SITREP #11 Effect of the Cold Front Affecting

Country: Honduras Name and type of operation: PRRO 10444.0 Reporting period: 5 / Oct / 08 to 5/ Nov/ 08

Date of report: 6 of November 2008

1. Main Events: The accumulated figures left by the tropical depression and cold front in Honduras show near 300,000 people affected 40 deaths and 24 missing. The damage to the infrastructure is also significant mainly to the agricultural sector, where more than 70,000 hectares were damaged, and near 1.400 houses destroyed.

2.1.1 Impact on Infrastructure Location: Type of Basics Services Houses Public Building Roads and Bridges event Systems & Region ( flooding, & landslide, (Has) Water Roads

drought etc) School Haealth Bridges Centers Sewage Culverts damages damages Damages Churches Electricity destroyed destroyed destroyed destroyed Destroyed Total 565 2,872 24 2 2 2 27 4 274 187 70,603 Olancho 62 185 1 0 0 0 0 26 13 10211.3 Yoro 21 176 0 1 0 0 0 40 2 285.2 Choluteca 7 90 1 0 1 3 1 8 3 7042.3 Valle 7 10 1 0 1 6 0 3 5 45.8 Intibuca 3 21 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0.0 Lempira 74 4 0 0 0 1 0 5 0 422.5 Paraiso 127 260 3 0 0 2 0 24 34 493.7 Atlantida 2 500 000 3 5 0.0 Comayagua 41 86 4 0 0 8 2 46 35 1954.2 Gracias a Dios 22 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 50 0.0 Copan 64 3 3 0 0 5 0 16 3 57.0 Ocotepeque 21 30 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 30.1 Cortés 1 497 2 0 0 0 1 2 0 49295.8 Sta. Barbara 12 0 5 0 1000 25 7 0.0 Fco. Morazan 41 102 1 0 1 0 2 0 39 13 706.3 La Paz 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 11 2 58.8 Colón 59 1,397 1 1 0 0 0 18 15 0.0 *Sources: COPECO and WFP Food Aid Monitors SITREP Table 2: Affected population

Living in Provinces Affected Evacuated Injuries Death Missing shelters

Honduras 295,060 50,113 5 40 24 45,809 Olancho 68,983 1,547 - 8 - 663 Yoro 32,117 12,790 - 4 - 6,699 Choluteca 52,275 723 1 2 1 1,204 Valle 9,183 3,445 - 1 - 194 Intibuca 2,900 210 - 1 - 140 Lempira 1,541 375 - - - 131 Paraiso 5,183 1,001 2 3 - 815 Atlantida 13,420 3,700 - - 2 1,078 Comayagua 11,591 1,613 - 3 4 434 Gracias a Dios 650 683 2 - 1 2,433 Copan 38,659 1,621 - - - 479 Ocotepeque 265 140 - - - 83 Cortés 14,898 12,397 - 1 - 29,053 Sta. Barbara 9,478 - - 1 - - Fco. Morazan 27,708 1,059 - 10 8 991 La Paz 1,452 1,160 - 1 - - Colón 4,757 7,629 - 5 8 1,412 Sources: COPECO and WFP Food Aid Monitors SITREP

The Tropical storm “Paloma” is threatening the provinces of Gracias a Dios and Colon in Honduras, where in the next 30 hours might increase rains leaving up 200mm in Gracias a Dios and some 100 mm in Colón and Northern Olancho provinces. Because those areas were also affected by the Cold Front, the high soil saturation and river levels can produce severe floods. Some floods had been reported in the municipalities of , Wampusirpi, , Barra Patuca and in Gracias a Dios Province. In Colon province, some communities of the municipalities of Balfate, Iriona, Santa Fe, Sonaguera remain isolated and being assistance through airlift operation. About 50,000 people remain isolated by the flood in the provinces of Colon and Gracias a Dios.

The situation can get even worse due to the effects of the tropical storm Paloma. The situation is more dramatic in Gracias a Dios, where food reserves in the area had been already depleted, and food delivered can only be done by air or water. Because the threat of the storm it making difficult send food to this areas. However WFP in coordination with COPECO is making the arrangement with Bravo Task Force and local transporters.

The National Contingency Commission (COPECO) has maintained the red alert for the departments of Gracias a Dios, Eastern sector of Colón, Northern Olancho, as well as for the municipalities of Corquín and Cucuyagua, in Copán and Belén Gualcho, in Ocotepeque due to the increase in the landslide risk of the geological failures.

WFP, in coordination with national and local authorities, is providing a timely response to affected population, through food pre-positioned in the most vulnerable areas. So far, more than 500 MT of food have been distributed, benefiting more than 25,000 families in 65 municipalities.

2. Response/actions implemented by Counterpart and WFP: • WFP food aid monitors in coordination with National and local authorities and NGOs are carrying out damages assessment and providing humanitarian assistance to the most affected population. • More than 500 MT of food have been distributed during the emergency, benefiting some 25,000 families (125,000 people).

3. Main constraints: • About 50,000 people have been isolated by the flood in the provinces of Colon and Gracias a Dios. Isolation in these areas can get even worse due to the effects of the tropical storm Paloma and the constrains faced when delivering food to these areas not only because of risk, almost no transportation means available in the region and competition for transporting other commercial goods.

• Airlift operations: • Other 25 MT of Food was delivered to Gracias a Dios Province, in advance to Paloma’s impact on the area. Some 75 MT were also sent to Colon to provide assistance to the affected population. • So far, 16 airlifts have been already carried out in coordination with COPECO and the Honduras Air Force. • Food Resources: Need figures are increasing due tot high vulnerability and the low copying mechanism of the national and local authorities and the affected families as well. Some provinces are still under high risk and some others (as the southern region) need to initiate their family assets throughout the PRRO recovery component WFP urgently needs at least 2,000 MT of food through the regional PRRO 10444.0, in order to start recovery activities. Those requirements had been included in the Flash Appeal documents.