COLOMBIA FLOODS - SECOND RAINY SEASON Update December 6, 2007

I. Situation Review - Respiratory diseases, diarrhoea and epidemics have increased among the On December 3 IDEAM reported a population, as well as skin diseases, decrease in water levels, especially in the snake bites and malaria cases. Caribbean region. However, alerts - Food shortages caused by the remain in some flooded points of the destruction of crops have caused and Magdalena River and in consequence, increased malnutrition. the Institute recommends to maintain - An estimate of 17,000 crops of corn, the alerts and keep the emergency plans rice, manioc, banana and vegetables activated. were destroyed by floods and nearly 19.000 cattle had to be moved to Due to the influence of “La Niña” nearby areas. phenomenon, since mid September 220 - 544 families remain in temporary municipalities in 27 departments shelters within the urban and rural resulted affected by heavy rains and areas (mainly school facilities) where floods leaving 35 deaths and nearly 2 living and WatSan conditions are million people affected. Through poor. December 5, DPAD registered 1,162,083 people affected, 38% more than the AFECTACION registered in 2006. According to DPAD N° MUNICIPIO FAMILIAS PERSONAS 1 Ayapel 239 1.195 the departments of Bolívar, Magdalena, 2 Buenavista 839 4.195 Sucre, Cesar and Atlántico in the 3 595 2.975 Caribbean Coast and Chocó in the 4 Cereté 730 3.650 Pacific Coast, remain as the most 5 Chimá 1.234 4.783 6 Ciénaga de Oro 744 1.830 affected. 7 1.993 8.893 8 300 1.500 II. Impact 9 Lorica 6.165 26.407 10 965 3.407 11 Montería 1.776 8.880 CORDOBA DEPARTMENT 12 Pueblo Nuevo 291 1.310 13 350 1.750 87,000 people have been affected so far 14 Purísima 363 1.815 in the lower reaches of Sinú River. The 15 1.912 8.225 16 San Pelayo 1.225 4.375 municipalities of Lorica, San Bernardo 17 178 869 del Viento, Momil, Purísima and Chimá, 18 Valencia 189 945 flooded since June, were also affected. TOTAL 20.088 87.004 The municipalities of Montería, Figure 1. Affectation in Córdoba department. Source: DPAD, Nov 30 Montelíbano and Ayapel were also affected in this period but, due to the LA MOJANA REGION geographical conditions, water levels decreased rapidly. During the second rainy season official reports from the CREPADs in 9 Between November 12 and 18, WFP, municipalities reported 99,913 people IOM, UNICEF, UNDP, WHO/PAHO, affected (19,736 families). Most of the OCHA, CRC and DPAD undertook a rural areas in the region will remain needs assessment in Momil and San flooded throughout the year due to the Bernardo del Viento, whereby the rise of Cauca River’s levels. following gaps were identified: The following are the gaps identified - The population has a reduced access through the needs assessment in the to potable water sources and municipalities of San Benito Abad, Achí sanitation conditions are very poor. y San Jacinto del Cauca:

Department Municipality Persons Families In Riosucio, the health center is SUCRE SUCRE 28,045 6,550 currently flooded and an increase of SAN BENITO ABAD 22,275 4,455 respiratory, skin and diarrhoeic diseases CAIMITO 6,665 1,293 has been reported, as well as snake bites MAJAGUAL 6,393 1,395 and malaria cases. Press sources report SAN MARCOS 5,240 1,048 the displacement of nearly 600 from the BOLIVAR ACHI 17,225 3,445 most affected areas of Riosucio towards SAN JACINTO DEL CAUCA 4,250 850 the nearby municipalities of Turbo, ANTIOQUIA NECHI 3,500 700 Aparatadó y Chigorodó. The death of TOTAL 93,593 19,736 three children by drowning was reported Chart 2. Affectation in La Mojana. Source: DPAD, November 30 by local authorities in the last weeks. WatSan conditions along the River are - Due to the lack of potable water and very poor and there are no sources of to the difficult sanitation conditions potable water available; also, the loss of in shelters and in the population’s an undetermined quantity of corn, houses, WatSan is the most urgent banana and rice crops has been need in most of the rural and urban reported. According to information areas affected by floods. provided to OCHA, on November 13, - Most of the affected municipalities during a meeting of the CLOPAD, local in La Mojana reported up to 100% of authorities decided to declare the crop losses. emergency for the municipality of - An inventory of destroyed school Riosucio. facilities is currently ongoing. - Access to basic health services is MUNICIPIO Persons Families difficult for most of the rural RIOSUCIO 11,128 2,250 population in the affected areas due LITORAL DEL SAN JUAN 9,845 1,502 to mobility restrictions and the BOJAYA 8,935 1,497 limited capacitates of the MEDIO ATRATO 7,846 1,324 municipalities to cover all the population. MEDIO SAN JUAN 2,989 607 CARMEN DEL DARIEN 2,898 854 CHOCÓ DEPARTMENT ALTO BAUDO 1,994 452 ATRATO 1,528 325 According to information provided by JURADO 1,408 278 OXFAM, continuous overflows in Atrato CANTON DEL SAN PABLO 1,012 200 River have been affecting the TOTAL 49,583 9,289 municipalities of Carmen del Darién and Chart 3. Affectation in Chocó. Source: DPAD Riosucio as well as the communities along the middle reaches of this river III. National response since April.

- In order to assure a coordinated and During the first week of November, effective response to emergencies, water levels started to increase above on October 10 the National the alert levels of the past years. The Government adopted an Emergency urban areas of Riosucio and Carmen del and Contingency National Plan for Darién currently register water levels Massive events, through Decree between 1.20 and 4 meters, tending to 3888. increase due to overflows of the Atrato - The institutions of the SNPAD are River tributaries. coordinating the emergency

response through rescue operations,

population census, aid distribution, people affected. shelters and fumigation brigades. - WFP, IOM, UNICEF, UNDP, Nine support programs for the WHO/PAHO and OCHA, in recovery process are also being coordination with CRC and DPAD adopted (rural and urban housing, visited the affected areas in La crops and animals recovery, loans, Mojana region and Córdoba in order WatSan, donations, to assess the development of CERF communications, road infrastructure projects and formulate a joint needs recovery and urban/rural planning). assessment to address structural - The DPAD will deliver USD 2 million issues and uncovered needs. in food and non-food items for - UNICEF donated water tanks, 24,500 affected families in Bolívar, sanitation infrastructure and Chocó and Putumayo. WatSan items and school kits for children. Also, UNICEF is assisting IV. Local response children through the AIEPI health strategy (Integral Assistance of - The CRC, in coordination with Children Prevailing Diseases) and OXFAM, is periodically providing through psychosocial assistance and water for the affected people in the registration campaigns. municipality of Momil. - OXFAM is giving WatSan advice and - The municipality of San Bernardo support and donated water tanks for del Viento donated 2,100 lavatories potable water supply. for the affected population in the rural areas. - CRC and ICBF, with the support of OXFAM, are training the population settled in shelters in WatSan and in the prevention of respiratory diseases. - CRC is coordinating the delivery of food and non-food items and water tanks. - The ICBF is assisting the affected population through its mobile units. - In Córdoba, CRC is providing especial assistance for the affected indigenous populations in the rural areas. - In Riosucio, the CRC is training the affected population in WatSan and snake bites prevention. - The local government is adapting the houses and shelters in order to prevent water hold backs.

V. International response

- Via CERF, IOM, UNICEF and WFP continue to provide life-saving services through food, WatSan and shelter projects, for nearly 50,000