Ethiopia: Floods [DHA-04: 04-Sep-96]
Ethiopia: Floods [DHA-04: 04-Sep-96]
ETHIOPIA - FLOODS
DHA GENEVA INFORMATION REPORT NO.4
4 SEPTEMBER 1996
1. UN RESIDENT COORDINATOR IN ADDIS ABABA REPORTS THAT
SITUATION ALONG AWASH RIVER BASIN HAS IMPROVED, AS RAINS IN
CENTRAL HIGHLANDS DIMINISHED OVER PAST FEW DAYS.
SITUATION:ion
2. WATER LEVEL IN KOKA RESERVOIR HAS NOW BEEN
STABILIZED, AND DISCHARGE FROM DAM HAS BEEN REDUCED. RIVER
LEVELS DOWNSTREAM HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY FALLEN SIGNIFICANTLY.
GOVT CONSIDERS THAT AWASH BASIN IS OUT OF IMMEDIATE DANGER
OF FURTHER FLOODING.
UPPER AWASH
3. ON 27 AUGUST, JOINT UN ASSESSMENT TEAM (UNDP/DHA,
WFP, AND UNICEF) VISITED UPPER AWASH AREA IMMEDIATELY BELOW
KOKA RESERVOIR (TOWNS OF NAZARETH, WONJI, AND METAHARA) AND
CONFIRMED THAT SITUATION THERE WAS UNDER CONTROL.
4. DESPITE WIDESPREAD INUNDATION, DAMAGE TO SUGAR CANE
AND OTHER CROPS IS LIMITED TO SOME 400 HECTARES, ACCORDING
TO GOVT. AT SUGAR PLANTATION IN METAHARA, ABOUT 90 KM
DOWNSTREAM OF KOKA DAM, WORK HAS CONTINUED TO STRENGTHEN
PROTECTIVE DIKES ALONG 2 KM STRETCH OF RIVER.
5. THOUGH TOTAL OF 40,000 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DISPLACED IN
WONJI AND METAHARA, GOVT STATES THAT THEIR IMMEDIATE
SHELTER, FOOD, AND WATER NEEDS HAVE MOSTLY BEEN MET. MAIN
ROAD TO WONJI FROM NAZARETH HAS BEEN RE-OPENED.
6. REGIONAL GOVT OFFICIALS REPORTED DAMAGE TO COMMUNITY
WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM IN NAZARETH AND METAHARA.
MIDDLE/LOWER AWASH
7. ON 29 AUGUST, UNDP/DHA MISSION VISITED MIDDLE AND
LOWER AWASH AREAS, FURTHER DOWNSTREAM OF KOKA RESERVOIR.
DISTRICT RELIEF COMMITTEES HAVE BEEN FORMED IN MOST
LOCATIONS TO COORDINATE FLOOD PREPARATION ACTIVITIES, LED
BY DPPC (DISASTER PREVENTION AND PREPAREDNESS COMMISSION).
8. FOOD AND RELIEF MATERIALS HAVE BEEN PRE-POSITIONED.
DIKES ARE BEING CONSTRUCTED AND/OR STRENGTHENED AT MANY
LOW-LYING LOCATIONS ALONG RIVER. IN GEWANE, RESIDENTS IN
VULNERABLE AREAS CLOSE TO RIVER WERE ADVISED TO MOVE.
9. AT DUBTI, SOME 580 KM DOWNSTREAM OF KOKA DAM, WATER
LEVEL HAS DECREASED TO 7 M, FROM HIGHEST MARK OF 8.25 M
RECORDED ONE WEEK AGO. SOME 10,000 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
EVACUATED AS PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE.
RESPONSE:
10. NO REQUEST FOR INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE HAS BEEN
ISSUED BY GOVT OF ETHIOPIA. GOVT MAINTAINS THAT IT IS ABLE
TO MEET NEEDS OF AFFECTED PEOPLE, USING LOCALLY AVAILABLE
RESOURCES.
11. ASSISTANCE PROVIDED BY NGO'S TO WONJI AREA INCLUDES:
- 230 FAMILY TENTS, 150 ROLLS OF PLASTIC
SHEETING, AND
WATER BLADDERS, FROM SCF/UK.
- 20 TENTS, 2 WATER PUMPS, AND WATER BLADDERS,
FROM
MSF/HOLLAND AND BELGIUM.
- 10 TONS OF HIGH ENERGY BISCUITS AND OTHER
SUPPLIES,
FROM MENSCHEN FUR MENSCHEN.
- BISCUITS AND ASSISTANCE WITH WATER SUPPLIES,
FROM
CARE.
- 100 LARGE TENTS, FROM ETHIOPIAN RED CROSS.
12. UNICEF PROVIDED TENTS, BLANKETS, AND PLASTIC
SHEETING. UNHCR HAS MADE AVAILABLE 500 TENTS.
13. WITH IMMEDIATE CRISIS IN AWASH AREAS CONSIDERED TO
BE OVER, CONCERN IS NOW BEING FOCUSED ON PREVENTING
POSSIBLE SPREAD OF DISEASES AND ON REPAIRING DAMAGED WATER
SUPPLY SYSTEMS. RELEVANT UN AGENCIES HAVE BEEN ASKED TO
ASSIST GOVT IN ADDRESSING THESE ISSUES.
14. THOUGH SITUATION ALONG AWASH RIVER HAS BEEN
STABILIZED, THERE IS REPORT ON RISING WATER LEVELS IN LAKE
TANA. FURTHERMORE, MORE RAINS ARE STILL ANTICIPATED IN
COMING WEEKS IN SOUTHWESTERN PARTS OF ETHIOPIA. DHA,
THROUGH UN RESIDENT COORDINATOR IN ETHIOPIA, CONTINUES TO
MONITOR SITUATION.
TELEPHONE NO. +41-22/917.12.34
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY ONLY: TEL NO. +41-22/917.20.10
DESK OFFICER: MS. KAYO GOTOH, DIRECT TEL.
+41-22/917.12.58
PRESS TO CONTACT: MS. M. MOULIN-ACEVEDO, DIRECT TEL.
+41-22/917.28.56
TELEX: 414242 DHA CH
FAX: +41-22/917.00.23
ELECTRONIC MAIL: DHAGVA@DHA.UNICC.ORG
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