1) Health, 2) Communications, 3) Media 4) NGOs 5) Education 6) 
Supplies and Finance 7) Transport.

7. The NDC has organized coordination meetings in Honiara on a daily 
basis since the disaster, with the participation of national and 
international NGOs, UN agencies and donors. The coordination meeting was 
chaired for the first time by OCHA on 5 April. There was agreement on 
the pressing need for assessments and their effective coordination in 
conjunction with OCHA and the UNDAC team.

8. A high-level mission, including the Prime Minister of the Solomon 
Islands and a number of High Commissioners, is expected to visit Gizo on 
9 April.

9. A team from the malaria centre of the MHMS has been dispatched to the 
islands for vector control; this centre is being supported by WHO; the 
Global Fund has provided funding support for malaria activities.

III. INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE

10. Following a request from the Government of the Solomon Islands, a UN 
Disaster and Assessment Coordination (UNDAC) team arrived in Honiara on 
5 April and met with representatives of the NDC. OCHA's Regional Office 
for Asia-Pacific in Bangkok will serve as primary OCHA point of contact 
with the UNDAC team (contact information below).

11. The expanded Disaster Management Team (DMT) met in Suva on 5 April 
to discuss the situation in the Solomon Islands. The meeting was chaired 
by the UN Resident Coordinator (RC) for Fiji (Mr. Richard Dictus) with 
the participants including UN agencies, the Red Cross, donors and 
regional entities. Regional entities including The Pacific Islands Forum 
Secretariat (PIFS), the Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific 
(CROP), the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Pacific 
Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) expressed their 
willingness to support.

12. The UN RC is expected to arrive in Honiara on 8 April and is 
expected to remain in the Solomon Islands for several days. The RC will 
organize a DMT meeting in Honiara, in conjunction with the UNDAC team.

13. UNICEF issued an appeal on 4 April for US$500,000 to meet the urgent 
needs of children and women in affected areas. Priority action areas 
will include Health and Nutrition (US$220,000), Water and Environmental 
Sanitation (US$120,000), Education (US$120,000) and Child Protection 
(US$40,000).

14. A Health sector Working Group has been established as a satellite 
body of the Health Action Desk at central MHMS. WHO is a member of this 
group. The Group serves to determine needs and advise/recommend actions. 
The Group meets daily and the Permanent Secretary Chairs this group.

15. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent has 
launched an earthquake and tsunami appeal for the Solomon Islands. The 
appeal aims to raise over $1 million, which will be used to support the 
5000 worst-affected people for four months.

16. The New Zealand Red Cross (NZRC) has provided 4 staff and a 
communications kit to assist the Solomon Islands Red Cross (SIRC). Staff 
members deployed include a Water Sanitation Engineer, a Media Liaison 
Officer and two Field Assessment Coordinators. The communications kit 
consists of six radio sets (HF and VHF) and ten satellite phones.

17. The Asian Development Bank will send staff from its Pacific 
Department to the Solomon Islands to assist in identifying 
reconstruction and rehabilitation needs.

18. AusAID and Australian Defence Force (ADF) are currently facilitating 
a request for a second aircraft with further medical supplies/equipment. 
Two ADF primary health teams each consisting a Doctor, registered nurse, 
three para medical and ward staff for up to ten inpatients along with a 
three person environmental health team will be on the flight.

19. A team of seven SOS International medics (2 emergency physicians, 
anesthetist, public health physician and 2 nurses/paramedics) and a 
logistician are preparing to deploy to Honiara.

20. SOS personnel arriving on 6 April include 3 emergency GPs and a 
paramedic/nurse. A senior physician will arrive 10 April. The SOS team 
will split into 2 teams? one to Munda and the other to Taro.

21. The ADF will provide primary health care teams (deploying to Gizo 
and Sassamunga) comprised of 8 medics each along with a 3 person mobile 
environmental health care team (total of 19 ADF medicos).  AusAID is 
sending further supplies of treated mosquito nets and clean water.

Contributions

22. The Government of France despatched a CASA transport plane from New 
Caledonia to Honiara on 4 April to deliver 2.5 MT of relief items 
including food, shelter items, clothing and a water purifier. The 
distribution was made in accordance with the trilateral disaster relief 
arrangements in the Pacific (FRANZ) between Australia, France and New 
Zealand.

23. The Government of Japan provided relief assistance items (including 
blankets and plastic sheeting) with a value of 13 million Yen 
(approximately US$110,000) to the Government of the Solomon Islands on 4 
April. JICA has indicated that it intends to establish a disaster 
immediate relief fund for the Solomon Islands.

24. The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) will contribute 
FJD$20,000 (approximately US$12,000) to the Government of the Solomon 
Islands from the Regional Natural Disaster Relief Fund.

25. NZAID despatched a Hercules transport plane to Munda on 4 April to 
deliver health supplies to equip an entire hospital, tarpaulins, water 
containers, water purifiers and blankets. On the same flight were 15 
health workers (nurses and doctors) 7 security personnel and a further 
10 personnel to assist with distribution and police operations.

26. The Government of Solomon Islands is coordinating international 
offers of assistance through its National Disaster Management Office 
Call Centre on telephone + 677 27937.

IV. ASSISTANCE NEEDS

27. No new needs have been identified since the last situation report. 
Initial NDC and Red Cross assessments indicate the following priority 
needs:

a. Food
b. Water & Sanitation (including tanks, containers, pumps)
c. Shelter (including tents, tarpaulins, bedding)
d. Medical supplies
e. Non-Food Items (including mosquito nets, cooking utensils)


28. According to WHO, malaria control has improved in the Solomon 
Islands in recent years, due to active case detection and good drug 
management, an improved level of bednet use, and specific vector control 
measures. However, there is still a significant level of malaria 
parasitaemia. Displaced people will have reduced protection from 
mosquito bites resulting in increased risk of malaria transmission, and 
an increase in suitable breeding sites is expected to increase the 
number of anopheles mosquitoes. Therefore, an increased number of cases 
of malaria is expected. Due to the time it takes to contract and 
transmit malaria, and the incubation time of the parasite in anopheles 
mosquitoes, it is expected that cases will begin to increase within 2 
weeks and transmission to continue to increase over at least 2 months.

This situation report, together with further information on ongoing 
emergencies, is also available on the OCHA Internet Website 
http://www.reliefweb.int/.

For detailed information please contact:

OCHA Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (Bangkok)
   Fax: +66 2288 1043

Mr. Markus Werne
  Deputy Head of Office
  Tel. + 66 2288 2558
  Mob. + 66 1917 8940

Ms. Amanda Pitt
  Regional Public Information and Advocacy Officer
  Tel. + 66 2288 1195
  Mob. + 66 1374 1035

Desk Officers:
  NYC - Mr. Gregoire de Brancovan Tel. +1 212 963 2629
  GVA - Mr. Erik Kastlander Tel. +41-22-917 1587

Press contact:
  NYC - Ms. Stephanie Bunker Tel. +1-917 367 5126
  GVA - Ms. Elizabeth Byrs Tel. +41-22-917 2653

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