| This
information has been collected based on the reports from
Civil Defense officials and those of MT (Ministry of
Transportation and Infrastructure), from Emergency
Committees of Leon, Nueva Segovia and Madriz, reports
taken by telephone or radio by the Network for Local
Development, the Network of Women Against Violence, the
Communal Movement, the Moravian Church, FADCANIC, Kupia
Lahpia Foundation, UNAG, FACS, CISAS and others. To help in the response to this disaster, see PeaceWork Actions |
Managua, November 3, 1998
Since Friday, a number of organizations and unions from civil society have been coordinating efforts around the emergency caused by Hurricane Mitch. Up to now some 300 organizations and entities have joined this effort to make the best use of our work and to diminish the effects of the disaster.
This coordinating body has been composed of:
One of our tasks is collecting and disseminating information. This has not been easy because of the communication problems, because much of our personnel, associates and members have gotten involved in the tasks of immediate relief or are among the victims or those who were affected by the hurricane.
The following is a list of the preliminary data as of 2pm Nov 3:
1. We have received reports of 2,711 persons who have died (these are cadavers that have actually been handled, not projected deaths or estimated deaths). Of them 1,381 in Posoltega. Matagalpa reports 88 people dead, Madriz 47, La Paz Centro 17, and Nueva Segovia 7 (not including Dipilto). At the same time it was reported to us that 1,903 persons are unaccounted for or disappeared. This data does not include information from the Altantic Coast, which is especially affected along the Rio Coco, Rio Tortugero and Rio Grande of Matagalpa.
2. The official number of families who are victims is 61,295, which translated into more than 419,000 persons. Nearly 50% of them are under the age of 15. The province of Leon reports 100,573 victims (as of 21:00 hrs on 11/2/98), Chinandega 52,248, Matagalpa 127,177, Nueva Segovia 27,174, Madriz 2,117, and for the municipality of Esteli alone 7,689. From the Atlantic, initial data talks about 11,000 victims in the Rio Coco and 3,000 in La Cruz de Rio Grande.
3. Up to now 16,543 homes have been destroyed, a number that does not include the information from the Northern Atlantic nor from Wiwili, where only one in every five houses still is standing. Nueva Segovia reports 2,171 homes affected, 1,760 of them completely destroyed, Leon 4,581, Matagalpa 1,281 destroyed and 1,347 semi-destroyed.
4. In terms of the system of road, there are reports from Leon of 31 bridges partially or completely destroyed, from Chinandega 28. Nueva Segovia reports 36 bridges destroyed. Matagalpa has counted 40 bridges destroyed and 21 semi-destroyed. The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has given a national total of 39 bridges destroyed, 81 damaged and more than 2,500 kilometers of highway or roads destroyed.
5. In terms of production, UNAG has made a first estimate that there are 216,000 manzanas (=367,200 acres) of production lost for the second planting season (Aug-Nov), that is the equivalent to the production of 4,543,188 hundred pound sacks, principally of basic grains, sesame seed, peanuts and coffee (in coffee only the production from Nueva Segovia is included in this figure, it does not include information from Jinotega and Matagalpa).
6. Leon has counted 228 communities that are isolated. Nueva Segovia reports that 60% of their communities are in like conditions. In the Rio Coco toward the Atlantic we have been told that 18 communities are isolated.
7. Nuevo Segovia says that in the province there are 11 communities and 4 neighborhoods that have been washed away.
Based on this information, some projections have been made:
1. In health, the principal risks in the coming two weeks are derived from the contamination of the water sources, standing waters, overcrowding, depression and stress from the disaster, the epidemic situation previous to the hurricane with malaria and dengue, the destruction of the natural habitat of many animals, the accumulation of human and animal cadavers, the isolation of communities and the lack of food.
2. This will be expressed in mycosis, malaria, dengue, cholera, respiratory illnesses, diahrrea, conjunctivitis, parasitic infections, fungus, bacterial infections of the skin, leptospyrosis, scabies, lice, tetanus, and malnutrition.
3. According to the first projections, within the hurricane victims it is expected that there will be 103,177 cases of respiratory infections, 80,697 cases of diahrrea, 51,588 cases of malaria, 30,630 cases of conjunctivitis, among others.
4. In terms of production, the losses will go beyond 543 million cordobas and 52.53% of the areas planted for this harvest, and almost 35% of the total amount planted during the current agricultural cycle.
Food needs just for the population who are victims (calculated by Civil Defense) for 2 weeks are:
The medicines and urgent medical supplies needed for the children and adults are:
Other needs like:
To help in the response to this disaster, contact:
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