Cambodia: Floods [DHA-01: 01-Oct-96]

Cambodia: Floods [DHA-01: 01-Oct-96]



                             CAMBODIA - FLOODS
                     DHA-GENEVA SITUATION REPORT NO. 1
                              1 OCTOBER 1996


       APPEAL FOR INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE
                                                                    
         1. FOLLOWING SEVERE FLOODING IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN   
         PROVINCES, THE GOVERNMENT OF CAMBODIA IS APPEALING FOR     
         INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE.                                  
                                                                    
         SITUATION                                                  
                                                                    
         2. STORMS MOVING FROM CHINA TO LAOS AND VIETNAM HAVE       
         CAUSED HEAVY RAINS IN NORTHEAST CAMBODIA AND A QUICK RISE  
         IN THE WATER LEVEL OF THE MEKONG RIVER SINCE               
         MID-SEPTEMBER 1996.   IT IS ESTIMATED THAT A TOTAL OF 1.3  
         MILLION PEOPLE HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THE RESULTING         
         FLOODS. PRELIMINARY DATA ON THE IMPACT OF THE FLOODS IN    
         SIX PROVINCES HAVE BEEN MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE         
         NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE (NDMC):             
                                                                    
       - RATANAKIRI    3,322 FAMILIES ARE AFFECTED IN 72 VILLAGES   
       (3 DISTRICTS),                                               
                       3 DEATHS REPORTED                            
       - STUNG TRENG   5 DISTRICTS AFFECTED                         
       - KRATIE        150,000 PERSONS AFFECTED IN 4 DISTRICTS      
       - KOMPONG CHAM  500,000 FLOOD VICTIMS, 12 DISTRICTS          
       AFFECTED,                                                    
                       2 DEATHS REPORTED,    NATIONAL ROAD NO. 6    
       DAMAGED (140 M)                                              
       - PHNOM PENH    THREE AREAS BEING THREATENED BY FLOODS       
                       (CHEK-BA-OM-PAU COMMUNE, MEANCHEY DISTRICT,  
                       SANGKAT CHROY-CHON-VA)                       
       - PREY VENG     400,000 FLOOD VICTIMS, 9 DISTRICTS           
       AFFECTED,                                                    
                       2 DEATHS REPORTED                            
                                                                    
       3. THE SITUATION HAS NOT YET STABILIZED, WITH NEW FLOODING   
       STILL BEING REPORTED. IT APPEARS, HOWEVER,  THAT THE WATER   
       LEVEL UPSTREAM IS SLIGHTLY SUBSIDING, LEAVING THE SITUATION  
       IN PHNOM PENH AND DOWNSTREAM PROVINCES (KANDAL AND PREY      
       VENG) STILL CRITICAL.                                        
                                                                    
       NATIONAL RESPONSE                                            
                                                                    
       4. THE NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE (NDMC) IS THE  
       COORDINATING BODY AT NATIONAL LEVEL FOR RELIEF ASSISTANCE    
       TO THE FLOOD VICTIMS. THE NDMC SECRETARIAT CONVENED A        
       MEETING ON 30 SEPTEMBER WHICH WAS ATTENDED BY UNDP, UNICEF,  
       WFP, CAMBODIAN RED CROSS (CRC), IFRC AND SOME NGOS TO BRIEF  
       ON THE FLOOD SITUATION AND RESULTING NEEDS. THE NDMC         
       REQUESTED INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE IN MEETING THE NEEDS OF   
       THE FLOOD VICTIMS. A DETAILED WRITTEN APPEAL WITH            
       CONSOLIDATED INFORMATION WILL BE PREPARED AND PRESENTED TO   
       THE DONOR COMMUNITY SHORTLY.                                 

                                                                    
       RELIEF NEEDS                                                 
                                                                    
       5. THE NDMC INFORMED THAT, ACCORDING TO A FIRST PRELIMINARY  
       ASSESSMENT OF NEEDS, URGENT ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED FOR A     
       TARGET POPULATION OF 500,000 FLOOD VICTIMS, AS FOLLOWS:      
       -      7,500 MT OF RICE FOR ONE MONTH (15 KG/PERSON/MONTH)   
       -      200,000 PLASTIC SHEETS FOR PROVISION OF SHELTER       
       -      300,000 SAND BAGS - 100,000 OF WHICH ARE REQUIRED TO  
       PROTECT PHNOM PENH                                           
              AREA AGAINST FLOODS                                   
       -      MEDICAMENTS.                                          

                                                                    
       COUNTRY-LEVEL INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE                         
                                                                    
       6. THE UN/DHA RESIDENT COORDINATOR IN PHNOM PENH WILL        
       COORDINATE THE UN-SYSTEM RESPONSE TO THIS EMERGENCY,         
       PROVIDING SUPPORT TO THE NDMC AS MAY BE NECESSARY. A         
       MEETING OF HEADS OF UN AGENCIES IS SCHEDULED FOR TOMORROW,   
       2 OCTOBER, AT WHICH THE SITUATION AND REQUIRED RESPONSE      
       WILL BE REVIEWED.                                            
                                                                    
       7. CONSULTATIONS ARE ONGOING TO COORDINATE ACTION AMONG      
       OPERATIONAL AGENCIES, INCLUDING THE CAMBODIAN RED CROSS      
       (CRC) WHICH IS THE LEAD MEMBER OF THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE     
       GROUP (OPERATIONAL BODY).  IMMEDIATE FOOD ASSISTANCE IS      
       BEING ORGANIZED BY WFP IN COLLABORATION WITH CRC. WFP IS IN  
       THE PROCESS OF FINALIZING ITS PROVINCIAL ASSESSMENTS, BASED  
       ON WHICH IT WILL, OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS, SUPPORT THE NDMC   
       IN PREPARING A WRITTEN, CONSOLIDATED APPEAL.  WFP OFFERED    
       2,300 MT OF RICE AS AN INITIAL CONTRIBUTION, BASED ON A      
       RATION OF 7 KG/PERSON/TWO WEEKS. UNICEF OFFERED A CASH       
       CONTRIBUTION FOR PROCUREMENT OF SAND BAGS AND OTHER RELIEF   
       SUPPLIES.                                                    
                                                                    
       8. DHA IS READY TO SERVE AS CHANNEL FOR CASH CONTRIBUTIONS   
       OF DONORS INTERESTED TO SUPPORT RELIEF ACTIVITIES FOR THE    
       FLOOD-AFFECTED POPULATION. FUNDS ARE SPENT IN COORDINATION   
       WITH RELEVANT ORGANIZATIONS OF THE UN SYSTEM, AND DHA        
       PROVIDES DONOR GOVERNMENTS WITH WRITTEN CONFIRMATION ON THE  
       UTILIZATION OF FUNDS CONTRIBUTED.                            
                                                                    
       9. FUNDS SHOULD BE TRANSFERRED TO DHA ACCOUNT NO.            
       CO.590.160.1 AT SWISS BANK CORPORATION, CASE POSTALE 2770,   
       CH-1211 GENEVA 2, WITH MENTION: CAMBODIA - FLOODS.           
                                                                    
       10. 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. +41-22-917.12.34                               
       IN CASE OF EMERGENCY ONLY: TEL +41-22-917.20.10              
       DESK OFFICER: MS. S. METZNER-STRACK, DIRECT TEL.             
       +41-22-917.21.44                                             
       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 AT 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