I. HIGHLIGHTS/KEY PRIORITIES
• Tropical cyclone Giovanna made landfall on the eastern coast of Madagascar on 14 February as a category four (4) tropical cyclone. It is expected to pass the capital Antananarivo as a category 1 tropical cyclone and exit the western coast of the country in the next 24 hours.
• Giovanna is affecting some of the most densely populated districts in Madagascar, such as Toamasina, Antananarivo, Ambatolampy and Moramanga. Heavy rainfall and winds of up to 180km/h have been reported in all these districts. However, important damages are expected in the districts of Brickaville and Vatomandry, on the Eastern cost of Madagascar.
• Damage has been caused to public infrastructure
• Two deaths have been reported, no information available as yet on number affected.
• Preparedness measures had been undertaken before Giovanna made landfall, and aerial and rapid assessments will be conducted as soon as conditions allow.
II. Situation Overview
On 14 February 2012, Giovanna, the first major weather system to impact Madagascar this cyclone season, made landfall on the eastern coast of the island as a category four (4) tropical cyclone. It is expected to pass the capital Antananarivo as a category 1 tropical cyclone and then exit the western coast of Madagascar around the district of Morombe into the Mozambique Channel in the next 24 hours as a tropical storm.
By instruction from the Prime Minister’s Office, all schools and administrative offices are closed on Tuesday, 14 February in all areas classified as in imminent danger, including Antananarivo and its surroundings. UN Staff have also been instructed to stay home and listen to the radio for all communication related to Giovanna.
Giovanna has already caused significant damage to public infrastructures. Basic supply services such as water, electricity and telecommunication have been discontinued in many areas. No information is as yet available on the total number affected. Several parts of the capital city of Antananarivo are without water, electricity and telephone.
Road traffic is discontinued in various locations in Antananarivo, including the main road to Mahajanga, the city center (area of Ankorondrano in front of the embassy of South Africa). Several houses collapsed in the capital city but no casualty reported in those homes. Two deaths reported, in Antananarivo and in Brickaville.
The districts of Brickaville and Vatomandry on the eastern coast of Madagascar are expected to be severely impacted, and communication with others districts in the same area have been cut off. According to preliminary assessments in three villages in the district of Vatomandry, 7 out of 10 houses have been destroyed.
Since 09 February 2012, six coordination meetings have been called by the National Bureau of Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC), supported by the Madagascar Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO) and OCHA. These meetings reviewed coordination mechanisms and preparedness levels. Scenarios have been elaborated and updated daily, and based on these scenarios and the national response capacity of key actors such as the Ministry of Public Works, the Civil Protection Unit and the Malagasy Army, five teams from BNGRC were deployed to at-risk districts to reinforce local coordination and response mechanism.
BNGRC has activated its newly established operations center, build in partnership with France, which is yet to be fully equipped. The operations centre will receive and analyze information on the impacts and response to Giovanna. Space has also been provided to humanitarian partners at the centre. Post-disaster assessment teams are being mobilized for an aerial survey of the affected areas, possibly as soon as Wednesday 15 February. The distribution of food and relief supplies will commence as soon as Giovanna has passed, depending of the nature and the intensity of damages and accessibility of the affected areas.
Through France, the European Satellite Agency may be asked to provide satellite imagery of the affected areas, in order to best plan the response.
III. Humanitarian Needs and Response
EMERGENCY SHELTER
Needs: Displacement has been reported in the district of Brickaville. In the district of Vatomandry, preliminary assessments of three different villages indicate that 7 out of 10 houses have been destroyed.
Response: BNGRC teams, together with the Malagasy Red Cross Society, are assessing the number and the needs of the displaced persons
Gaps & Constraints: It is at this stage still very difficult to conduct assessments, and teams will have to wait for the weather to clear.
EMERGENCY TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND LOGISTICS
Needs: The storm damaged some bridges and roads, especially between the district of Toamasina and the Capital Antananarivo. The Ministry of Public Works is assessing road damage.
Response: The Logistic Cluster has been activated. WFP is supporting BNGRC in data collection. Two (2) helicopters, one from CARE International and one from a mining project, as well as one plane stand ready to survey affected areas as soon as possible. Their mission will be to conduct aerial assessment and eventually deliver relief items to those displaced in areas with insufficient pre-positioned stocks.
Gaps & Constraints: Accessibility to some districts remains a challenge for the delivery of food and relief supplies.
FOOD SECURITY AND LIVELIHOODS
Needs: There is still a threat of additional flooding in the coming days and it is too early to estimate the impacts of Giovanna on agricultural production.
Response: A total of 8,154.3 tons of food and 24.5 tons of rice seeds have been pre-positioned throughout the country.
Gaps & Constraints: Further assessments are needed to determine the impact of Giovanna on food security and agricultural production.
HEALTH
Needs: Not known at present.
Response: Medical supplies have been prepositioned in 22 regions across the country.
WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE (WASH)
Needs: Not known at present.
Response: WASH kits and materials have been prepositioned in at-risk districts.
IV. Coordination
In preparation for the current cyclone season, the National Contingency Plan was updated in October 2011, after two simulations exercises were conducted. In line with this plan, BNGRC coordinates the response in collaboration with partners (national NGOs, ministries, private sector) and with support from the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT).
On Friday 10 February 2012, a first meeting between BNGRC, the Inter-Cluster Coordination Team, and the Malagasy Meteorological Services took place to anticipate any emergency measures and activate the National Contingency Plan. Regular meeting has been held on daily basis to monitor action taken and identify additional action.
An UNCT extraordinary meeting was convened by the Resident Coordinator early on Tuesday 14 February to review the UN preparedness and response capacity and identify a common UN strategy to support the national efforts. However, the meeting has been postponed until further notice because of the weather conditions.
V. Funding
The UNCT is waiting for more information on damages and needs. If damages exceed national capacity, the UNCT will submit a request to the CERF rapid response window and prepare a Flash Appeal.
Please contact:
Fatma Samoura, UN Resident Coordinator
Fatma.samoura@undp.org, Phone : +261 34 480 0780
Narciso Rosa-Berlanga, Regional Humanitarian Affairs Officer,
rosa-berlanga@un.org, Phone: +261 33 743 2514
Rija Rakotoson, Humanitarian Affairs Officer,
rakotoson@un.org, Phone: +261 33 150 7693
For more information, please visit www.reliefweb.int.
Annex 1.
No comments:
Post a Comment