Laos: Floods [DHA-02: 03-Oct-96]
Laos: Floods [DHA-02: 03-Oct-96]
LAO PDR - FLOODS
DHA GENEVA SITUATION REPORT NO.2
3 OCTOBER 1996
SITUATION
1. ON 26 AND 27 SEPTEMBER 1996, THE GOVERNMENT ORGANIZED A TWO-DAY
HELICOPTER TRIP TO FLOOD-AFFECTED PROVINCES OF BOLIKHAMXAY,
SAVANNAKHET, CHAMPASSAK, SEKONG AND ATTAPEU. IN ADDITION TO
GOVERNMENT PERSONNEL, THE MISSION INCLUDED REPRESENTATIVES OF
DIPLOMATIC AND NGO COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS WFP EMERGENCY COORDINATOR.
THE SURVEY MISSION FLEW OVER AFFECTED PROVINCES AND ALSO TOUCHED
DOWN IN SOME OF THE MOST DEVASTATED AREAS OF CHAMPHONE DISTRICT
(SAVANNAKHET PROVINCE) AND MOUNLAPAMOK DISTRICT (CHAMPASSAK
PROVINCE). THE MISSION ONLY FLEW OVER KHAMMOUANE AND SALAVANE
PROVINCES, BUT ALSO SAW EVIDENCE OF EXTENSIVE FLOODING IN BOTH
PROVINCES.
2. ACCORDING TO WFP, THIS YEAR'S FLOODING WILL RESULT IN EVEN
GREATER CROP LOSSES THAN THOSE EXPERIENCED AS A RESULT OF LAST
YEAR'S EXTENSIVE FLOODING. BASED ON VISUAL EVIDENCE FROM THE SURVEY
MISSION - BUT NOT YET ON MUCH HARD DATA FROM AFFECTED DISTRICTS AND
PROVINCES - IT APPEARS THAT UP TO 20,000 HECTARES OF THIS YEAR'S
RICE CROP WILL BE COMPLETELY DESTROYED IN BOTH CHAMPASSAK AND
SAVANNAKHET PROVINCES (REPRESENTING 30 PER CENT AND 25 PER CENT OF
TRANSPLANTED AREAS, RESPECTIVELY).
3. THIS YEAR'S FLOODING IS MARKED BY GREATER GEOGRAPHICAL
DISTRIBUTION, WITH ALMOST ALL OF THE COUNTRY'S PROVINCES AFFECTED
TO SOME EXTENT. AT LEAST EIGHT PROVINCES, INCLUDING ALL OF THE MOST
PRODUCTIVE ONES, HAVE SUFFERED SEVERE FLOODING. IN ADDITION, A
NUMBER OF FLASH FLOODS HAVE COVERED LAND IN MUD, GRAVEL AND/OR
BOULDERS AND ALSO WASHED AWAY HOUSES AND LIVESTOCK AND CAUSED
SERIOUS DAMAGE TO RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE. ABOUT 30 DEATHS HAVE BEEN
REPORTED.
4. THE WFP EMERGENCY COORDINATOR EXPECTS THAT, IN 1997, FOOD
SHORTAGES WILL AFFECT THE RURAL POPULATION IN LARGE PARTS OF THE
COUNTRY AND THAT FOOD AID WILL BE REQUIRED. THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN
ADVISED BY WFP TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE REQUEST FOR A JOINT WFP-FAO
ASSESSMENT MISSION.
5. A FURTHER SURVEY TRIP TO THE COUNTRY'S NORTHERN PROVINCES, WITH
PARTICIPATION OF WFP AND UNDP, HAS BEEN ORGANIZED BY THE GOVERNMENT
THIS WEEK.
6. IN ADDITION TO FOOD AID, BASIC RELIEF ITEMS FOR FLOOD-AFFECTED
FAMILIES ARE NEEDED AS INDICATED IN DHA SITREP NO. 1 (PARA 4.).
CASH CONTRIBUTIONS ARE MOST APPROPRIATE AS THE REQUIRED ITEMS CAN
BE PROCURED LOCALLY, INCLUDING FROM CROSS-BORDER AREAS IN
NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES.
CONTRIBUTIONS
7. THE FOLLOWING CONTRIBUTIONS HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO DHA GENEVA:
USD
DHA EMERGENCY GRANT 30,000
UNDP CASH GRANT 30,000
NEW ZEALAND NZ DLRS 50,000 THROUGH DHA 34,700
NORWAY CASH THROUGH DHA 80,000
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: LAOS - 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
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