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Press Release

UNICEF Emergency Programme in El Salvador
17 January 2001

The Context

Government Figures as of 16 Jan 2001

Source: National Committee for Emergencies, Ministry of Interior (COEN)

Victims and Damages

According to the National Committee for Emergencies (COEN), 45,842 Salvadorians have been forced to abandon their homes as a result of the earthquake in 9 out of 14 departments of the country. Out of this figure, 24,139 have been evacuated from their homes in the department of Usulutan; 12,357 in the department of La Libertad; 5,197 in the department of San Salvador; 3,169 in the department of Sonsonate; 669 in the department of Santa Anal; 278 in the department of La Paz; 22 in the department of Cuscatlan; 10 in the department of San Vicente; and 1 in the department of La Union. The department of La Libertad is the most affected in terms of deaths and injured. The number of people unaccounted for has not been disclosed by COEN. In any event, figures reported on the damages still remain tentative. Local media is accusing COEN of not providing aid to rural areas, but the flow of aid to rural areas is very difficult. The road systems have been severely damaged and after shocks continue to be felt and the danger of more mountain slides persists. Assessments by local authorities suggest the number of homeless may be well over 100,000.

Sports centres, parks, open squares, schools and municipal buildings are being transformed into temporary shelters. There are already over 90 shelters throughout the country, some hosting thousands of people such as the El Cafetalon sports centre, which hosts 7,000 in the department of La Libertad, not far from San Salvador. Children are seen everywhere, with estimates that they constitute 60% of the affected population. Basic needs in the shelters are being assessed.

Inter-agency coordination

The agencies of the UN System held the fourth inter-agency meeting on the National Emergency. Brief presentations were made on the work of each UN agency. UNICEF and OCHA are comparing lists of supplies to be procured. In addition, a working group and guidelines for the Joint Appeal by UN agencies were discussed. The Joint Appeal will emphasize actions on the short- and intermediate-time scales, presenting a balance of funds required and received.

International assistance to El Salvador

The international community responded immediately to the Government of El Salvador's appeal of assistance by providing support to rescue efforts as follows:
Spain: specialized firemen and dogs to rescue survivors
Panama: policemen
Mexico: rescue squads, doctors, engineers, logistical material and rescue dogs
Guatemala: doctors
Nicaragua: rescue squads, paramedics, 2 helicopters, engineers
USA: rescue squads, helicopters and aviation staff
Taiwan: rescue experts and supplies
France: doctors
Peru: hospital camp
Turkey: rescue squads
Germany: rescue squads

Aid contacts are being coordinated by COEN, whereas the National Commission for Solidarity is in charge of distributing aid. The Insituto Salvadoreno de Desarrollo Municipal (ISDEM - the Salvadorian Institute of Municipal Development) is taking on the role of identifying the affected municipalities and their needs. Distribution of aid will be audited by two international firms: Peat Marwick for the distribution of supplies and Price Waterhouse for the allocation of funds.

Spain: The Secretary General of AECI - Spanish Cooperation, Mr. Jesus Garcia, declared in San Salvador that the Government of Spain is anxious to ensure transparency in the management of funds. The Government of Spain has approved a donation of US $2 million to El Salvador to assist the earthquake victims. The funds will most likely be channeled through the numerous Spanish NGOs already present in the country.

Italy: The Government of Italy has approved a donation of Italian lire 7 billion, of which 1 billion lire will be allocated to PAHO and 1.5 billion lire to UNDP. It is likely that funds will also be channeled through Italian NGOs.

Belgium: The Government of Belgium approved a donation of US $11 million; allocations have not been reported.

Canada: One million Canadian dollars have been donated by the Canadian Embassy. In addition, 2 planes with relief supplies have arrived from Canada.

UNICEF interventions
Assessment of situation of women and children

The country has high population densities, and severe man-made environmental risks. The earthquake has devastating effects on the vulnerable population but the direct damage caused by the earthquake has not been calculated as yet.

A short field trip by one of the three UNICEF/government teams that went out to make an assessment in rural areas on the 17th of January revealed that hillsides above small rural settlements (in this case La Esperanza in Cuscatlan municipality with 51 households comprising 300 people, half of whom are children) are full of earthquake-caused cleavages and are therefore at severe risk of being submerged in rubble caused by a landslide like the one that occurred at Santa Tecla, Las Colinas. If this situation is representative of the vulnerability of other rural settlements since the January 13 earthquake, the level of vulnerability of the poor and at-risk rural population is likely to be severe, especially when the rainy season begins in April.

One of the most frequent problems after a disaster of a magnitude such as the one that occurred in El Salvador is the lack of information on the number of victims and the cost and damage of infrastructure. At 100 hours after the earthquake, the number of fatal victims is increasing and the affected number of people is still unknown. The 75 established refugee centres in 32 out of 262 municipalities have started to produce needs-assessment studies to clearly establish the assistance needed. UNICEF has designed a status sheet to collect information related to the situation of children and women in the shelters, including sanitation conditions, the provision of water and the main health problems that need to be addressed.

In order to collect this data, UNICEF is working in different affected areas, in co-ordination with members of the Defensorías de los Derechos de la Niñez y la Adolescencia (Defenders of the Rights of Children and Youth) of the Ombudsoffice of Human Rights, a project supported by UNICEF. In the same effort, we are supported by the Municipalities and personnel of the National Civil Police in the Prevention of Family Violence (VIF). This assessment is intended to obtain information needed for emergency assistance and in planning the tasks of rehabilitation and reconstruction.

Health

Eight major hospitals (out of the 30 nationwide) have been severely damaged. Outbreaks of diarrhea and conjunctivitis have been identified at the Cafetalón shelter in Santa Tecla, which hosts 7,000 people. The surveillance and control of epidemic diseases needs strengthening.

UNICEF in coordination with governmental and non-governmental organizations has responded to the emergency quickly and effectively. UNICEF has evaluated the damages and is arranging for basic medical supplies and personal hygiene items for distribution at the shelters. Additionally, UNICEF is at present promoting an intensive post-traumatic stress program for children. This work is being developed in coordination with the Minister of Health and WHO/PAHO.

UNICEF has also advocated for the establishment of appropriate health and nutrition measures and correct infant feeding practices in shelters. Action so far has included the provision of information on the benefits of breastfeeding and the training of students, volunteers and mothers on correct infant feeding practices.

Water and sanitation

The earthquake did not cause significant damage to the capital city's water supply, but the situation in outlying municipalities and rural areas shows many water supplies have been interrupted. An estimated 50,000 people have been left homeless and at least 20,000 are in some 75 makeshift shelters and camps, none of which have adequate water supplies and sanitation. There are already cases of diarrhea and conjunctivitis reported in the largest of the camps, Cafetalón (7,000 people) in Santa Tecla.

UNICEF has procured $180,000 in for water and environmental sanitation supplies, delivery of which began Wednesday. With UNICEF coordination, three counterparts - the National Water Administration (ANDA), the Ministry of Health and the Municipal Corporation of El Salvador (COMURES) - began joint water and sanitation action for the shelters. The Ministry of Health has committed at least one Health Inspector to each shelter. They will control water supplies and quality, latrines and environmental health. ANDA is committed to transporting all water and sanitation supplies to the field, and to trucking water daily to each site that cannot connect to an existing supply. COMURES is consolidating the demands of the country's 262 municipalities.

UNICEF El Salvador has rented 50 portable latrines until permanent ones can be installed. It has also purchased 150 portable plastic water tanks of 2,500 liters each and 5,000 gallon water jugs for families. Procurement is underway of 500,000 purification tablets; 8 motor pumps; 50,000 reagent packets for field water testing; materials for building dozens of permanent latrines and washstands; toilet paper; 120,000 garbage bags; garbage cans and soap. Again through UNICEF's good offices, the governments of Honduras and Guatemala are also contributing 315 10-litre filters; 3000 jerry cans; 12 inflatable tanks (1,000 to 20,000 liters); and 5,000kg of chlorine (the amount the Health Ministry has requested for the camps).

UNICEF has offered to send two field teams and vehicles to support the government's damage and need assessments now underway. This week, UNICEF is organizing with ANDA and Health Ministry the mobilization of health promoters from both agencies for supporting the hygiene interventions. UNICEF will provide educational materials developed in country and in Honduras, Guatemala and Colombia. The Colombia office is now printing 20,000 posters on preventing diarrhoea, IRAs, skin diseases and conjunctivitis. As a member of the Salvadoran Water and Sanitation Network, UNICEF is helping to organize the next Network meeting where all the member agencies, NGOs and international donors will consolidate their damage and needs assessments to undertake a coordinated effort to rehabilitate rural village water supplies and latrines.

Education

The Ministry of Education is focusing on three specific areas: psychological assistance, entertainment, and spiritual assistance. As part of this plan, teachers were moved to areas where shelters are installed to help particularly affected children and adolescents. The area of psychological assistance will be coordinated with the Health Commission of the Ministry of Health.

The Ministry of Education will train teachers in identifying and helping to address trauma in children and their families. To help plan and carry out this activity, the Ministry has accepted an offer of support from UNICEF Nicaragua, which has a project called "Return to Happiness," covering strategies and intervention methodologies for children in emergency situations. In the framework of this project, the arrival of 15 teachers from Nicaragua is expected.

The following tasks have already been undertaken:

· Identification and recruitment of teachers who will work in the development of the Mental Health Emergency Plan

· On-site inspection and preparation of Needs Assessment in shelters

By the end of this week, training of teachers in methodologies of Mental Health Assistance to affected children will be undertaken, along with procurement and reproduction of educational materials.

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For further information please contact:

Alfred Ironside, UNICEF Media, New York (212) 326-7261
aironside@unicef.org