Date: Wed, 10 May 95 11:07:51 EDT
From: incident@vita.org (Disaster Information Administrator)
Subject: Cape Verde: Volcano DHA-06
CAPE VERDE
VOLCANIC ERUPTION - FOGO VOLCANO
SITUATION REPORT NO.6
8 MAY 1995
1. THE UNDP/DHA COORDINATOR IN PRAIA, REPORTED THAT THE FOGO
VOLCANO IS NOW SHOWING SIGNS OF DECREASING ITS ACTIVITY IN SPITE
OF SOME EXPLOSIONS AND MODERATE TO STRONG VOLCANIC TREMOR. THE
VOLUME OF LAVA IS RELATIVELY LOW, ERUPTING FROM A CRACK THAT
OPENED AT THE NORTHWESTERN BASE OF THE MAIN CONE LATE APRIL. SO
FAR THE AREA COVERED BY 1995 LAVA FLOWS IS ABOUT 5KM2.
2. THE NATIONAL AUTHORITIES (LOCAL AND THE GOVERNMENT) CONSIDER
THAT, FOR THE TIME BEING, THE EMERGENCY NEEDS HAVE BEEN MET.
NEVERTHELESS SOME PROBLEMS MAY ARISE SOON AS THE LOCAL
AUTHORITIES RUN OUT OF FINANCIAL RESSOURCES FOR LOCAL PURCHASE OF
FOOD. IN FACT AT AN ESTIMATE COST OF ECV 170 (USD 2,25) PER
CAPITA-PER DAY, AN AMOUNT OF ABOUT ECV 5.000.000 (USD 66,225) IS
NEEDED PER MONTH FOR A PERIOD OF APPROXIMATELY 3 MONTHS IN ORDER
TO FEED THE DISPLACED POPULATION. IN THIS CONTEXT THE GOVERNMENT
ISSUED A REQUEST FOR INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE, OF USD 200,000.
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS BELIEVE THAT NOW THE FOCUS SHOULD BE ON THE
RESETTLEMENT OF 1,300 DISPLACED PERSONS, WHO CANNOT RETURN TO
THEIR PLACES OF ORIGIN (NAMELY CHADAS CALDEIRAS). FOR THE LAST
30 DAYS THEY HAVE BEEN LIVING IN TENTS NEAR THE MAIN VILLAGES OF
SAO FILIPE AND MOSTEIROS. FOR THE MOMENT A WORKING GROUP HAS
BEEN CREATED WITH THE TASK OF ESTABLISHING A MORE PERMANENT
STRUCTURE FOR THE COORDINATION OF RELIEF AND REHABILITATION
ACTIVITIES.
3. FURTHERMORE CAPEVERDEAN AUTHORITIES ARE UNDERLINING THE
IMPORTANCE OF THE FOLLOW-UP OF THE FOGO ERUPTION, AS WELL AS THE
VITAL NEED OF ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL CIVIL PROTECTION FORCE,
WITHIN THE BROAD CONTEXT OF A PREPAREDNESS CAPABILITY TO FACE
FURTHER ERUPTIONS AND OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS.
4. IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT THE VIOLENCE OF THE ERUPTION
PRESENTS A SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTION IN SCALE, FOGO VOLCANIC ACTIVITY
CONTINUES TO POSE A THREAT TO THE POPULATION OF THE ISLAND.
HAVING THIS IN MIND THE CAPEVERDEAN GOVERNMENT IN COOPERATION
WITH SEVERAL COUNTRIES (US, UK, PORTUGAL AND FRANCE) IS
MONITORING THE VOLCANO'S ACTIVITY AND ITS EVOLUTION IN THE COMING
MONTHS.
5. DHA-DISASTER MITIGATION BRANCH IS FOCUSING ITS ATTENTION ON
THE FOLLOW-UP OF THE UNDAC TEAM MISSION TO CAPE VERDE, IN
PARTICULAR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A CIVIL PROTECTION PREPAREDNESS
AGAINST FUTURE VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS, AND OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS.
6. AS OF THE PRESENT DATE, THE FOLLOWING CONTRIBUTIONS WERE
REPORTED TO DHA-GENEVA:
UN USD
-- ---
DHA CASH GRANT 30,000
COUNTRIES
---------
BELGIUM TWO RELIEF FLIGHTS FROM THE
DHA-PISA WAREHOUSE, ITALY ++
GERMANY CASH GRANT OF DM 50,000
FOR THE LOCAL PURCHASE
OF 800 MATTRESSES 56,737
ITALY RELIEF GOODS FROM
THE DHA-PISA WAREHOUSE
24,500 KG 184,000
FUEL COST FOR RELIEF
FLIGHTS ++
LUXEMBOURG CASH GRANT OF LUF
6,000,000 TROUGH DHA-GENEVA 200,000
PORTUGAL DISASTER RELIEF ITEMS
15,000KGS ++
TEAM OF VOLCANOLOGISTS
(REINFORCED ON 22 APRIL) ++
UK CASH GRANT OF GBP 10,000
FOR A SEISMIC
MONITORING OPERATION 15,873
++ NO SPECIFIED VALUE IS REPORTED
THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT
SOCIETIES, TOGETHER WITH THE NATIONAL SOCIETY (RED CROSS OF CAPE
VERDE) FOLLOWED THE ERUPTION SINCE ITS VERY BEGINING. UNTIL
THIS MOMENT THEY HAVE RECEIVED CONTRIBUTIONS IN CASH FROM SEVERAL
COUNTRIES (CANADA, US, ICELAND, JAPAN, NETHERLANDS AND NORWAY),
TOTALIZING CHF 69,000.
7. A REPORT ON THE UNDAC TEAM MISSION TO CAPE VERDE HAS BEEN
PREPARED AND CIRCULATED.
8. THIS IS THE LAST SITUATION REPORT ON THIS EMERGENCY, UNLESS
UNFORSEEN DEVELOPMENTS OCCUR.
9. FOR COORDINATION PURPOSES, DONORS ARE REQUESTED TO INFORM
DHA-GENEVA, AS INDICATED BELOW, OF BILATERAL RELIEF
MISSIONS/PLEDGES/CONTRIBUTIONS AND THEIR CORRESPONDING VALUE BY
ITEM.
+ DEPARTMENT OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS - GENEVA +
TELEPHONE NO: +41-22-917-1234
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY ONLY: TELEPHONE +41-22-917-2010
DESK OFFICER: CARLOS PEREIRA, DIRECT TEL: +41-22-917-1383
PRESS TO CONTACT - DHA GENEVA SPOKESPERSON:
MS MOULIN-ACEVEDO, DIRECT TEL : +41 22 917 2856
TELEX: 414242 DHA CH
FAX: +41-22-917-0023
INTERNET EMAIL: DHAGVAATUN.ORG
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