UNDRO 91/1334
COSTA RICA - FLOOD EMERGENCY
UNDRO SITUATION REPORT NO. 1
26 AUGUST 1991
1. THE UNDRO/UNDP RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE REPORTED ON 21 AUGUST THAT HEAVY RAINFALL WHICH STARTED ON 11 AUGUST AND LASTED SEVERAL DAYS CAUSED FLOODS AND CONSEQUENTLY SERIOUS DAMAGE TO AN AREA THAT HAD NOT YET RECOVERED FROM THE 22 APRIL EARTHQUAKE EFFECTS.
2. DESPITE THAT WEATHER CONDITIONS AND FLOODS HINDERED AND DELAYED EVACUATION AND RESCUE OPERATIONS BY AIR (HELICOPTERS) AND/OR LAND, RESPONSE MECHANISMS WERE IMMEDIATELY ACTIVATED. NATIONAL COMMISSION OF EMERGENCY CO-ORDINATED ACTION OF COSTA RICA RED CROSS, FIREMEN AND CIVIL AND RURAL GUARD.
3. PEOPLE EVACUATED SO FAR AMOUNT TO 1,770 AND TOTAL OF PERSONS SHELTERED AND RECEIVING HELP ARE 7,958.
4. GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN ABLE TO COVER RELIEF NEEDS BY AIR-AMPHIBIOUS MEANS WITH ASSISTANCE OF HELICOPTERS FROM NICARAGUA AIRFORCE AND US ARMY, BOATS HAVE BEEN PROVIDED BY NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS. ESTIMATE OF RELIEF NEEDS DISTRIBUTED SO FAR AMOUNT TO: 135,000 KG FOODSTUFF, 30,000 LTRS WATER, 6,000 LTRS MILK, 3,740 BLANKETS, 2,000 MATTRESSES, 37,850 LTRS FUEL JET A1, 7,305 LTRS GASOLINE, 6,094 LTRS DIESEL, 300 LTRS CHLORINE.
5. IN HEALTH SECTOR FLOODS HAVE NOT CAUSED GREAT NUMBER OF INJURED AND SO FAR ONLY 21 PERSONS, ESPECIALLY SICK, HAVE BEEN EVACUATED FROM MEDICAL CENTRES. HOWEVER, IMPOSSIBILITY TO REACH ISOLATED MEDICAL CENTRES IN AFFECTED REGION HAVE NOT ALLOWED TRANSPORT OF MANY PATIENTS.
6. HEALTH MINISTRY TOOK IMMEDIATE ACTION IN SANITARY SECTOR COVERING FOLLOWING FIELDS: PREVENTIVE ACTION AGAINST CHOLERA, REHABILITATION OF AFFECTED MEDICAL CENTRES, INVESTIGATION OF POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO STRUCTURES IN OTHER PUBLIC HEALTH CENTRES, SANITARY CONTROL OF WATER SYSTEMS, DISTRIBUTION OF WATER, MONITORING MEASURES FOR EPIDEMICS IN AFFECTED REGION AND EXISTING SHELTERS, MONITORING FOODSTUFF AND ITS DISTRIBUTION TO ISOLATED ZONES.
7. REPORTS INDICATE THAT FLOODS HAVE CAUSED SERIOUS DAMAGE TO 28 RURAL WATER-SUPPLY LINES IN TURRIALBA, MATINA AND BATAAN AREAS AS WELL AS IN SIXAOLA AND ESTRELLA VALLEYS. A GREAT NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN AFFECTED AREAS USE WELLS AND THESE HAVE BEEN BADLY DAMAGED.
8. FLOODS ADDED TO PREVIOUS EFFECTS OF EARTHQUAKE AND HAVE DEVASTATED HOUSING SECTOR, AN ESTIMATED OF 12,000 HOUSES HAVE BEEN BADLY DAMAGED BY BOTH PHENOMENA.
9. ALTHOUGH NORMAL CLIMATIC CONDITIONS ARE WARM IN REGION AND LIGHT CLOTHING CAN BE OBTAINED LOCALLY, IT HAS BEEN NECESSARY TO PROVIDE BLANKETS AND MATTRESSES TO VICTIMS.
10. REQUIREMENTS
WATER: 50 RESERVOIRS OF 3,000-5,000 LITRES, 5 SETS FOR WATER CHLORINATION, 500 RESERVOIRS OF 19 LITRES
ELECTRICITY: 15 ELECTRIC GENERATORS 3 TO 5 KW, 120/240V, 60 HZ 15 PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS (SOLAR PANELS) OF 35 WATTS, 18V WITH CORRESPONDING REGULATION
SHELTER: 100 ROLLS OF REINFORCED PLASTIC SHEETING, 5,000 BLANKETS, 5,000 MATTRESSES
HEALTH: 20,000 MEASLES VACCINATIONS, 2,000 LATRINES (LOCAL), 50,000 VENOCLISIS (SPECIFICATION WILL FOLLOW)
(NB: PAHO HAS BEEN ASKED TO CONFIRM HEALTH REQUIREMENTS).
RIVER SURVEY: 15 PLURIOMETERS, 15 PORTABLE RADIOS 5 W/136-174 MHZ, 10 RADIOS BASE VHF (136-174 MHZ), 6 PORTABLE PRINTERS 12V, 2 PRINTERS OF 132 CHARACTERS, 10 OMNI DIRECTIONAL ANTENNAS OF 6 DB/140 MHZ, 3 PORTABLE COMPUTERS (LAPTOP) TYPE 386, 2 BOATS
| 11. CONTRIBUTIONS | USD | |
| UN SYSTEM: | ||
| UNDRO | CASH FOR LOCAL PURCHASE OF RELIEF GOODS | 20,000 |
| GOVERNMENTS: | ||
| NORWAY | CASH | 11,000 |
| USA | CASH | 25,000 |
12. FOR CO-ORDINATION PURPOSES, PLEASE INFORM UNDRO IMMEDIATELY ON FURTHER PLEDGES/CONTRIBUTIONS (SPECIFYING VALUE BY ITEM).
ESSAAFI UNDRO GENEVA
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