Cuba: Hurricane Lili [DHA-06: 22-Oct-96]

Cuba: Hurricane Lili [DHA-06: 22-Oct-96]



                                    CUBA
                              HURRICANE 'LILI'
                      DHA GENEVA SITUATION REPORT NO. 6
                               22 OCTOBER 1996


                COORDINATION MEETING WITH GOVERNMENT AND HEADS OF
                  INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMMES/AGENCIES/FUNDS


       1. In the context of the international appeal launched by    
       the Cuban Government through DHA, Ministers of Foreign       
       Affairs, Public Health, and Foreign Investment and Economic  
       Collaboration held a meeting on Monday 21 October 1996       
       with heads of international programmes, agencies and funds   
       represented in Cuba.                                         

       2. The Minister of Foreign Affairs highlighted the adverse   
       economic and social impact derived from Lili.  Most of the   
       damage caused by the hurricane will have consequences in     
       the short and medium term: additional scarcity of staples    
       in the months to come (banana,
       coffee, citric, rice and other crops) and considerable       
       negative impact on next sugar cane harvest as 43 per cent    
       of the surface planted has been affected.                    

       3. Cuban Civil Defence Bureau summed up national             
       preparedness measures which had involved intense public      
       information campaign, evacuation of almost 270,000           
       citizens.  More than 270,000 livestock had been brought to   
       safe areas.

       4. The Foreign Minister emphasized the traditional and       
       excellent relationship between the UN System and the Cuban   
       Government during previous emergency situations and          
       expressed the hope that, as before, the international        
       community will respond positively.                           


       Damage                                                       

       5. Homes destroyed: 5,640, homes damaged: 78,855.            

       6.   Around 21,500 ha of banana plantations devastated,      
       more than 656,000 ha of sugar cane plantations and 36,000    
       ha of other crops affected.                                  

       7. In Santa Clara and Cienfuegos Provinces power plants      
       have been damaged and transmission lines ruined. For this    
       reason, water service has been interrupted during several    
       days in important cities and villages.                       

       8. Industrial plants, schools, hospitals and other           
       institutions have also been affected. Assessment ongoing.    


       Emergency requirements                                       

       9. In order of priority:                                     

       A) Food for three months: powdered milk, cooking oil,        
       canned meat and fish, wheat flour or wheat.                  

       Remark: list with quantities available with DHA upon         
       request.                                                     

       B) Health sector: control of diseases affecting digestive    
       system, leptospirosis control, control of acute respiratory  
       diseases and pneumonias, water chlorination, vector          
       control, disinfectants for hospital use, other biological    
       products and materials.                                      

       Remark: request for information on quantities and            
       specifications should be addressed to WHO/PAHO, Emergency    
       Preparedness Programme in Washington:
       phone: +1/202/974 33 99
         fax: 001/202/775 45 78

       C) Cleaning and sanitation materials for two to three        
       months: domestic detergent, industrial detergent, toilet     
       soap, washing soap, brooms.                                  

       Remark: list with quantities available with DHA upon         
       request.                                                     

       D) Construction materials (zinc roof tiles, fibrocement      
       roof tiles, wood (boards), plain glass, mastic for glass     
       installation, electric wire, electric lamps, fluorescent     
       tubes, fluorescent lighters, transformers, tiles for indoor  
       roofing, plastic tubing, telephone wires, batteries for      
       electric power generators, materials for prevention of       
       water leaking, electric power generators.                    

       Remark: list with quantities and specifications available    
       with DHA upon request.                                       

       E) Agricultural inputs: fertilizers, plaguicides, animal     
       fodder.                                                      


       10. Contributions                                            

       UN SYSTEM                                        USD

       DHA           Emergency Grant                 30,000
                                                                    
       Governments                                                  
                                                                    
       Norway        Emergency Grant through DHA     50,000


       Other Organizations                                          

       IFRC          Disaster Relief Emergency Fund:              
       1,600,000
                     provisionally earmarked                      
                     for household items, food, housing           
                     repair, additional needs                     
                     (CHF 2 million)                              
                                                                    
                                                                    
       11.    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.    
                                                                    
       12.  Funds should be transferred to DHA Account No.          
       Co. 90.160.1 at Swiss Bank Corporation, case postale 2770,   
       CH-1211 Geneva 2 with reference: Cuba Hurricane, DHA         
       Geneva.                                                      
                                                                    
       13.  For coordination purposes, donors are requested to      
       inform DHA Geneva, as indicated below, of relief missions/   
       pledges/ contributions and their corresponding value by      
       item.                                                        


       Telephone No:  +41-22-917.12.34                              
       In case of emergency only:  +41-22-917.20.10                 
       Desk officer:  Mr. E. Haegglund, direct tel:                 
       +41-22-917.32.99 / Mr. C. Pereira, direct tel:               
       +41-22-917.13.83                                             
       Press to contact:  Ms. M. Moulin-Acevedo, direct tel:        
       +41-22-917.28.56                                             
       Telex:   414242 dha ch                                       
       Fax:  +41-22-917.00.23                                       





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