PHÒNG CHỐNG BÃO ! – Prevent storm damage – Prévention des catastrophes naturelles

One person was injured and around 400 houses destroyed as strong winds swept through northern Vietnam Monday and Tuesday following heavy downpours. A storm slammed into Lao Cai province’s Van Ban, Bao Yen, and Bao Thang districts Tuesday, injuring a person, destroying 19 houses, and blowing the roofs off 360 others.Six classrooms were devastated and 20 hectares of crops badly damaged.Total damages are estimated at VND500 million (US$31,250).In Tram Tau district of Yen Bai province, 13 houses and classrooms were destroyed Monday night by heavy rains and cyclones.Local authorities are providing money from a disaster fund, helping people rebuild damaged houses.

A violent cyclone carrying with it sand and rocks Saturday raged through a central Vietnamese province, annihilating at least 500 houses, injuring 20 people and leaving over one thousand homeless.From 4pm to 5pm, the whirlwind – clocking speeds of 150-180km per hour – blew down on three villages in Quang Nam province’s Dai Hong commune.Over 50 percent of houses in hardest-hit Duc Tinh village collapsed or had their roofs blown off.Trees and fields were left in a mess, transformed into a massive garbage dump by the unexpected weather. All electricity and telephone lines have been cut.Le Nam, a local, said the weather had been favorable, even beautiful. But around 4pm, dark clouds began to form, followed by fierce thunder and lightning, and the strong winds. His two-month-old girl was hit on the head by a large stone in the high winds. Ha Thi Bien was hiding under a table in her house when the structure was lifted into the air. She was struck in the head by an unidentified flying object and though she bled, she managed to crawl to the safety of a nearby bush.Many said the sudden storm was far fiercer than Typhoon Xangsane, which hit the region September last year. Xangsane was one of the destructive storms in Vietnamese history, causing nearly VND10 trillion (US$629 million) in damages and claiming over 70 lives nationwide. Nearby, Nguyen Thi Bon nearing 70 years old who lost her house to Xangsane and has since taken shelter at her daugher’s house, now witnessed that very last haven destroyed. Her daughter was hit by a collapsing pillar.Bui Quoc Cuong, vice chairman of the commune government said over 1,000 poor farmers here would have to sleep roofless for some time to come.Source: Thanh Nien – Translated by A.N.O.NPublished: 15 April, 2007, 12:52:47 (GMT+7)

Location of Dipecho funded projects 2006 – 2008

09:57 08/04/2007 (GMT+7)Thời tiết diễn biến bất thường đã gây ra mưa to, giông sét và lốc lớn trên địa bàn huyện A Lưới. Theo tin từ UBND xã Hồng Thủy sáng 6/4, cơn lốc lớn xảy ra từ hôm trước đã làm cho 4 ngôi nhà dân sập hoàn toàn, 43 ngôi nhà khác bị tốc mái. Lốc lớn còn làm hư hại nhiều diện tích hoa màu, lúa đông xuân đang trong thời kỳ trổ đòng, ước giá trị thiệt hại ban đầu về sản xuất khoảng 50 triệu đồng. Hiện xã Hồng Thủy đang vận động người dân, lực lượng đoàn viên, thanh niên trên địa bàn tích cực giúp đỡ các gia đình gặp nạn dựng lại nhà cửa bị sụp đổ, khôi phục sản xuất và sớm ổn định cuộc sống.

DW is implementing 2 projects : Reconstruction after Xangsane cyclone in Thua Thien Hue (end : May 2007) , Disaster prevention at family – cmmune level in Thua Thien Hue (end : February 2008).

Look at the activities report :

 dwf-activities-echo-30_mar_07.pdf

dwf-activities-dipecho-30_march_2007.pdf

 

Source : http://www.reliefweb.int/

South Pacific Tsunami – April 2007
OCHA Situation Report No. 3

This situation report is based on information received from the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) and National Disaster Council (NDC) in the Solomon Islands, the UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Fiji, OCHA Offices in Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Bangkok, UN agencies, NGOs, donors and media sources.

I. SITUATION

1. An earthquake measuring 8.1 struck 345km northwest of the Solomon Islands’ capital Honiara at 0740 local time on 2 April. (2040 GMT 1 April). The earthquake created a tsunami causing significant damage in the Solomon Islands.

2. The NDC reports that the affected area includes Gizo, Simbo, Ranogga, Shortlands, Munda, Noro, Vella la Vella, Kolombangarra and parts of the southern coast of Choiseul. Aerial surveillance on 2 April showed that the worst-affected areas appear to be the southern coast of Gizo, Simbo island and the central southern coast of Choiseul between Moli and Posarae and Sasamunga. The Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) estimates that up to 50,000 people may be affected out of a total population of 100,000 in Western and Choiseul provinces.

3. The NDC puts the current death toll at 34, with several dozen missing. 5,500 people are thought to have been displaced in total. NDC estimates that 1,500 people are displaced on Gizo Island, most of whom are now living in make-shift settlements in the hills above Gizo town. Three more IDP camps are known to have been established in Western Province at Mumamgu, Titana and Numanda.

4. NDC estimates that between 900 and 2,500 houses have been destroyed. The tsunami caused widespread damage to homes constructed from traditional materials, while the earthquake itself caused more damage to sturdily-constructed buildings as well.

5. The hospital in Gizo is reportedly damaged beyond use. A temporary hospital has been established and the worst-injured have been evacuated to Honiara. There are reports that health facilities in Taro, Sasamungga, Vella la Vella (Maravari) and Shortlands (Toumoa) are also badly damaged and 50 percent of all health centres in the affected areas are suffering radio outages. UNICEF reports that 30 primary schools have been damaged.

6. Limited damage was caused by the tsunami in areas of Papua New Guinea including Kangu Wharf, Buin and Torokina (Bougainville), Lae and Rossel Island (Milne Bay Province). Local media reports that seven homes on Rossel Island were swept away.

II. NATIONAL RESPONSE– SOLOMON ISLANDS

7. The Government’s response is coordinated by the NDMO and NDC, chaired by the Department of Home Affairs. NDC is establishing ‘Action Desks’ in the areas of food, health, shelter, and infrastructure, led by the respective Ministries.

8. The Central Coordinating Group (CCG), headed by the Chief Police Officer, is tasked by the NDC to consider operational issues. The CCG has established a sub-office in Munda, the largest town in Western Province.

9. Western and Choiseul provinces have been declared ‘national disaster areas’, which gives the Government enhanced access to private and public transportation assets and additional budgetary flexibility.

10. The NDC carried out an assessment mission in Western Province on 2 April. The assessment team included representatives of the NDMO, Government ministries, the police department, the Red Cross, NZ Aid and UNDP. Findings from the assessment were issued on 4 April and key facts are included in this report. Detailed assessments are now expected to take place in other affected areas.

11. The Government of the Solomon Islands (GoSI) and the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) have deployed 3 search and rescue teams.

12. MHMS will set up 8 emergency field hospitals, including 4 in hospitals and 4 in rural clinics. Each unit will cover the medical needs of 10,000 people for 3 months. UNICEF will support 4 units and WHO and others partners will support the remaining 4. Confirmed locations for the hospitals include Taro, Gizo and Sasamunda.

13. The NDC will deploy a medical team consisting of 6 doctors and 13 nurses to Munda, Gizo and Taro Island on 4 April.

III. INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE

14. On 3rd April, the GoSI asked OCHA to operationalise its integrated response mechanisms. A UN Disaster and Assessment Coordination (UNDAC) team has been deployed to the Solomon Islands and is scheduled to arrive on 5 April.

15. The UNDAC team consists of members from AusAID (Australia), Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board (Melbourne, Australia), Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management (New Zealand), OCHA and UNDSS. The OCHA Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific has deployed a Humanitarian Affairs Officer from their Papua New Guinea office to join the UNDAC mission. UNOSAT will provide support with satellite imagery of the affected area.

16. UN agencies and the Red Cross in Fiji convened the Disaster Management Team (DMT) meeting on 4 April, joined in teleconference by staff in Honiara (UNDP, UNICEF, WHO). The DMT took stock of early reports and relief efforts, emphasized support to the UNDAC mission and agreed to coordinate activities. An expanded DMT meeting will take place on 5 April. A number of UN agencies (including UNDP, UNICEF, UNDSS and WHO) have already deployed staff from Fiji to the Solomon Islands.

17. UNICEF has pre-positioned emergency medical supplies in the Solomon Islands for 10,000 people and will deploy an additional 8 kits from elsewhere in the region in conjunction with WHO.

18. WHO is planning to supply Emergency Health Kits in coordination with partners. The WHO Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO) Malaria and Vector Borne Diseases unit is coordinating with the WHO country Office for measures to prevent malaria outbreaks. ICT combo tests will be shipped to Honiara by Thursday.

19. RAMSI is providing 4 planes and 1 helicopter for relief operations. RAMSI resources are being used to evacuate the worst-injured to Honiara, to transport relief assistance to affected areas and facilitate damage assessment. 100 Australian Army reservists have been deployed to support RAMSI in affected areas.

20. AusAID is deploying a health assessment team to assess health sector reconstruction needs in conjunction with Government assessment teams, UNICEF and WHO.

21. World Vision will send a team on 4 April to assist with disaster assessment. The team is planning to visit remote rural areas of Western and Choiseul Provinces.

Contributions

22. The IFRC launched an appeal for US$ 819,673 on 3 April to assist 5,000 beneficiaries over a four-month period. In conjunction with the Solomon Islands Red Cross (SIRC) the Federation will provide food, basic non-food supplies, emergency shelter items, health and hygiene promotion, a clean well-water facility and psychosocial support. A five-person IFRC assessment team is expected to arrive in the Solomon Islands on 4 April. (for more details: please consult : http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/YSAR-6ZWPKR/$File/Full_Report.pdf )

23. The Government of New Zealand despatched a Hercules transport plane to Munda on 4 April to deliver 2.5 tonnes of rice and other relief supplies. The New Zealand Red Cross provided 1,000 tarpaulins, 1,000 20-litre water tanks and 100 kitchen kits on 3 April.

24. The Australian Government has contributed A$2 million (approximately US$1.6 million). A$ 500,000 will be provided to Solomon Islands-based NGOs Caritas, the Australian Red Cross, World Vision and Oxfam. A Hercules transport plane will deliver 500 tarpaulins, 900 water containers, 30 nylon ropes, 500 blankets, 50,000 water purifying tablets and emergency medical field packs to Western Province on 5 April. A team of four medical staff including doctors and nurses will depart from Australia on 6 April.

25. The United States will contribute US$ 250,000 to support immediate relief needs in the Solomon Islands.

26. The interim Government of Fiji will provide a cash grant of F$ 25,000 (approximately US$ 15,000) to the GoSI.

IV. ASSISTANCE NEEDS

27. The NDC assessment reported food shortages in Gizo, which are expected to worsen. Food markets are reportedly closed, fishing disrupted and domestic farming damaged. Shops have stocks of food, but have remained closed since the disaster took place.

28. The SIRC reports food shortages and limited supplies of fresh water in affected areas. Some of the affected areas are extremely isolated and can only be reached by boat.

29. Initial NDC and Red Cross assessments indicate the following priority needs:

a. Food

b. Water & Sanitation (including tanks, containers, pumps)

c. Shelter (including tents, tarpaulins, bedding)

d. Medical supplies

e. Non-Food Items (including mosquito nets, cooking utensils)

The Red Cross reports that supplies are available from pre-positioned stocks or can be procured locally and/or regionally.

This situation report, together with further information on ongoing emergencies, is also available on the OCHA Internet Website http://www.reliefweb.int/.

If you want to develop your capacity or your interest for disaster management or just relax, play with this action game – created by UN – ISDR / United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction !

Game online at :

http://www.stopdisastersgame.org/playgame.html

(DWF intends to adapt – translate part of the game for the vietnamese context, in the next months)

In April 2007, DWF organises training sessions for builders and cadres in 5 communes of Phu Loc District (Reconstruction Programme after Xangsane Cyclone – ECHO funding).

Test your knowledge about cyclone prevention and fill in the questionnaire (english or vietnamese version); send it to DW office in Hué.

dwf-questionnaire-training-march-07-vnc.doc

dwf-questionnaire-training-march-07-enc.doc

Activity will be “normal”; see :  tsrnwpforecastmar2007.pdf