From Rains Bns Sudan

Revision as of 11:16, 30 August 2007

Rainy Season 2007 – Blue Nile State, Sudan

The worst affected area are the towns Bout, Wadabok, El Silak and Bouk in Tadamon locality. An assessment by UNMIS helicopter was conducted on 13 July. 645 families are affected there according to the latest figures. Moreover, over 400 families are affected in Damazine locality and 85 in Geissan locality.

Damazine locality

The heavy rain fallen in Damazine on 20 July has caused lots of damage in the residential areas located to the north and north west of Damazine town, also due to the poor drainage system. No losses of life or family properties have been recorded (with the exception of the damage of the houses). The government has moved the families affected by the rain to the high land near by their previous homes and supported them with 129 tents and 50 pieces of plastic sheeting. A very poor drainage system in the four areas visited have been witnessed, which is concerning given that more rains are expected and other floods disasters might happen. Breakdown of the 438 affected households by village:

Hai Alsafa: 25 HH

Hai Alslam: 99 HH

Hai Alhijra (West): 70 HH

Hai Alhijra (East): 70 HH

Sika Hadid Roma: 79 HH

Alfardos: 25 HH

Arkawit: 20 HH

Althora: 50 HH

On 26 August the RCO was informed that more households in Hai Zohur are affected and in need of food and NFI. The RCO requested HAC/SRRC to follow up.

Relief efforts:

On 28 July and on 6 August inter-agency assessments to the affected areas was conducted. It has been recommended to support the affected families asap with food, NFIs as well as two hand pumps.

816 UNJLC blankets were distributed by SRC to the affected people (two per household).

Geissan locality

On 2 July two villages (Durob and Essiel) were destroyed by rains and winds.

Figures according to Sudanese Red Crescent:

Durob:

75 houses destroyed

55 families affected

Essiel:

47 houses destroyed

30 families affected

2 classrooms destroyed

200 students without classrooms.

The villages are at the north western edge around 35 to 40 km direct line south of Damazine. DUROB is spelled by UNMAO as DURUB with coordinates 11 27 28 North, 034 23 48 East. ESSIEL is spelled by UNMAO as ISEL with coordinates 11 25 35 North, 034 24 54 East.

Relief efforts:

On 9 July a convoy with 3 UNMIS trucks delivered the following items to the town of Regaiba since the affected areas are no-go for the UN and the Blue Nile State Government stated that Regaiba is a convenient place from where they would ensure immediate onward transportation to the affected people. However, the items remained in Regaiba for a long time although the Government never informed that they face any difficulties in the onward transportation. On 19 August it has been verified by the RCO that the items are not anymore in Regaiba:

Sorghum: 75 bags, 90 Kg each (donated by Zakah Chamber)

Plastic sheeting: 85 pieces

Mosquito nets: 170 pieces

Blankets: 170 pieces

Sleeping mats: 170 pieces

Soap: 225 pieces.

Another small vehicle loaded with 20 blankets and 20 mosquito nets donated from Civil Defence Forces was also received. The Executive Director from Geissan Locality mentioned that the Ministry Of Agriculture in Damazine donated 75 bags of sorghum flowers, 5 bags of onions, 10 jerry cans of cooking oil and 5 bags of okra, but their donated items have not been received.

Kurmuk locality

Yabus

Damage to Yabus Primary School: two classrooms collapsed, cement wall cracked and zinc roofing sheets removed by heavy wind and rain. Community-led repairs underway, no material assistance requested. July 27 reports of several homes collapsed from wind and rain, and one structure struck by lightening.

Roseires locality

The village Eltarfa has been affected by the rains. No humanitarian assistance requested.

Tadamon locality

This is the worst affected area in Blue Nile State. An assessment by UNMIS helicopter was conducted on 13 July. Four towns (Bout, Wadabok, El Silak and Bouk) are affected by heavy rains and a broken dam (Bout). For the findings see below, however, in the meantime the Government provided much lower figures of affected families (30 July):

Bout: 315 Wadabok: 180 El Silak: 110 Bouk: 40

On 27 August, an UNMIS routine patrol went by helicopter to Bout. They were informed that the local administration will start repairing the dam on 15 September as well as that the affected people received 100 tents and 200 plastic covers for the affected people from the Government. The medical staff in the local hospital reported that diarrhoea and other water borne diseases broke out because of poor quality drinking water. The doctor of the hospital informed that they had received enough medicines and medical equipment from the UN.

Findings Bout, 13 July (P-code: ?)

• Coordinates:

Helicopter landing site: 11 24 57 N, 033 23 32 E

Broken dam: 11 25 48 N, 033 24 12 E

• Access:

The road coming from Gulli entering Bout from the North is not drivable for any vehicle. The overflowing dam flooded several square kilometers over that road. There is no natural drainage and it will take weeks if not months to dry. The road to the east towards Wadabok is flooded as well but to a lesser extent. Still this is not a drivable road.

(The town named Renk in Upper Nile State was reached by road on 14 July. Distance is 80 km and reported to be drivable with a good tractor and trailer at the moment and after a few more dry days possibly by truck.)

• Damage:

The damage in the area has been caused by rain as well as a broken dam of a hafir. The area north and west of the dam was heavily used by nomads and a large amount of straw huts were seen in May. The flood wave was one meter high and washed away all belongings and houses of 147 families near the dam. The rest of the 1000 reported houses destroyed are scattered all around town, which could be verified. The infrastructure of the town is strongly affected by the washout in the roads and cracks in the dam on the southern side. A committee of 16 persons including the community leader’s representatives from army and police have been formulated and their task is register the affected families and to accommodate those who lost their homes. Numerous work teams are hardening and repairing the dam to prevent further flooding usually high rainfall in August.

Statement of Deputy Wali:

There is no way to deliver anything by road for the next 2 to 3 months. Everything has to be airlifted. The support and resources of the central and state government are not sufficient and will require support from the UN which will be addressed later. If airlift is not sufficient then distribution via airdrop is the only means. 200 tents are urgently needed to accommodate the people.

Statement of Omda and chairperson of the committee:

• Number of casualties: 0

• Total number of affected families: 1500 (According to the Commissioner of Tadamon out of those 207 families are in urgent need of shelter)

• Number of families whose houses are totally damaged and need shelter: 115

• Number of shops in the market damaged: 54

• Number of stores affected: 45

• Number of cattle killed: 940

Education:

• There are 8 schools in Bout, 6 basic schools and 2 secondary schools.

• 4 basic schools partially damaged (roof dismantled and falling of walls).

• 4 teachers dormitories collapsed, which are in the 4 affected basic schools.

• The girls’ basic school is the most affected, it consists of 8 classes of which 3 have collapsed.

Food:

The Committee has collected 3400 Sudanese Pound plus 13 bags of sorghum from the merchants in the market to relief those without homes.

Health:

The hospital is covering 30,000 people, 10 minutes walking distance from dam, accessible by a muddy and flooded road and during the rainy season disconnected from the centre. The infrastructure is old with poor maintenance, including a reception, a small OPD, a pharmacy, an operation theatre, a minor surgery room, a laboratory, an EPI room, and a labor room, an inpatient ward with 6 beds, a stock room and latrine.

The hospital is running by 21 personnel including one medical doctor, one hospital manager, one medical assistant, three nurses, two anesthetists, one lab technician, one lab assistant, four trained traditional birth attendants and support staff.

The hospital has an average of 20 outpatient consultations daily and common diagnosis are Pneumonia, Malaria, Enteric fever, Dysentery and Giardiasis.

The hospital receives an emergency medical supply including IV fluids, Antibiotics (injections of Metronidazole, Gentamicin, Penicilline) but according to the estimation of medical officer it can not cover the medical needs of the population for whole period of rainy season. Enough medicine is available to cover 100 cases of Malaria but no medicine for Cholera cases. Hopefully there was no cholera cases reported recently.

The laboratory is equipped with a fridge, one microscope, and one centrifuge, prepared for routine test and Malaria diagnosis but not for Cholera.

The hospital has poor hygiene; the cattle are roaming in the yard, surrounded by small pools of stagnant water remaining from flood.

The water source is the dam with daily carrying water in gallons from tank close to dam with no chlorination and purifying system for drinking water and washing purposes.

The power supply of hospital is a generator which due to shortage of fuel working only from 6pm to midnight daily.

The hospital is poorly equipped, though operation theatre is not functional and equipment is rotten. It has no x ray machine, and lacking the fracture treatment equipment. No major surgery can be done for the referees.

Shelter:

The Commissioner of Tadamon locality mentioned that some of the affected families have joined their relatives in town. However, there is an urgent need for 200 tents for those without shelters. A few tents are available, but distribution has not commenced to prevent people from fighting about tents.

Water and sanitation:

• The main source of water are 4 twin hafirs of capacity of 3.5 million cubic meters. The hafir is partially filled, a little below half of its capacity. The main body of the hafir has not been affected. The damage happened at new part of the embankment that has been constructed as new phase for the rehabilitation of the hafir. The construction work which is still going on and is being done by a contracted company supervised by the state water corporation. Company staff and equipment are currently in ground at Bout. Fixing the damaged part and reinforcing the embankment is critical to storage of the required quantity of water.

• There is no water treatment (filtration and chlorination) to the hafir water.

• There are 3 hand pumps in Bout, all of which are non functional, two of them are of very low yield. The good yield one needs urgent repair.

• Latrine coverage in Bout is very low. Open defecation is practiced in many parts.

• Analysis:

Bout is big enough to accommodate the people of the destroyed areas. It is not comfortable, but not a disaster that requires a lot of emergency help. More of concern is that Bout is cut off from supply for a longer period of time due to very bad road conditions. The only options to transport items are airlift, airdrop as well as agricultural tractors and trailers. The community in Bout informed that the latter ones could take up to 48 hours from Damazine to Bout.

Findings Wadabok, 13 July (P-code: NC36030074)

• Coordinates:

Village center with damage: 11 21 58 N, 033 38 32 E

• Access:

The road coming from Buk entering Wadabok from the North is blocked by deep standing water in a riverbed 10 km north of Wadabock (11 32 N, 033 40E). The area up to Buk is flooded for several square kilometers over that road. There is no natural drainage and it will take weeks if not months to dry. The road to the west towards Bout is flooded as well but to a lesser extent. Still this is not a drivable road.

• Damage:

Only the remains of a few destroyed huts could be seen. Approximately 10 - 15 huts were affected. The infrastructure of the town is hardly affected by the washout in the roads.

Statement of Commissioner of Tadamon:

• Number of casualties: 0

• Number of destroyed tukuls: 500

• Number of destroyed shops: 55

Statement of Kamal Mohammed, a member of the committee:

• Number of houses completely destroyed: 575

• Number of destroyed shops: 55

• Number of cattle killed: 663

• Latrines destroyed

• A tractor from Damazine can reach Wadabok in seven days.

Education:

• There are 3 basic schools. The boys’ basic schools consist of 8 classes. 4 classes and the teachers office are affected, mainly the roof besides the total collapse of 2 two tukuls and partial collapse of the teacher’s house. The school latrine is in good condition.

• The girls schools has not been affected it is under construction and funded by UNICEF and will be completed within one week.

• The nomad’s school consists of 5 classes, 3 of which are tukuls and have collapsed.

Health:

• The hospital was opened in March 2007. It is located in the outskirt of village, 15 minutes walking distance in a heavily muddy pad with no clear pathway. The infrastructure is new including a reception, an OPD, an inpatient bed with 8 beds, a pharmacy, an operation theatre, a minor surgery room, a laboratory, an EPI room, a labor room, a stock room and latrine. The laboratory is equipped with microscope, prepared for Malaria diagnosis but not ready for Cholera.

• It has one medical doctor who is currently not in Wadabok, one hospital manager, one medical assistant and two nurses, one trained traditional birth attendant, in addition to 14 other staff.

• No injuries due to floods reported to the hospital. During the visit only two inpatients were in the hospital.

• There is an increase in diarrhea cases from an average 8 cases per week before the flood to up to 15 cases per week after the flood. Reported Malaria cases are above normal rates.

• There is enough medicine in the hospital. Additional supply has been requested a week ago. Mosquito nets and insecticides are needed.

• The major problem in the hospital is that almost the whole roof is percolating rain water, which causes a lot of inconveniences. The hospital is hygienic and clean. The electric supply is a generator which due to lack of fuel is not working.

• Analysis:

This minor damage can be maintained by the local population. As Wadabok has no storage facility and relies on the supply from Bout, the main concern is the inaccessibility. If food, diesel, and medicine run out before the road has dried up, airlift remains the only option.

Findings El Silak, 13 July (P-code: ?)

This town has not been assessed during this mission.

Statement of Commissioner of Tadamon:

• Number of casualties: 0

• Number of destroyed tukuls: 265

• Number of destroyed shops: 35

Needs and pledges

Supplies needed

Damazine:

• Improve the drainage system in the four areas, by constructing new drainage canals and reopen the old ones (Damazine Locality).

• Drill two hand pumps, one in Hai Alsika Hadid and another one in Hai Alslam (WES/UNICEF).

Tadamon:

• 645 NFI kits (330 from UNJLC for Wadabok, El Silak and Gulli, 315 from BNS Government for Bout)

In general:

• UNJLC to build an emergency stock of NFIs in the UNHCR warehouse in Damazine for 500 families since more rain and river floods are expected in the coming months.

Supplies available

Food:

The Zakah Chamber has relief items in stock in Bout and Wadabok. On 16 July, the Zakah Chamber has agreed to release 620 bags of sorghum to the families affected by the floods in Tadamon locality, from the stock they have in that locality. Allocation of sorghum will be as followed: Bout 300 bags, Wadabok 250 bags, Ahmer Silak 70 bags. No report on when distribution to the families will take place or how many families will be covered by the distribution nor on how long that food will last.

NFI:

Damazine in stock:

Blankets: 320

Plastic Sheeting: 140

Plastic Sleeping Mats: 329

Soap (pieces/100g): 2,250

Mosquito Nets: 268

Jerry can 10 lt – 20 lt: 283

Cooking Sets: 0

Buckets: 0

Khartoum in stock:

Tents: 500 family size

Blankets: 61,328

Plastic Sheeting: 10,815

Plastic Sleeping Mats: 79,709

Soap (pieces/100g): 193,140

Mosquito Nets: 2,080

Jerry can 10 lt – 20 lt: 31,986

Cooking Sets: 4,142

Buckets: 3,030

In addition 216 NFI Kits, packed in IOM bags. Kits include 1 plastic, 2 blankets, 2 sleeping mats, 15 bars of soap, 2 jerry cans, and 2 mosquito nets.

• UNICEF has 100 plastic sheets as well as mosquito nets available.

• GOAL has mosquito nets available (for Kurmuk).

• The Sudanese Civil Defense also have plastic sheetings (1500), tents (150) and blankets on stock, but not very much.

Health:

WHO is deploying 10 subkits of new emergency health kits to cover 10000 population for three months by 12th July to the SMOH of BNS. WHO also intends to set up a radio in Bout. In this regard, transport is needed for six pipes.

Water level July

Note: The critical level of water is 12.30m. The data are taken every morning at 6am.

Useful links

ReliefWeb Sudan floods