VietNam: Typhoons [DHA-02: 14-Sep-96]

       VIETNAM - TYPHOONS AND TROPICAL DEPRESSIONS
            DHA GENEVA SITUATION REPORT NO.2
               SATURDAY 14 SEPTEMBER 1996


GENERAL SITUATION

1. THE DISASTER MANAGEMENT UNIT OF THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT
PROVIDED CONSOLIDATED DAMAGE AND NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR TYPHOON
FRANKIE (24 JULY), TROPICAL LOW PRESSURE STORM (13 AUGUST) AND
TYPHOON NIKI (22 AUGUST). FOR TYPHOON SALLY (9 SEPTEMBER) WHICH
BROUGHT RAINS AND FLOODING TO THE NORTHERN PROVINCES OF THE
COUNTRY, THE COMPLETE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT IS NOT YET AVAILABLE.

2. DAMAGE HAS BEEN MASSIVE, INCLUDING 395 CONFIRMED DEATHS AND
OVER 45,000 HOUSES COLLAPSED. THE HARDEST HIT PROVINCES WERE
THAI BINH, NAM HA AND THANH HOA. APPROXIMATELY 500,000 HA OF
RICE FIELDS WERE SUBMERGED. EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO INFRASTRUCTURE
WAS REPORTED, SUCH AS EARTH DIKES AND ROAD EMBANKMENTS BEING
WASHED AWAY,  TELEPHONE AND ELECTRICITY WIRES BEING BROKEN AND
MISSING. TOTAL ESTIMATED DAMAGES AMOUNT USD 296 MILLION.

3. GOVERNMENT REPORTED THAT, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MOST
PRESSING NEEDS ARE TO REPAIR /REBUILD THE COLLAPSED HOUSES AND
TO PROVIDE FOOD (APPROXIMATELY 41,000 TONS). USING STANDARD
UNIT COSTS PROVIDED BY THE GOVERNMENT, ESTIMATED ACCUMULATED
HUMANITARIAN NEEDS TOTAL USD 54 MILLION.

NATIONAL RESPONSE

4. GOVERNMENT STATED THAT IT REMAINS RELUCTANT TO ISSUE AN
INTERNATIONAL APPEAL FOR ASSISTANCE, BUT WOULD WELCOME
ASSISTANCE FROM CONCERNED INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND
BILATERAL DONORS.

5. THE DISASTER MANAGEMENT UNIT (DMU) OF THE MINISTRY OF
AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS SUPPORTED IN THE
CONTEXT OF A UNDP PROJECT, IS UNDERTAKING THE TASK OF
IDENTIFYING AND PRIORITIZING NEEDS, COLLECTING PROPOSALS FOR
RELIEF AND REHABILITATION, DISBURSING FUNDS AND MONITORING AS
WELL AS REPORTING.

INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE

6. DHA DECIDED TO RELEASE USD 30,000 AS DHA EMERGENCY GRANT.
THE THAI GOVERNMENT HAS INFORMED DHA THAT IT IS TO RELEASE USD
40,000 (1 MILLION BAHT) TO THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT.

7. UN RESIDENT COORDINATOR IN HANOI CONVENED A DONOR MEETING ON
11 SEPTEMBER WHICH WAS ATTENDED BY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
GOVERNMENT, BILATERAL DONORS, UN AGENCIES AND NGOS.
GOVERNMENT'S CONSOLIDATED DAMAGE AND NEEDS ASSESSMENT WAS
PROVIDED TO THE MEETING.

8. THE UN RESIDENT COORDINATOR IN HANOI HAS ESTABLISHED A UN
FACILITY THROUGH WHICH BILATERAL DONORS WILL BE ABLE TO CHANNEL
CONTRIBUTIONS FOR BOTH RELIEF AND REHABILITATION ACTIVITIES.
THE UNITED STATES EMBASSY COMMITTED USD 25,000 TO THIS
FACILITY.

9. THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF RED CROSS ANNOUNCED THAT IT
HAD ALREADY MOBILIZED USD 913,000 BASED ON ITS APPEAL OF AUGUST
1996. THE DONORS INCLUDE RED CROSS  SOCIETIES OF JAPAN, SWEDEN,
CANADA, AUSTRALIA, SWITZERLAND, DENMARK, GERMANY AND
NETHERLANDS, THE GOVERNMENTS OF DENMARK, REPUBLIC OF KOREA,
JAPAN AND FRANCE.

10. DHA IS PREPARED TO SERVE AS A CHANNEL FOR CASH
CONTRIBUTIONS TO BE USED DURING THE IMMEDIATE RELIEF PHASE.
FUNDS ARE SPENT IN COORDINATION WITH RELEVANT ORGANIZATIONS OF
THE UN SYSTEM, AND DHA PROVIDES DONOR GOVERNMENTS WITH WRITTEN
CONFIRMATION ON UTILIZATION OF FUNDS CONTRIBUTED.

11. FUNDS SHOULD BE TRANSFERRED TO DHA ACCOUNT NO. CO.
590.160.1 AT SWISS BANK CORPORATION, CASE POSTALE 2770, CH-1211
GENEVA 2 WITH REFERENCE: VIETNAM FLOODS, DHA GENEVA.

12. FOR COORDINATION PURPOSES, DONORS ARE REQUESTED TO INFORM
DHA GENEVA, AS INDICATED BELOW, OF BILATERAL RELIEF MISSIONS/
PLEDGES/ CONTRIBUTIONS AND THEIR CORRESPONDING VALUE BY ITEM.

TELEPHONE NO. +41-22-917-1234
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY ONLY: TEL +41-22-917-2010
DESK OFFICER: MR. Y. FUKASAWA, DIRECT TEL. +41-22-917-3131
PRESS TO CONTACT: MS. M. MOULIN-ACEVEDO, DIRECT TEL.
+41-22-917-2856
TELEX: 414242 DHA CH
FAX: +41-22-917.00.23
EMAIL: DHAGVA@DHA.UNICC.ORG




distributed by
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Volunteers in Technical Assistance
Disaster Information Center                    lists: listproc@cidi.org
                                           sitreps   nat-dsr
web: www.cidi.org                              appeal    fireline
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
comments/suggestions/requests to incident@cidi.org