Ethiopia: Floods [DHA-05: 25-Oct-96]
Ethiopia: Floods [DHA-05: 25-Oct-96]
ETHIOPIA - FLOODS
DHA GENEVA INFORMATION REPORT NO.5
25 OCTOBER 1996
1. UN RESIDENT COORDINATOR IN ADDIS ABABA REPORTS THAT FLOODS
SITUATION IN GAMBELLA REGIONAL STATE IS NOW WELL UNDER CONTROL,
WITH WATERS RECEDING IN VARIOUS PARTS.
2. GAMBELLA STATE, SITUATED IN SOUTHWEST OF ETHIOPIA
BORDERING SUDAN, HAS BEEN AFFECTED BY FLOODS SINCE JUNE
WHEN HEAVY RAINS IN CENTRAL HIGHLANDS CAUSED OVERFLOWING OF
BARO, GILO, AND AKOBO RIVERS.
SITUATION
3. FURTHER TO AERIAL SURVEY CONDUCTED ON 2 AUGUST (SEE
DHA INFOREP ONE DATED 13 AUGUST), UN RESIDENT COORDINATOR
CARRIED OUT, ON 22-27 SEPTEMBER, RE-ASSESSMENT MISSION TO
GAMBELLA STATE.
4. OVERALL, MISSION OBSERVED NO PREVAILING EMERGENCY
SITUATION, THOUGH GENERALLY POOR SANITARY CONDITIONS ARE
POSING HEALTH RISKS, ESPECIALLY ALONG BARO RIVER.
ALONG BARO RIVER
5. MISSION VISITED ITANG DISTRICT (33,609 INHABITANTS)
ON 24 SEPTEMBER. IN ITANG TOWN (3,649 INHABITANTS), WATERS
WERE RECEDING. MOST OF DISPLACED HAVE EITHER RETURNED HOME
OR FOUND REFUGE WITH RELATIVES.
6. HOWEVER, CONSIDERABLE AREAS STILL REMAINED UNDER
WATER, CREATING HAZARDOUS SANITARY CONDITIONS THAT NEED TO
BE ADDRESSED. PARTICULARLY FEARED ARE MALARIA, DYSENTERY
CAUSED BY AMOEBAE, AND TYPHOID. DISTRICT OFFICIALS
REPORTED HEAVY DAMAGE TO LOCAL AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION, AND
DPPC (GOVERNMENTAL DISASTER PREVENTION AND PREPAREDNESS
COMMISSION) IS ADEQUATELY PROVIDING RELIEF FOOD.
7. JIKAWO DISTRICT (POPULATION 31,000), ACCORDING TO
LOCAL ADMINISTRATION, IS STILL FLOODED TO SIGNIFICANT
EXTENT. SANITARY CONCERN WAS ALSO EXPRESSED. DPPC IS
PROVIDING ASSISTANCE, BUT IS FACING LOGISTICAL PROBLEMS DUE
TO LACK OF TRANSPORTATION MEANS.
8. ACCORDING TO SITUATION ANALYSIS OF LOCAL DPPC, THERE
IS STILL SOME CONCERN THAT BARO RIVER COULD OVERFLOW AGAIN,
WHICH WOULD AFFECT ITANG AND JIKAWO.
ALONG AKOBO RIVER
9. IN AKOBO DISTRICT (POPULATION 59,000), DISTRICT
OFFICIALS INFORMED THAT MOST ITS SURFACE, EXCEPT AKOBO
TOWN, WAS STILL COVERED BY WATERS AND THAT FLOODS CAUSED
HEAVY DESTRUCTION OF CROPS. FLOODS ARE EXPECTED TO RECEDE
BY END OF OCTOBER.
10. DPPC IS REGULARLY AIRLIFTING RELIEF FOOD (SORGHUM).
ACCORDING TO LOCAL ADMINISTRATION, THERE IS SHORTAGE OF
HOUSEHOLD ITEMS, BLANKETS, PLASTIC SHEETS, MOSQUITO NETS,
MEDICINE, AND AGRICULTURAL TOOLS, WHILE MALARIA IS
REPORTEDLY AFFECTING LARGE PART OF POPULATION.
ALONG GILO RIVER
11. IN GOG AND JOR DISTRICTS (COMBINED POPULATION OF
90,620), 15,000 PEOPLE WERE AFFECTED ALONG GILO RIVER, AND
NEARLY ALL CROPS OF MAIZE AND SORGHUM WERE DESTROYED.
FLOODING STARTED IN JUNE, WHICH REACHED PEAK LEVEL IN EARLY
JULY, RECEDING SLOWLY THEREAFTER TO REACH NEW HIGH IN
MID-SEPTEMBER. ASSISTANCE BY DPPC BEGAN IN EARLY AUGUST.
12. IN GENERAL, MISSION FOUND GENERAL SITUATION ALONG
GILO RIVER TO BE LESS SERIOUS THAN THAT ALONG BARO RIVER.
HOWEVER, MALARIA AND TYPHOID WERE MENTIONED AS POSSIBLE
RISKS. WATERS ARE NOW RECEDING SLOWLY, BUT LAND
PREPARATION FOR NEXT SEASON IS NOT POSSIBLE.
GAMBELLA
13. GAMBELLA DISTRICT HAS BEEN FLOODED SINCE MID-JULY,
WHICH AFFECTED MAINLY AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING
298 HA OF MAIZE. MOST RECENT FLOODS OCCURRED IN EARLY
SEPTEMBER, AFFECTING SOME 2,000 PERSONS IN PARTS OF
GAMBELLA TOWN. LOCAL OFFICIALS REPORTED THAT SITUATION HAD
RETURNED TO NORMAL, WHICH WAS CONFIRMED BY MISSION. AS
1,951 HOUSEHOLDS ARE FACING FOOD SHORTAGE, DPPC IS
PROVIDING ASSISTANCE UP TO END OF OCTOBER.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
14. NO APPEAL FOR INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE HAS BEEN
ISSUED BY GOVT OF ETHIOPIA. DPPC HAS BEEN PROVIDING
ADEQUATE ASSISTANCE AND CONSIDERS SITUATION TO BE WELL
UNDER NATIONAL CONTROL. DPPC IS CONTINUING REGULAR
MONITORING ON FLOODS SITUATION IN GAMBELLA REGION.
15. HOWEVER, THERE ARE CONCERNS EXPRESSED OVER
LOGISTICAL CONSTRAINTS (E.G., SHORTAGE OF ADEQUATE
VEHICLES) WHICH NEED TO BE ADDRESSED TO FULFIL PRESENT
NEEDS, AS WELL AS TO IMPROVE PREPAREDNESS FOR FUTURE
EMERGENCIES.
16. IN ADDITION TO ASSISTANCE LISTED IN INFOREP NO. 4,
WHO HAS PROVIDED FIVE EMERGENCY HEALTH KITS TO ETHIOPIAN
MINISTRY OF HEALTH, WITH SUPPORT FROM ITALIAN GOVT.
17. THIS IS THE LAST INFORMATION REPORT ON FLOODS ON
ETHIOPIA'S GAMBELLA AND AWASH AREAS, UNLESS THERE ARE
UNFORESEEN DEVELOPMENTS.
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 AT DHA.UNICC.ORG
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