Operational Situation Update Myanmar Floods Situation report no. 1 Date of issue: 17th August 2015 Period covered: 1st to 13th August 2015 Myanmar Red Cross Society Head of Operation: MRCS President Professor Dr. Tha Hla Shwe Head of Emergency Operation: Deputy General Secretary Program Dr. Aung Kyaw Htut International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Head of operations (APZ): Martin Faller Head of delegation Udaya Regmi Operations Manager: Nicolas Verdi 1 1. Situation overview 1.1. Information on disaster Disaster 30 th July 2015: Cyclone Komen bringing tropical storm and heavy rains, causing flash floods and landslides Damage caused Widespread displacement, destroyedbuildings, infrastructure, water sources, livestock and farmland. Primary needs Shelter, health care, WASH, food, basic household items and cash Compounding Many areas difficult to reach even outside monsoon season (May to factor October) 1.2. Background Due to the torrential rain during June and July 2015 and the effect of Cyclone Komen, which made landfall in Bangladesh on July 30 th , almost the whole country of Myanmar (except Naypyidaw and Taninthayari Regions and Kayah State) was affected by heavy flooding. The most seriously suffered areas were; Chin State, Rakhine State, Sagan region and Magway Region. As flooding in Mon and Kayin State were same as regular yearly flooding pattern, the local governments have taken responsibilities for taking care of themselves. According to available data from Myanmar Red Cross Society branches in the affected areas, as of August 14th , a total of 629,043persons from 108,040households have been affected by the flooding and landslides. Communications and transportation infrastructure have been impacted, and flood waters have reduced in many areas. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, flooding has inundated nearly 400,000 acres of farmland, destroyed 30,000 acres and damaged more than 73,000 acres. 1.3. Primary affected areas and population On 31 July, the President’s Office declared a state of emergency in four regions: Chin, Magwe, Sagaing and Rakhine. The President has reconfirmed the national priorities: to save lives; to protect livelihoods; to restore critical infrastructure. The Government confirmed that the priority is to clean hospitals, schools and residences and that there are insufficient means (including clean water) to clean the areas where water has receded. According to the Myanmar Government short-term and rapid recovery plan for the floods issued 12th August by the National Natural Disaster Management Committee, there are three types of disasters resulting in the following identification and prioritization of project areas: Priority 1. Chin State (Hakha) and Sagaing region (Kalay and Tamu), affected by land sliding and Flash Flooding affected and displacement of local population in Chin State (Hakha) and Sagaing region ( Kalay and Tamu) Priority 2. Rakhine State (Butheetaung, Maungtaw, Kyaunktaw, Minbya and Myauk-Oo), affected by serious flooding and Cyclone Komen affected and displacement of local population Priority 3. Other affected areas of: Kachin State, Sagaing Region, Mandalay Region, Magway region, Pago Region, Shan State, Ayeyarwaddy Region and Yangon Region affected by serious flooding affected and displacement of local population in Sagaing (Kawlin, Kantpalu, Yee-U, Kunghla) Region and Magway (Pwint Phyu, Sidoktaya and Aunglan) In its plan, the Government is highlighting loss of livelihood and cash flow in affected households to be some of the major problems for the affected areas, and is therefore suggesting recovery by providing cash grant to those affected people in addition to initial support in terms of food and relief items. 2 State/ Affected Affected Displaced Damaged No. Death Injuries Region people HHs people houses (1). Thandwe, (2). Taunggoke, (3). Ann, (4). Gwa, (5). Butheetaung, (6). Kyaunktaw, (7). 1 Rakhine Sittwe, (8). Maungtaw, (9). Ponnakyun, (10). Minbya, (11). Myauk Oo, (12). Munaung,(13). 172,988 25970 2 14 --- 11,163 Yethedaung, (14). Pauktaw, (15). Rathedaung, (16). Myaebon (1). Kawlin, (2).Minkin, (3).Kantpalu, (4). Kunghla, (5). Kani, (6). Homemalin, (7). Monywa, (8). Budaling, (9). Ayadaw, (10). Ye-U, (11). Khin-U, (12). Watlat, (13). Tigyaing, (14). 2 Sagaing 183,870 39879 5 0 --- 6,932 Indaw, (15).Salingyi, (16) Yinmabin, (17).Chaung-U, (18).Sagaing, (19) Myinmu, (20). Kale, (21). Kalay Wa, (22).Tamu, (23).Myaung 3 Magway (1). Pwint Phyu, (2). Saku, (3). Sidoktaya 131,336 4705 0 0 1,488 2,595 (1). Hakha, (2). Matupi, (3).Paletwa, (4)Sarme, (5). Falam, (6). Kanpalet, (7). Mindat, (8). 4 Chin 14,301 2875 0 0 --- 2,005 Tedim, (9). Tunzan, (10). Thantlang 5 Mandalay (1). Mogoke, (2). Singu, (3). Thabakekyin, (4). Nyaung U, (5). Myingyan 5,363 1341 11 4 --- --- 6 Kayin (1). Hpa-an, (2). Hlaingbwe 6,383 380 0 0 --- --- 7 Mon (1). Kyaikhto, (2). Thaton, (3). Chaungzone, (4). Paung, (5). Bilin 4,725 1054 0 0 --- --- (1). Zalun, (2). Ingapu, (3). Hinthada, (4). Nyaung don, (5). Myanaung, (6).Danuphyu, 8 Ayeyarwaddy (7).Yekyi, (8). Kyangin, (10). Maubin, (11). Pathein, (12). Nga Thaing Chaung, (13). 98,425 29424 0 0 --- --- Tharbaung, (14). Kyaiklatt, (15). Pantanaw, (16). Kyaungkon 9 Kachin Mokaung 2,049 446 0 0 --- --- 10 Bago Bago 8,943 1834 0 8 --- --- 11 Yangon Yangon 660 132 0 0 --- --- Total: 629,043 108,040 18 26 1,488 11,532 --- : No information available 3 2. Red Cross and Red Crescent action The Myanmar Red Cross Society is helping and providing reliefs and rehabilitation assistance to thousands of people affected by flooding and landslides in 12 Regions and States across the country. A total numbers of (472) Red Cross Volunteers (RCVs) of MRCS are helping and providing action support services. In most townships across the country, MRCS and its volunteers are the first responder and are responsible for Early Warnings, but also for evacuations. At the time of these floods, MRCS RCVs were mobilising tens of thousands of people, evacuating them to safer areas, sometimes though the established local Disaster Management Committees, sometimes through government action. During evacuations, RCVs also supported the government and local organisations in setting up temporary camps where the RCVs were giving First Aid Services and Psychosocial support in addition to distributing tarpaulins, hygiene kit and other relief items. Already on the first days of the disaster, MRCS started to distribute relief items that were available in the warehouses. So far, 35,180 people have received relief items of different kinds based on needs. Those whose house had been partially or totally damaged, would receive household items in addition to other essential items. One of the most important issues in a flood emergency is the access to safe drinking water and MRCS has therefore distributed water purification tablets. The water purification units (WPU) that are also available, have not yet been used since the camps have been very temporary and since no water sources have been identified in most affected areas. Instead, MRCS has focused on cleaning of tube wells and ponds, set up rain water harvesting and continuous distribution of purification tablets. The WPU units and the trained volunteers are however on stand-by and will be deployed when needs and opportunities arise. Not only in the temporary camps, but across its operational areas, RCVs are providing First Aid services and psychosocial support. In terms of health and care, MRCS is also supporting medical referrals to hospitals and hygiene promotion. The Restoring Family Links department (RFL) has been helping to join families who lost each other during the disaster. Four assessment teams has been collecting information on the situation in four of the most affected townships: Kalay, Kawlin, Sidoktaya, and Pwintbyu. The information is still being analysed, but the main finding was the enormous loss of livelihood in all the areas. For Rakhine, ICRC will produce a separate report. 3. Coordination 3.1. Movement coordination MRCS, IFRC, ICRC and American RC held a joint meeting on July 31st, and subsequent daily meetings from that point on. Since then updated information collected by MRCS at branch level has been collected and shared on daily basis with all partners (and externally with OCHA). Additionally it is expected that ICRC will take a leading role in supporting MRCS to respond in Rakhine State, including provision of bilateral funding and joint implementation of some response activities (e.g. water and sanitation). MRCS DM coordinator from NHQ in Nay Pyi Taw has been deployed to Sagaing to support the local Red Cross branch. In Rakhine, MRCS, IFRC and ICRC have been jointly working and closely coordinating internally (with daily meetings) as well as with non-Red Cross partners. ICRC has also deployed additional staff and resources to support with the flood response. 4 All in-country partners to MRCS held a coordination meeting on Thursday 13th August where among other things, the assessment teams presented their findings. Meetings will continue to happen every Thursday. MRCS has also been organising a coordination meeting for all its departments to discuss the forming of a core group for flood Operation, informing flow information sharing from the PMER and EOC Teams to all Directors of respective departments. 3.2. External coordination (government, UN, clusters etc.) At the township and state level, MRCS are regularly working in coordination with the local authorities especially General Administration Department (GAD) and other agencies providing support to the affected population. At the same time, MRCS has been receiving updates from UNOCHA, WASH and Health clusters and RRD. MRCS and IFRC have been regularly sharing information and updates with RRD and UNOCHA including the data of distributions and people reached. UNOCHA confirmed they are considering the MRCS data while triangulating figures of affected and needs. The amount of distributed items and people reached helps in ensuring there is no duplication between various agencies. MRCS is also sharing the information from its assessment teams to UNOCHA and regularly receiving the assessment results from UNOCHA led assessments.