Situation Report 12 – –FLOODS - 29 FEBRUARY 2008

This situation report is based on information received from the Office of the Resident Coordinator, UN Agencies, the Bolivian Government, the UN Emergency Technical Team (UNETT) in Bolivia and OCHA Regional Office in Panama.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The number of affected families due to floods caused by “La Niña” phenomenon is estimated at approximately 73,000. • The Flash Appeal includes projects for USD 18 million to address immediate humanitarian needs resulting from the floods is currently only 21% funded (of which USD 2.2 million from CERF). • The situation remains critical in shelters where there is a need for water and sanitation, especially latrines, as well as for NFIs.

SITUATION OVERVIEW resulting from the floods and is currently only 21% funded (of which USD 2.2 million from CERF). 1. The number of affected families due to floods caused by “La Niña” phenomenon is estimated at Situation per Department 73,075. In the central river basin of Santa Cruz, it has been raining uninterruptedly for the last 4 days, Beni which has raised the alert of a possible second flooding the Río Grande waters have risen from 3 3. The Ministry of Defense informed that there is meters morning to 4,06 meters according to data of no need to evacuate the families of Santa Ana de the Abapó Station. In the meantime, in the north, Yacuma, since the water level declined in the last few water levels in southern Beni have been decreasing in days. the last few days, starting to uncover the damage to agriculture. Due to preventive actions carried out by 4. Around the city of Trinidad, the water levels the Municipality of Santa Ana, the downtown city did dropped some 80 cm. The decrease in water level is not suffer considerable damage, but the surrounding sufficient to expect that the protective dykes of the areas have been affected. city and of Sana Ana de Yacuma will hold. It is expected that in six weeks the water level will 2. The situation still remains critical in shelters subside to its normal level again. and there is a need for water and sanitation, especially latrines, as well as for NFIs. On 20 February, the 5. The total number of affected families reported Flash Appeal requesting USD 18 million was handed by the Departmental Emergency Operations Center is over to the Ministry of Development Planning, 19, 656. There are 30 camps in Trinidad and six in through the Vice-Minister of Public Investment and the rural areas. There are more than 4,500 families External Funding. The Flash Appeal includes urgent sheltered in Trinidad and some 600 in Santa Ana de projects to address immediate humanitarian needs Yacuma. New camps are being established: a 50 tent camp in Exaltación and a 100-tent camp in Puerto Bolivia floods Report No. 12 Page 2

Silles (50 tents in Santa Rosa del Vigo and the other Tarija 50 in La Loma de Armadas provided by USAID). 12. The rains damaged and forced the closure of the Santa Cruz international bridge that connects the argentinan village of Salvador Mazz with San José de Pocitos in 6. A total of 16,793 families have been affected by Tarija, Bolivia. The structure of the bridge is not the floods. There is one large camp of 800 families in affected but the repairs will take days, resulting in Los Troncos. The health situation is under control. hundreds of stranded trucks.

7. Currently, 46% of the departmental roads are Potosi affected (this number has risen as a result of the uninterrupted rains of the last four days). The bridge 13. According to a local authority, houses and crops that connects the Municipality of El Torno with of 61 families in the Municipality of Ocuri were Vallegrande has collapsed, which is the only access destroyed by a hailstorm with ice drops of the size of route to the Municipalities in the province of chicken eggs. Vallegrande. La Paz 8. According to the Departmental Emergency Operations Center, the number of patients in the areas 14. The Municipality of La Paz is in orange alert. hit by the disaster in Santa Cruz descreased by 30%, Reconstruction of houses will start within 24 to 48 from 16,000 to 11,000. Major diseases reported hours. The costs of reconstruction are expected to include respiratory diseases and skin infections. exceed USD 10 million. The Municipality reports an Diarrhea related diseases have been also reported. immediate need for machinery.

9. Of the 201 suspected cases of dengue reported 15. The Prefecture of La Paz has requested WFP to the Departmental Health Service, 74 were food to support families affected by frost, hail storms confirmed, including 25 in the city of Santa Cruz. In and drought. WFP will assess needs in the affected the majority of the provinces, more than 10 suspected communities. cases have been reported, however few have been confirmed. Chuquisaca

10. Inhabitants of La Isla and Pueblos Unidos de 16. There have been floods and hailstorms in Santa Cruz- an estimated 155 families- have been Chuquisaca. In total, some 9,205 families and 5,518 isolated by the water. With national support and hectares of crops (maize, potato, wheat and support from Brazil and Venezuela, 375 persons were vegetables) have been affected by the floods. evacuated by air and 134 tons of assistance were transported. NATIONAL RESPONSE 11. On February 22, a C-130 flight of the Argentinean Air Forces airlifted 5 MT of WFP High Energy Biscuits (HEB) from Quito to Santa Cruz. 17. The Government allocated the amount of USD The HEBs were shipped from WFP´s Emergency 230 million from the Reconstruction, Food Security Logistics Centre for Humanitarian Assistance and Productive Support Fund to be channeled to the (CELAH) based in Ecuador. This new HEB will be production sector (small, medium and large distributed to affected families in the departments of enterprises), as stated by the Vice minister of Santa Cruz and Cochabamba. Treasure and Public Credit.

18. The Government confirmed the continuation of the Cattle Recovery Program in support of small and

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medium farmers affected by the floods, according to the Ministry of Rural Development, Agriculture and 22. The analysis phase of the Emergency Food Environment. The Supreme Decree No. 29231 will Security Assessment (EFSA) has been initiated. The allow importing 37,000 cows of productive age for EFSA Regional Advisor will support the Country Beni. Office to undertake this analysis along with WFP Ecuador staff mission, governmental counterparts and INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE NGOs. Small workshops with all the institutions that have been involved in the data collection phase will 19. Due to the regular fumigation of WFP be organized to promote the use of results in potential warehouse in Trinidad, distributions have been joint interventions to overcome food insecurity in suspended until 27 February. A logistics officer from affected families. WFP Office in Ecuador is supporting the WFP team in Beni. The logistics in this Department is very 23. A naval boat has left to assist the population in challenging due to the existence of only few roads the northeastern part of the country, in , which are currently flooded, the limited availability loaded with 200 WFP food rations for Remanso and of transportation services, the lack of storage 416 Civil Defense rations for other communities. facilities and the high temperatures and humidity. Affected families in Guayaramerín, at the border with Brazil, are also being provided with food rations. 20. On 25 February, IOM and the Bolivian Red Cross agreed to work in support of the Centers of 24. Twenty-three tons of food are provided to the Fast Response Support (CARR), with the objective to province of Ballivian for one month, in Santa Rosa, generate baseline information to facilitate the Reyes and using resources of the coordination of the emergency response, especially in Prefecture. the shelters. The CARR has presence in Santa Cruz and Beni and is supported by Plan International and 25. Aviación Solidiaria of Spain has informed World Vision. With the support of a camp about a contribution of 5 tons of medical support. management coordinator in Santa Cruz, the CARR Some 50 tons of goods, both in food and technical will assist in El Puente 571 families, in Asención de merchandise, were received from Venezuela. Guarayos 370 families, in Pailón 176 families, in Cuatro Cañadas 128 families and in San Julián 2,285 26. Following the deployment of experts to assess families. In Beni, the CARR will support 2,500 the situation, the European Commission has launched families in the Province of Moxos. IOM is preparing a humanitarian decision for €2 million. The funds, a specific hygiene kit for the characteristics of the managed by the Commission's Humanitarian Aid region, benefiting 1,000 families. IOM will department (ECHO), under the responsibility of coordinate with other agencies to provide effective Commissioner Louis Michel, will target around assistance to affected communities by boat from 110,000 people living in the worst affected areas of Trinidad. the country notably in the Beni and Santa Cruz departments, which are struggling to cope with floods 21. In Beni, some 8,5 MT of food was distributed for the third year in succession. on 24 February by the Hospital Boat to the Municipality of , to assist 198 families to 27. Additional information on Bolivia as well as on cover food needs for a month. The WFP sub-office in other emergencies, and financial information can be Trinidad is expecting a food shipment that will arrive found on www.reliefweb.int. in a C-130 flight to distribute new food rations to shelters in as the only means to quickly provide humanitarian assistance by air.

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For detailed information please contact:

Contact Details Desk Officer (New York) Ms. Heidi Kuttab Office Tel: + 1 917 367-3365 Office Fax: + 1 212 963-36 30 E-mail: [email protected]

Humanitarian Affairs Officer Ms. Aoibheann O’Keeffe Office Tel: + 41 22 917 4329 GCMS (Geneva) E-mail: [email protected]

OCHA Regional Office in Mr. Max Bonnel/Douglas Reimer Office Tel: + 507 317 1748 - 49 Panama E-mail: [email protected]

Press Contact: (New York) Ms. Stephanie Bunker Office Tel : + 1 917-367-5126 Office Fax: + 1 212-963-1312 Email: [email protected]

Ms. Christina Bennett Office Tel: + 1 917 367 8059 Office Fax: + 1 212 963 1312 Email: [email protected]

(Geneva) Ms. Elizabeth Byrs Office Tel + 41 22 917 26 53 Office Fax + 41 22 917 00 20 E-mail: [email protected]