Boliva: Floods [DHA-01: 24-Feb-97]
Boliva: Floods [DHA-01: 24-Feb-97]
United Nations
Department of Humanitarian Affairs
BOLIVIA FLOODS
DHA-GENEVA SITUATION REPORT NO.1
24 FEBRUARY 1997
GOVERNMENT APPEALS FOR INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE
GENERAL SITUATION
1. According to the UNDP/DHA Resident Representative,
torrential rains have been affecting a vast part of
Bolivia, causing serious flooding in eight of its nine
Departments. Several rivers have overflowed their banks,
damaging/destroying houses, roads, agriculture plantations
and crops killing cattle and rendering thousands of people
homeless.
2. Preliminary reports from the National Direction of
the Civil Defense in Bolivia, indicate that approximately
16,000 families (approximately 80,000 people), the
majority poor rural and urban people, have been affected in
the Departments of Pando, Beni, La Paz, Cochabamba, Santa
Cruz, Potosi, Oruro, and Tarija.
3. The Departments of Beni and Santa Cruz are the most
affected with approximately 8,500 families (approximately
42,500 people) in need of immediate relief assistance. Many
affected areas are still isolated by the flood waters, and
the access is done only by boat or by air.
NATIONAL RESPONSE/IMMEDIATE NEEDS
4. National authorities have requested the UNDP/DHA
Resident Representative in La Paz to alert and mobilize
international assistance, in particular in the areas of:
- food: milk, rice, flower, lentil and noodles
- medicines
- Cash for local/regional purchase of tools (shovels, hoes,
axes, cane knifes and handcarts)mats and blankets,
- boats and engines
5. The list of affected population, means of access and
needs by region is available with DHA (in Spanish) upon
request.
5. The relief activities are being coordinated by the
Bolivian Civil Defense together with several national and
international organizations and NGO's such as the USAID/
Bolivia, the Red Cross, Caritas/Bolivia, the Catholic
Relief Service (CRS) and the NGO "Fundacion Contra el
Hambre".
6. CONTRIBUTIONS REPORTED TO DHA
UN System USD
DHA Emergency Cash Grant
for the purchasing
of relief supplies 20,000
Governments
Spain Relief supplies
(Tents, kitchen sets)
PTS 10,000,000 71,942
United States
of America Cash grant for the
local purchasing
of food 25,000
7. 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 the funds
contributed.
8. Donors wishing to channel their contributions
through DHA may transfer the funds to DHA account no. CO.
590.160.1 at Swiss Bank Corporation, Case Postale 2770, CH-
1211 Geneva 2, with reference: Bolivia - Floods.
9. For coordination purposes, donors are requested to
inform DHA Geneva, as indicated below, of bilateral relief
missions/ pledges/ contributions and their corresponding
values by item.
Telephone number: +41-22-917-1234
In case of emergency only: +41-22-917-2010
Desk Officer: Mr. Erik Haegglund/ Carlos Pereira, direct
tel: +41-22-917-32.99/ +41-22-917-13.83
Press to contact: Ms. M. Moulin-Acevedo,
direct tel: +41-22-917-2856
Telex: 41 42 42 dha ch
Fax: +41-22-917-0023
E-Mail: dhagva@dha.unicc.org
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