OCHA Situation Report No. 7
Mexico: Tabasco and Chiapas Floods
22 November 2007


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

This situation report is based on information received from United
Nations Resident Coordinators in country and OCHA Regional Office in
Panama.

HIGHLIGHTS

- The Tabasco State Health Secretary (SS) continues with the prevention
campaigns of floods related illnesses such as dengue and yellow fever.
Most recent reports indicate that the situation is under control.
However epidemic alert will remain on for another two to three months
depending on the rate at which the waters recede.

- President Felipe Calderon and Local authorities in Tabasco stated
yesterday that schools will be reopen for classes in order to get
through the school year.

SITUATION

1. Reports indicate that water levels continues to recede, pumps and
other equipment are still working mainly in urban areas.

2. At this stage, provision of basic services to affected population
outside shelters remains a priority. In addition, there is still a need
to fully reestablish the water and electricity supply services.

3. Private supermarkets are still involved in the provision of
assistance to urban population. However, Wall- Mart, the super market
chain, reportedly raised concerns on the coordination of the aid
delivery and is planning on decreasing its delivery of ssistance in
Tabasco.

4. In Chiapas, Civil Protection informed that Mal Paso dams will be
releasing water in order for part of its infrastructures to be repaired
and cleaned. 40 communities have been evacuated as this operation will
flood surrounding areas.

HUMANITARIAN SITUATION

5. While basic humanitarian demands are being addressed by the
Government of Mexico, requests for recovery related issues are starting
to increase. The restoration of households and hydraulic infrastructure
are first to come. The Government has set up temporary employment
schemes. The UNCT deployed at the affected zones continues to support
the Federal and Local authorities on coordination and delivery of
assistance.

TABASCO

6. Some reports suggest that affected people might remain in shelters
for additional one to three months and until the water levels are
normalized. However, small businesses and industries are starting to
reopen.

7. According to the Civil Protection System the State Government is
currently operating 900 temporary shelters and assisting 80,361 persons.
Three shelters are focusing on most vulnerable groups including pregnant
women, disabled persons and HIV patients. There are unconfirmed reports
of over 1 million people affected.

8. Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENASecretaria de la Defensa
Nacional), in coordination with the State government and private supply
chains, continue to operate seven mobile community kitchens through the
Temporary Food Programs. This service is provided to people not
registered within the shelter system. Accurate assessment of total
number of affected families and beneficiaries to the assistance programs
remain difficult.

9. The Federal Government has declared Tabasco a disaster area.
Consequently access to national funds for reconstruction, provided by
the Natural Disasters Fund (FONDEN), is started to be considered.

10. The Local Secretary of Health continues to work through brigades to
assess and assist in sanitation, water purification (chlorination),
fumigation (prior to the disaster there was already an identified risk
of dengue epidemic), epidemic control, vaccinations (hepatitis A,
tetanus, diphtheria, flu, TB, etc).

11. Media based health campaigns are focusing on reduction of risks. The
Secretary of Health, in coordination with Federal Commission against
Sanitary Risks (COFEPRIS), is supporting a major vaccination campaign to
avoid disease outbreak. Nine dengue cases have reportedly been
confirmed. There is an epidemic alert in 34 communities with a
particular attention in Centro Centla, Nacajuca, Jalpa de Mendes, Teapa
and some parts of Macuspana.

12. As previously reported, the education sector has been severely
affected by the floods. Approximately 2,335 schools are damaged and 331
used as temporary shelters, according to the Government. However the
reopening of classes and return to normal activities have been announced
today by local and federal authorities.

13. Under the coordination of local authorities, NGO's, The Red Cross,
Caritas, SUMA/LSS (Logistic System Support-Supply Management) donations
are arriving to Tabasco and are being registered and classified by Civil
Protection at their warehouse. In addition, three main recollection
centers are open at Villa Hermosa's airport and other collection centers
are administered by SEDENA.Additional collection points will be
established on the main access roads to Tabasco in order to register
further donations transported by land.

CHIAPAS

14. The Health Secretary is supervising the proper access to sanitation
and basic hygiene supplies for people in temporary shelters.

15. There are unconfirmed reports of up to 50 houses severely damaged.
The search for missing residents is still ongoing but 15 casualties are
already confirmed.

16. The degree of damage of the 36 affected educational facilities has
not yet been established.The Secretary of Education (SEP) declared a
suspension of classes that will affect over 285,000 students, most of
all in the North regions.

VERACRUZ

17. The National Union of Corn Producers has reported that in the State
of Veracruz, neighboring areas to Chiapas and Tabasco have also been
affected by the floods. National press reports the damage of 19,000
hectares. The National Union of Corn Producers requests a Tax Amnesty
for affected corn producers, similar to the decision taken by the
Federal Government in Chiapas and Tabasco. The most affected
municipalities are: Tatahuicapan, Soteapan, Pajapan and Hueyepa de
Ocampo.

NATIONAL RESPONSE

18. Aid distribution has been reinforced with the participation of
DICONSA (Alimentary Support Program), SEDENA (National Secretary of
Defense) and civil organizations in order to reach isolated communities.
The Secretary of Social Development (SEDESOL) has already launched the
Emergency Programme for the Reconstruction of Houses (Programa Emergente
de Reconstruccion de Viviendas).

19. The Ministry of Education confirmed the creation of a school
rehabilitation fund amounting USD 6 million. The "School in Shelters"
program (La escuela en tu albergue) focuses on children who may have to
stay in the shelter system for an extended period of time, allowing them
access to education.

20. SEMARNAT (Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources) announced
the opening of three centers to collect plastic bottles, plastic
containers and wasted electro domestics to prevent trash accumulation.

21. An information system providing high satellite resolution pictures
and geo demographic data has been launched by CENAPRED (National Center
of Disaster Prevention), INEGI (National Institute of Statistics,
Geography and Informatics) and

Government of the Federal Republic of Germany. This information system
proved already to be a useful tool for damage assessment and will be
used similarly for the reconstruction processes.

INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE

22. UN staff, including UNDAC team (United Nations Disaster Assessment
and Coordination) and staff from UN agencies, remains present in the
field and continues to support the Government of Mexico. They support
the coordination of international aid with Mexican Local and federal
authorities, international organizations and civil society.

23. At the moment, food assistance is being mobilized for almost 10,000
to 15,000 affected people at Chiapas.

24. CERF applications are being prepared in consultation with the
Secretary of Foreign Affairs, International NGO's, local partners and UN
staff located in the affected areas.

25. The UNDAC team met the Ministry of Foreign Affairs authorities to
report on the establishment of the Information Management Center at the
SRE, as well as to provide an interim report on the UNDAC missions in
Tabasco and Chiapas. The team recognized the massive deployment of the
Mexican Government resources to respond to the crisis and suggested that
the experience should be documented and shared with other countries. The
team also expressed that the solidarity shown by Mexicans in assisting
the affected population was impressive.

26. A meeting with representatives of diplomatic missions was also held
by the RC a.i. at the UN office. Information was provided on the support
provided by the UN to the Government in response to the emergency
situation.

27. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) held an official meeting with
all representatives of the diplomatic missions in Mexico to inform about
the joint efforts between the Government of Mexico and the UNCT in the
establishment of a communication center to coordinate international
support to the emergency and to discuss the present situation and
reiterate the call for international cooperation.

For detailed information please contact:


Desk Officer (New York)
Mr. Ignacio Leon
Office Tel: +1 917 367-9960
Office Fax: +1 212 963-36 30
E-mail: leoni@un.org

GCMS (Geneva)
Ms. Aoibheann O'Keeffe
Office Tel: +41 22 917 4329
E-mail: okeeffe@un.org

OCHA Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, Panama
Mr. Douglas Reimer
Regional Disaster Response Adviser
Office Tel. + (507) 317-1748
Office Fax + (507) 317-1744
Mobile: + (507) 6676-1689
E-mail: reimer@un.org


Press Contact:

(NYC) Ms. Stephanie Bunker
Office Tel : + 1 917-367-5126
Office Fax: + 1 212-963-1312
Email: bunker@un.org

(GVA) Ms. Elizabeth Byrs
Office Tel + 41 22 917 26 53
Office Fax + 41 22 917 00 20
E-mail: byrs@un.org


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