Madagascar-Cylone Giovanna-Sitrep 4-20120223.Pdf (English)
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
United Nations Nations Unies Office of the Resident Coordinator Madagascar • Cyclone Giovanna Situation Report # 4 – 23 February 2012 I. HIGHLIGHTS/KEY PRIORITIES Nine days after the passing of cyclone Giovanna, 27 deaths have been reported, while the number of people injured is estimated at 90. To date, 3,249 people are still displaced in temporary shelters, in particular in the eastern districts of Brickaville, Vatomandry and Mahanoro, in the north-central district of Mampikony and in the capital, Antananarivo. The BNGRC has announced that an international appeal will not be issued by the Malagasy Government, but that in-country support from partners and bilateral donors could be sought in the coming days. Estimates from NGO partners on the ground (CARE International, MedAir) suggest a total of 80,000 people affected Cyclone Giovanna. Nevertheless, an in-depth analysis is ongoing to identify people who require immediate humanitarian assistance. 978 school classrooms have been severely or moderately damaged. Information on damage and needs in the east-central districts of Anosibe an’Ala and Moramanga, which was expected to be affected, has not been received yet. A joint multisectoral assessment will be held in those districts. II. Situation Overview The National Disaster Risk Management Office (BNGRC) and partners continue to process information being received from the field on the impacts of the Cyclone. Giovanna caused the death of 27 people while 90 are injured, and 3,249 others are still displaced in temporary shelters. Local coping mechanisms and resilience to stocks of communities have been instrumental to the return of affected people back to their homes ten days after the passing of Cyclone Giovanna on 14 February. The large majority of the affected people have intended rehabilitating their houses, in some cases with the support of humanitarian partners. At this stage, shelter and access to basic services (education and health) are the priority needs. Even though no major flooding was reported, partners continue monitoring the situation of water sources to prevent water- borne diseases outbreaks. Food security is another sector to pay attention to in the coming weeks, to ensure that affected people do not encounter major problems. Destruction of main crops could cause a serious impact in access to food supplies in local markets. The BNGRC and humanitarian partners are working for the deployment of joint multi-sectoral assessments teams in most affected areas, based on priority needs already identified: shelter, education, health, and food security. In the field, humanitarian interventions are ongoing to respond to protection, shelter, food assistance and water, hygiene and sanitation needs. Partners have also started providing temporary shelters to replace damaged and destroyed classrooms, with the aim of restarting regular education activities as soon as possible. 1 UNRCO Madagascar - Situation Report nº 4 III. Humanitarian Needs and Response EDUCATION Needs: According to UNICEF, the education is one of the most affected sector with 275 out of 783 primary school classrooms severely to moderately damaged in Vatomandry (35%) and 703 out of 997 primary school classrooms severely to moderately damaged in Brickaville (71%). Total of 77,403 children (38,721 girls and 38,682 boys) are therefore currently affected by the disaster. Response: The Education Cluster continues to support education services in Brickaville and Vatomandry. Damage assessment reports are being validated. UNICEF already provided school/recreation kits and material for temporary classrooms to 33 schools in Brickaville and Vatomandry. The tarpa-tents will start to be set up as of 22 February, with the support of technical expert. EMERGENCY SHELTER Needs: 3,249 people are still displaced in temporary shelters. WASH and health assistance is being provided by partners. Response: Catholic Relief Service (CRS) provided 3 tents in 2 communes, and non-food items (NFI) for 600 households. Furthermore, CRS is collecting and analysing information. Care International distributed plastic sheetings provided by USAID to 4,000 affected households in Vatomandry and 2,000 households in Brickaville. The BNGRC has increased the number of tents for those displaced in Antananarivo. A ship from La Reunion, provided by the French Government, has arrived in the eastern port town of Toamasina on Sunday 19 February, carrying plastic sheetings and rehabilitation kits for 2,000 households. This equipment has been mobilized by the Red Cross platform on disaster management (the Indian Ocean Regional Intervention Platform – PIROI in French). This relief supplies will be distributed to vulnerable people in Brickaville and Vatomandry. Gaps & Constraints: There is a serious gap in the protection response at relocation sites, mainly in Antananarivo. A follow up meeting of the newly established Protection Cluster should provide guidance on immediate response to protection concerns. Registration of those displaced should be improved to show disaggregated data by sex, age and other categories related to specific vulnerabilities. Relocation sites do not respect the internationally established minimum standards for site management in terms of sanitation, water supply, shelter, cooking facilities and protection. Camp coordination and camp management training should be provided to partners involved in this sector, i.e. local authorities and social workers. LOGISTICS Needs: No significant infrastructural damage has been reported, and all main roads are open. Nevertheless, some national and secondary roads in the eastern region require minor rehabilitation. Response: The Logistic Cluster is continuing to share information on road access and storage capacity in affected areas. As per latest information, road access has been restored on the National Road between Antananarivo and Toamasina (RN2) and the National Road between Antananarivo and Mampikuny (RN6) for all types of vehicles, and on the National Road 44 between Moramanga and Ambatondrazaka only for light vehicles (a mobile bridge is now in place). Therefore, all the main cyclone-affected areas, including Brickaville, Antsapanana and Vatomandry (all three in the east), are accessible. CRS started an emergency cash-for-work project to facilitate the rehabilitation of the road to Andevoranto in Brickaville District. The Logistics Cluster will participate in a possible assessment mission to support information verification on accessibility that would facilitate assistance to more remote areas. Mining company Sherritt International Corporation, which operates in eastern Madagascar, conducted an aerial assessment on Saturday 18 February and reported no major damage in villages surrounding its mining sites and pipelines. Gaps & Constraints: Access to several remote communes remains a challenge for conducting multisectoral assessment missions. However, local teams supported by partners are busy gathering maximum information. Multi-sectoral joint assessment teams are being planned to reach these communes in the coming days. In Brickaville, power supply has been seriously affected. JIRAMA (Madagascar Power and Water Company) informed that rehabilitation works would take at least one month and a half. This situation is affecting also the electricity-operated water purification system. 2 UNRCO Madagascar - Situation Report nº 4 FOOD SECURITY AND LIVELIHOODS Needs: In affected districts the main cash crops, which were already close to maturity, have been seriously damaged, i.e. maize and cassava. Other commercial crops in affected districts, such as breadfruit, oranges and papaya, which were to be harvested in April, have also been significantly impacted. Rice fields have been flooded, but the extent of the damage can only be assessed after the water recedes. Response: WFP assists currently 16,140 beneficiaries with 82MT as part of General Food Distribution (GFD): 21MT of high energetic biscuits, 47.4MT of rice, 10MT of pulses and 3.6MT of cooking oil to displaced people in affected areas (Brickaville and Antananarivo, and Nosy Varika and Mananjary both on the southeast coast) with support from Care International, NGOs HELP, Miarintsoa and BDEM (Bureau de développement de l’Ekar Mananjary – a local Christian organization). Food-for-Work activities will start in collaboration with Care International and the NGO “Frères Saint-Gabriel” (FSG) in Brickaville. A meeting of the Cluster has been held on 22 February to define the thematic to be covered during a multi-cluster post- emergency assessment in the most affected areas: Brickaville, Vatomandry, Moramanga and Mampikony. This assessment, which will start on Monday 27 February for seven days, aims to analysis the overall situation and inform the response. Gaps & Constraints: Food commodities are available on local markets and so far no price increase has been observed. However, insufficient food stocks in the markets in the coming days could increase food prices. Yetl, the livelihoods of some segments of population have been severely disrupted. The short and medium term food security situation of the population is of concern; seeds should be provided to affected farmers for the coming agriculture season. HEALTH Needs: Power supply currently is cut off at Brickaville Hospital where there is a need for emergency medical kits for affected people. Damage at the hospitals of Brickaville and Vatomandry need to be addressed. According to UNICEF, medical supplies to cover an estimated affected population