Swine Flu updates

Twitter has been full of Swine Flu tweets—they're up to 100 per minute, a friend notes.

Here are a few links.

WHO updates:
24 April 2009
Influenza-like illness in the United States and Mexico
25 April 2009
Swine influenza - Statement by WHO Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan
26 April 2009
Swine flu illness in the United States and Mexico - update 2

WHO is not recommending any travel or trade restrictions.

For more information
Thomas Abraham
Communications in English
Mobile: +41 79 516 3136
E-mail: abrahamt@who.int
Fadela Chaib
Communications in English and French
Mobile: +41 79 475 5556
E-mail: chaibf@who.int
Sari Setiogi
Communications in English and Bahasa
Mobile: +41 79 701 9467
E-mail: setiogis@who.int
Gregory Hartl
Communications in English, French, German and Spanish
Mobile: +41 79 203 6715
E-mail: hartlg@who.int
Aphaluck Bhatiasevi
Communications in English, Thai and Hindi
Mobile: +41 79 484 2997
E-mail: bhatiaseviap@who.int

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says (go to that page for some useful links and advice, and also here):

Human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection have been identified in the United States. Human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection also have been identified internationally. The current U.S. case count is provided below.

U.S. Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection

State	# of laboratory confirmed cases
California	7 cases
Kansas	2 cases
New York City	8 cases
Ohio	1 case
Texas	2 cases
TOTAL COUNT	20 cases
International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection See: World Health Organization
As of April 26, 2009 9:00 AM ET

Investigations are ongoing to determine the source of the infection and whether additional people have been infected with swine influenza viruses.

Swine Flu FAQS on CBC.ca

A Google Map by Niman


View H1N1 Swine Flu in a larger map
Pink markers are suspect
Purple markers are confirmed
Deaths lack a dot in marker



Tags: Americas / USA / Mexico
Swine Flu, H1N1, Epidemic,

Italian Red Cross Sends Immediate Response to Area Affected by Quake in Italy

Italian Civil Protection is leading the overall response to the Earthquake in Italy, and the Italian Red Cross has activated its national operations center in Legnano, which is coordinating all regional branches for the emergency response. The Italian Red Cross has sent a mobile kitchen which can provide 10,000 meals per day as well as two soup kitchens to respond to the needs of the L'Aquila Hospital. In addition, 36 ambulances, 2 emergency units, 10,000 blankets and 16 dog rescue teams. The orphanage in San Gregorio is being evacuated by the Red Cross who will care for the children.

The Italian Red Cross is seeking donations, which can be made by credit card on its website.

Continuing Coverage on Earthquake in Italy

Continuing coverage of the Earthquake in Italy is available in English at the Rome Post. Coverage in Italian continues at RAI News 24, Corriere Della Serra and at Virgilio Notizie.

Early Video Coverage of the Earthquke in Italy

A number of videos about this morning's Italian Earthquake centered in the medieval fortess hill town of L'Aquila have been uploaded to Daily Motion and can be seen on their website on a page dedicated to coverage of the Equarthquake.

Italy Earthquake Destroys Onna, Damages Roman Baths

Electricity has been cut to 15,000 users in central Italy as a precaution following the eathquake in Central Italy. There are reports of damage to the Baths of Caracalla in Rome. The town of Onna is reported to be completely destroyed.

6.3 Magnitude Quake Rocks Central Italy

Ninety people are reported dead and 50,000 homeless following a 6.3 magnitude earthquake which occurred in central Italy in the early morning hours of April 6, 2009. It is believed that entire towns have been destroyed as a result of the quake which hit at 3:32 am local time. The quake struck 95 km NE of Rome, Italy and 115 miles SE of Perugia, Italy in the Abruzzo region. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has declared a state of emergency for the region, where the worst damage is reported in the picturesque medieval town of L'Aquila which suffered severe damage in earlier earthquakes occurring in 1461 and 1703.

Terror Blasts in Mumbai - MumbaiHelp provides coverage

Since the terror attacks in Mumbai on the 26th of November, 2008; MumbaiHelp has been providing instant updates on the situation including information on important contact numbers, lists on the injured and dead, and volunteering with contacting missing people amongst others as well as a call for blood donors.


Tags: Asia / India / Mumbai
Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Rescue

Bihar floods - appeal from Save the Children

Save the Children, India (part of the international Save the Children Alliance), has details of their aid plans here.

You can support them in these ways (copied from their site):

Bank transfer:
Indian nationals
Account Name: Bal Raksha Bharat
Account Number: 52205574986
Bank Name: Standard Chartered Bank
Bank Address: NARIAN MANZIL 23 BARAKHAMBA ROAD NEW DELHI – 110 001
IFSC code (NEFT/RTGS) SCBL0036001
Foreign nationals
Account Name: Bal Raksha Bharat
Account Number: 52505054724
Bank Name: Standard Chartered Bank
Bank Address: 10 SANSAD MARG, NEW DELHI 110011
Code: SCBLINBBXXX

Cheque
1. Download the donation form (PDF) and print it out.
2. Write a cheque payable to ‘Bal Raksha Bharat'
3. Send your cheque along with the donation form to Save the Children, Bal Raksha, Bharat

Online Donation (recommended as most cost-efficient)
Donation page

Tags: Asia / India / Bihar
Kosi, Floods, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue,

Appeal: AID INDIA and Pratham (Bihar floods)

Email forwarded by Priyanka Joseph.

Editor's note: 1 lakh = 100,000

Bihar has been hit by a terrible flood. It is one of the worst disasters to strike the country.

It is worse than the Tsunami, worse than the Gujarat Earthquake.

Several million people have been affected. Entire districts - villages and towns - have been washed away. The number of people dead is not even known. There are over 6 lakh people living in 200 relief camps. In Saharsa district alone there are 2 Lakh people in 68 relief camps. Similar numbers are living in camps in Madhepura, Supaul, Araria, Purnia and Katihar districts. And many more (those who are better off and have relatives and friends outside) have fled these districts.

This is NOT the usual Bihar flooding. Usually the Kosi river overflows its banks and floods the villages nearby. The people in these villages are prepared for it.

We are calling it "Flood" - because we don't know what else to call it. What's happening now is not a river overflowing - it is the result of a river suddenly changing course.

This year, the Kosi completely changed course - sweeping away several districts. Thousands of villages that had never experienced flooding before are now destroyed - submerged in water. The people living there were completely taken by surprise. Many have died. Others have lost everything - they are without clothes, food, homes, money.

The scale of the disaster is much bigger than the Tsunami. But because it is Bihar and people think this is like the usual annual flooding, there has been very little coverage of the flooding and very little support pouring in for relief. There is an urgent need to inform people about the nature of this disaster and to mobilize support.

For a week now, AID INDIA's Bihar team has been on the field organizing rescue and relief efforts in the affected districts. So far we have been able to organize some rescue operations and have provided food, milk for children, and medical support for children in several camps. But this is not enough - the scale of the disaster is very large and the need is a lot more. Pratham teams in Bihar have also started working with us and we will now be scaling up the relief efforts significantly.

After the initial shock, the government has been taking a lot of steps to organize rescue and relief operations. The army has rescued people from most of the places. The immediate focus needs to be on food, clothing and health needs of the people in relief camps. Some food is being provided at the camps - but there is a severe shortage and lot of rioting to get at the food. Children are the most affected.

Our immediate focus is on children - there are about 2 lakh children in all the camps. Milk, biscuits and food for children is the first priority now. We are trying to ensure that milk and food reaches all the children in all the relief camps.

The second need is clothes. Most people left their homes with what they were wearing. We need children's clothes, saris for women, undergarments, lungis and lots of blankets. Disease outbreaks are becoming a serious threat and we need medicines.

After the immediate phase, the need will be to focus on health, education, shelter and livelihood needs. But at present, given the scale of the problem, getting past the immediate relief and survival needs are the most critical issues to address.

AID INDIA and Pratham field teams need a lot of support at this time. We need:

1. Funds:
You can donate online at http://www.eurekachild.org/biharflood
or you can send a check payable to AID INDIA (mention Bihar Flood Relief) to:
AID INDIA
Post Box No: 4903, Gopalapuram, Chennai - 600086, India.
Phone: +91-44-42106493 / 28350403

2. Collect Materials:
Food: Milk Powder and Biscuits
Clothes: Children's clothes, saris, lungis and blankets
Medicine: ORS Packets, Crocin/Paracetamol, Metronidazole, Folic acid tablets, Amoxycillin, Cough Syrup, Gentamycin, Cotrimaxazole, Cotton & Bandage.

3. Volunteer:
To raise awareness and mobilize support, help with collection and packaging.
We also need volunteers to work with our relief teams at the field (but for that you must spend at least 10 days in the affected areas and must be very healthy and ready to work in difficult circumstances.)

To keep everyone updated on what's happening at the field level, we have set up a separate website for the relief efforts: www.eurekachild.org/biharflood

Please direct your friends and others you know to this site. We will keep posting new updates, reports, photos and other information from the field at this site. It is important that people across the country (and the world) understand the scale of this disaster. The six districts submerged is almost one-fifth of Bihar under water!

For more information please contact: eurekachild@gmail.com or
Prabha: +91-98403-51132 (prabha.balaraman@gmail.com)
Gomathi: +91-94453-91090 (gomathiaid@gmail.com)

Tags: Asia / India / Bihar
Kosi, Floods, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue,

Bihar floods - CASA's response

Forwarded by Nisha Purushothaman of IFP

A BRIEF NOTE ON CASA’S RESPONSE TO BIHAR FLOOD- 2008

CASA is registered as a Society under the Societies’ Registration Act XXI of 1860 and has a history of responding to emergencies and disasters since 1947 and is mandated to work in a purely secular manner in all spheres of its programme activities including humanitarian assistance programmes. CASA’s response is regardless of considerations of caste, creed, language, religion, ethnic origin or political affiliation.

In response to the current devastating flood situation in Bihar, we have mobilised a team of 30 staff members and volunteers with vehicle and other logistical support to render relief assistance in Supaul and Madhepura districts. The relief measures that we plan to undertake are as follows:

Relief Distribution:

Ready to Eat Food: 5000 families in the affected area of Bihar, will be provided with ready to eat food i.e. 1 Kg Jaggery (molasses) and 10 Kg Flattened Rice, as an immediate response.

Dry Ration: 10000 dry ration kits will be provided to the affected families in Bihar. Each kit will consist of 10 kgs Rice, 2 kgs Lentil, 1 litre Edible Oil, 1 kg Salt, 200 gms Chilli Powder & 200 gms Turmeric powder.

Household articles: 10000 relief sets will be provided in Bihar. Each set will consist of the following items:
• 1 Woolen blanket
• 1 Dhoti
• 1 Saree
• 12 pcs. of Aluminum Utensils
• 1 Cotton floor mat
• 1 Bed sheet
• 4 meters of cotton (Markin) Cloth
• Plastic containers (10 litre each) for storage of water
• Cotton Wool Roll (250 gm.)
• 5 pieces of Gamcha (towel)

Plastic Sheet: 10000 pieces of plastic sheets (Size 15” x 12” of 170 GSM) will be provided to erect immediate temporary shelter for the families who have lost almost everything in the flood waters. These sheets will also provide the women with the much needed privacy during this crisis period.

Transit Shelters: CASA proposes to construct 625 transit shelters using locally available resources like bamboo, GCI sheets, bamboo mats, ropes and basic hardware materials like nails etc. in the affected areas, which will house 2500 affected families. The proposed shelter will be of dimensions 15ft x 40ft. and will have four equal compartments of 10ft x 15ft each to house four families. Therefore 625 shelters will provide accommodation for 2500 families.

Latrines: It is proposed to set up 625 field latrine units along with the transit shelters to cater to the sanitation needs of 2500 affected families. Each unit of the latrine with consist of 4 toilets, i.e. one for each family.

After the initial assessment by the senior level staff of CASA, meetings were held with the local partners and institutional heads of the partner organisations to share the assessment, formulating the response needs, operational strategies and finalization of locations for our response. The programme will be implemented directly by CASA in collaboration with local partners. The CASA Delhi headquarter will coordinate the overall operation which includes expertise in disaster response, logistics and emergency communications.

The total cost of appeal made by CASA to its donors is US $ 1.76 Million. This is however not a commitment and our response would be directly proportionate to the quantum of funds that are made available by our resource sharing partners against this initial appeal.

We will continue to maintain close contact with the Government at Central, State and Districts level and also collaborate with the State Inter Agency Group Coordination Mechanism to ensure that the relief work is undertaken meaningfully and without overlap or duplication. We look forward to close and good cooperation of all concerned in our common mission to urgently respond to the needs of the flood victims of Bihar.

NOTE: -

For More information on CASA’s Humanitarian Assistance to Bihar Flood Victims Please visit http://www.casa-india.org/index.php

CASA (Church’s Auxiliary for Social Action)
Rachna Building, 2 Rajendra Place, Pusa Road,
New Delhi - 110008
Ph: (+91 11) 25730611, 25730612, 25731218,
25731219, 25761579, 25767231
Fax: 011-25752502
E-mail: casa@del6.vsnl.net.in
Website: www.casa-india.org

Tags: Asia / India
Floods, Kosi, Bihar, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

Bihar Floods wiki

Amrit Hallan has begun a Bihar Floods wiki on his site. He would welcome as much help as you can give him. So if you have useful information about aid efforts in Bihar, please go register on the wiki and pitch in. You could also mail Amrit at amrit AT amrithallan DOT com.

Tags: Asia / India
Floods, Kosi, Bihar, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

Bihar, India - Floods - an appeal from Goonj

Received via email.

Dear Friends,

Here is a recent picture of Bihar inundated by one of the worst floods ever in recent history. [Photo below the fold - ed.]

For many years now, GOONJ has been working extensively in Bihar through its grassroots partners, with a special focus on the annual floods.

This is an URGENT APPEAL to join GOONJ in its campaign RAHAT FLOODS to provide support to the victims of this unprecedented disaster. The situation is grim and millions of people are affected by the devastation.

With a wide network of organizations and people present in most of the affected districts we are confident of reaching relief at the earliest possible. While the dispatch of material has already started the relief efforts will continue for the next few months.

Possible options for joining this campaign

Material support-

Dry ration, Medicines, candles & matchbox, torch & batteries,
utensils, tarpaulin, feeding bottles, buckets, ropes, bedsheets, all
kind of usable clothing & footwear. (For the list of collection
centers, please log on to www.goonj.info

Logistical support-

¨ Transport support to reach the material to effected areas
¨ Space for collection centers
¨ Facilities for local pickups,
¨ Transportation of material from different cities to GOONJ
processing centers in Delhi, Chennai & Mumbai

Needed- large quantities of

¨ Rice, Chiwra, biscuits, packed eatables
¨ Water purifier tablets
¨ Basic medicines
¨ Sarees and children clothing
¨ Tarpaulins or thick polythene
¨ Bedsheets
¨ Export surplus/ Cotton cloth for making sanitary napkins
¨ Mosquito nets
¨ Stoves, cooking and water storage utensils/buckets

Financial support-

¨ Donations in India- Please send cash/cheque/draft in the name of GOONJ and send it to
GOONJ..,
J-93, Sarita Vihar,
New Delhi- 76

(Kindly send your full name & address with the contribution for receipt/accounting purpose. (All donations to GOONJ in India are tax exempted u/s 80 G of IT act.)

¨ Overseas donation can reach us through Cheque (in the name of GOONJ with your full particulars) or by wire transfer with an information on yasmeengoonj@gmail.com

Rotate it (valid only for overseas donations ) through Wacovia Bank, New York swift code- 2000193008933, GOONJ, A/C No- 2591101004644

Bank- Canara Bank, H block, market Sarita Vihar, New Delhi- 76

Swift Code- CNRBINBBDFS

Contact- GOONJ

H.O Delhi-J-93, Sarita Vihar, New Delhi- 76
Tel.- 011-26972351, 41401216
goonjinfo@gmail.com, anshugoonj24@gmail.com
GOONJ Mumbai- Mr. Rohit Singh Tel.- 9322381600, rohitgoonj1@gmail.com
GOONJ Chennai- Ms. Padma Tel.- 9842665320, padmagoonj@gmail.com

Do spread the word, talk to your friends & relatives, help us to organise campaigns in the offices, residential areas and schools.

With best,

Anshu Gupta (Ashoka Fellow)
Founder Director
GOONJ.



Tags: Asia / India
Floods, Kosi, Bihar, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

Hurricane Gustav Resources

Volunteers on the world wide web are getting ready to help as Hurricane Gustav gathers fury heading towards the Northern Gulf Coast. Here are some efforts:

* Gustav Information Center is up
* Follow live updates on Gustav at Twitter
* IRC channel - #interdictor to coordinate volunteer efforts
* UPDATE: Hurricane Gustav Wiki is here
* Wikipedia entry on Hurricane Gustav

Hurricane Gustav is still being described as a Category 4 storm, but meteorologists are forecasting that the storm will gain strength as it passes over Cuba and may emerge in the Gulf of Mexico as a Category 5 hurricane.

USA Today

See the full Hurricane Advisory here.


Tags: America, Gustav, Hurricane Gustav, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

Google LatLong: Imagery for Sichuan, China Earthquake

The Google Earth and Maps Team now has post-earthquake satellite imagery of Sichuan, China and the surrounding area. Google LatLong: Imagery for Sichuan, China Earthquake . The first scenes captured the rescue effort to assess and repair dam damage near Dujiangyan City" and were obtained from NSPO, Taiwan's national space agency. The images will be updated on a regular basis and can be viewed using Google Earth. which is free.

The Bookworm Earthquake Relief [Chengdu, Suzhou, Beijing]

From The Bookworm (in Chengdu, Suzhou, Beijing). Please direct queries to the email address below.

From: Jenny Niven
Date: Wed, 14 May 2008 00:10:14 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: THE BOOKWORM EARTHQUAKE RELIEF

Dear friends,

We'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who have contacted us with their kind wishes of support for our colleagues and friends at The Bookworm Chengdu. Thankfully, everyone is safe.

The Bookworm are co-ordinating our efforts to help the people of Sichuan during this difficult time. The Bookworm Chengdu has become a focal point in assisting those groups currently providing on the ground support for those in Sichuan affected by the tragedy.

The Chinese Red Cross are currently setting up operations in affected areas. In the meantime, smaller groups are doing what they can to provide food, water, shelter and medicines.

The Bookworm are assisting these groups, until the larger organisations are able to provide support.

What you can do:

The Bookworms in Beijing, Suzhou and Chengdu will be gathering much needed emergency materials to be sent to victims of the earthquake.

As advised by the Chinese Red Cross, we are collecting emergency donations only of:

TENTS
DRIED FOOD
PRACTICAL CLOTHES
QUILTS
EMERGENCY BLANKETS
MONEY FOR WATER AND MEDICINES

Our friends at DHL will ship all collected donations to The Bookworm Chengdu on Saturday 17th May.

For Beijing:
Please drop off all donations by
4pm on SATURDAY 17th MAY
Call Alex or Jenny on 132 6421 7462

For Suzhou:
Please drop off all donations by
4pm on SATURDAY 17th MAY
Call Pierre on 138 6210 4118

For Chengdu:
Please drop off all donations by
1pm on SUNDAY 18th MAY
Call Bronwyn on 158 2826 1084

Beyond these dates, our efforts will continue in accordance with advice from the Chinese Red Cross.

Thank you for your desperately needed support.

The Bookworm | Gongti North Road, Yard 4 | Beijing | China | Beijing | 100000 | China



Tags: Asia / China
Earthquake, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue, Appeal,

New Burma / Myanmar Maps from Google Maps

A maplet for Google Maps showing roads in Burma, Union of Myanmar has been created and can be accessed here. Additional maps for Cyclone Nargis and Burma / Myanmar can be accessed at Google Maps.

Tags: Asia / Myanmar Cyclone, Nargis, Floods, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

Malteaser Reports 80,000 Deaths in Labutta Township, Burma, Union of Myanmar

Malteser International, which through its affiliates has a history of extending aid to the sick and injured dating back to hospices of the Knights of Malta in the middle ages, has been working in Burma / Myanmar since 1996 on small scale health issues. Because of its relationships with various bishops and government approval, Malteser has been able to deliver on-the ground aid to the affected since shortly after Cyclone Nargis, and has been providing frequent reports from the region as well as photos.

First results of assessment report from the delta area revealed an extremely serious situation. There is an urgent need of relief assistance for water, sanitation, food, shelter and medical supplies. The hospital in Labutta is not operational anymore.

According to local authorities more than 80,000 death cases are estimated in the area of Labutta Township. The people live on rice soup which was donated by the communities and the rice portions are insufficient. Many people suffer of burns or bruises by flying palm tree leaves or bamboo shields leaving big wounds on the backs of the people. Main problems are also diarrhea and skin diseases. Furthermore, there are a large number of lactating mothers for whom the horrible situation they suffer is leading to feeding problems and health risks for the babies. The number of pregnant women is high and midwives are essential but not available.

Tags: Asia / Myanmar Cyclone, Nargis, Floods, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

Appeal - Avaaz.org [Burma cyclone]

This landed in many inboxes last week, as well as in comments on this blog. There were other things to do at that time, and the petition seemed to be doing well (it still is, having collected €1,150,448 as of this writing), so we took it off our radar. But here you go now.

From the petition:

..Avaaz is raising funds for the International Burmese Monks Organization and related groups, which will transmit funds directly to monasteries in affected areas.

In many of the worst-hit areas, the monasteries are the only source of shelter and food for Burma's poorest people. They have been on the front lines of the aid effort since the storm struck. Other forms of aid could be delayed, diverted or manipulated by the Burmese government--but the monks are the most trusted and reliable institution in the country.

The petition is here. For more information about Avaaz's work to support the Burmese people, click here.


Tags: Asia / Myanmar
Cyclone, Nargis, Floods, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue, Appeal

Appeal - Archbishop of Yangon on behalf of Myanmar Disaster Relief Committee

This just in, after the initial appeal we published here.

Dear ~

Thanks for your concern and kind offer at this time of great need of us. I feel more than ever, the world as a family. The cyclone hit and greatly damaged many parts of Yangon and Pathein Dioceses. We have formed one central committee for both dioceses. (MDRC: Myanmar Disaster Relief Committee)

The numbers of death is rising from each day: it is not less than 100,000 people who lost their lives.

In both dioceses, the church is carrying out emergency works, such as, making and bringing the victims into camps, providing food, water, medicines, and immediate roofing and shelters.

Many volunteers, lay people, priests, nuns, Catholic doctors, nurses are now in the field working on these needs. In the archdiocese of Yangon, Karitas Yangon together with Karitas Myanmar, we have sent out the first emergency aid to some most hit places and villages. Now the second group is operating in larger scales for food, water and medicine headed by Catholic doctors and nurses and religious sisters who has medical experiences. Most probably they will be coming back afte 4 or 5 days later with more information and details.

The need is enormous and vast. Over thousands and thousands of families in the archdiocese of Yangon alone, were greatly effected. We surely need your immediate support in kind or cash.

As for the other damages, beginning from our St. Mary’s Cathedral, all Churches in Yagnon City and near by parishes, Bishop’s compound, clergy houses, convents and boarding places have all been effected.

We will give you more details and updating news later.

With our deep appreciation and thanks,

Charles Bo

Archbishop of Yangon



For the transfer of money, please just send them to:
Name of the Bank: ICBC ( Asia)
33/F., ICBC TOWER
3 GARDEN ROAD, CENTRAL
HONG KONG
Account No.: 701-056-00059-0
Account Name: THE PROCUREUR GENERAL IN HK OF THE SOCIETY OF THE MISSIONS ETRANGERES
Swift Code: UBHKHKHH

Please inform Fr. Emile Louis Tisserand by email that it is for ‘MDRC’
Email: procupic@netvigator.com
Tel: (852) 2849 8187 and 2849 8188
Fax: (852)2849 8319

Tags: Asia / Myanmar
Cyclone, Nargis, Floods, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue, Appeal,

Series of bomb blasts in Jaipur, India

A series of between five and nine bomb blasts in Jaipur killed at least 60 people and injured at least 150 others.

The explosion off at around 7.20 and the others followed in the next 15 minutes. They were planted in the old part of the popular tourist destination in Rajasthan, a few hours drive from the capital, Delhi,

Some news reports:

High alert; experts off to Jaipur Hindustan Times
80 killed, 150 wounded in Jaipur blasts Times of India
Pink turns red Outlook
Serial blasts rock Jaipur; 60 killed India Today
60 killed, 200 injured in Jaipur blasts NDTV

8 blasts in Jaipur; 60 dead 200 injured CNN-IBN
Bombings rock Indian tourist city BBC
Seven bombs kill 60 people in India's Jaipur Reuters India
Jaipur serial blasts kill 70, injure 150 The Statesman

Since the press are providing adequate coverage, and the local authorities seem to be in control of the situation, we will not be following this story in detail. But please feel free to use the comments space if you want more info, and we'll try and help.

Tags: Asia / India
terrorism, bomb, blasts, Jaipur,

Burma / Myanmar Armed Checkpoints: "No Foreigners Allowed"

Police barred foreign aid workers from reaching cyclone Nargis survivors in hard-hit areas of Burma (Union of Myanmar) Tuesday, while emergency food shipments backed up at the main airport for Myanmar's biggest city. Checkpoints manned by armed police were set up Tuesday on roads leading to the Irrawaddy River delta and all international aid workers and journalists were turned back by officers who took down their names and passport numbers. Drivers were interrogated. "No foreigners allowed," one policeman said after waving a car back. Supplies piled up at Yangon's main airport, which does not have equipment to lift cargo off big Boeing 747s. Read the entire story

Tags: Asia / Myanmar Cyclone, Nargis, Floods, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

Burma / Myanmar: Is Air Dropped Aid the Answer?

As debate hots up on whether aid air drops should be used in Mynamar, international aid agency Oxfam said today (13 May) that often when the international community has chosen to parachute in aid to a disaster or conflict zone it has been hugely expensive and failed to reach the most vulnerable people. Air dropping aid does not guarantee food and other relief supplies reach the people most in need. In many cases it's the strongest and fittest who get to the aid first and not the sick or injured who most need help and assistance. Read the entire article

Tags: Asia / Myanmar Cyclone, Nargis, Floods, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

Bogalay - Some Aid Available, Relief Workers Needed

A human rights activist in Bogalay, Burman, Union of Myanmar said disease and poor sanitation in the township in the aftermath of the recent cyclone have placed a heavy burden on healthcare provision. Children are starting to have dysentery in the monasteries due to the lack of toilets,” she said.Children are starting to have dysentery in the monasteries due to the lack of toilets,” she said. The Bogalay activist said NGOs were helping refugees in the township, but they remained in difficulty. “The UNICEF people are treating patients properly. I heard that their staff are very tired and asking for new people. Read the entire report

Tags: Asia / Myanmar Cyclone, Nargis, Floods, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

Conditions Worsen in Labutta, Burma, Union of Myanmar

The situation in Labutta, Burma (Union of Myanmar) remains desperate, with relief efforts proceeding slowly and confined to the major waterways and local officials more focused on personal gain than on helping victims, locals said. Rescue efforts are not getting to the villages situated on tributaries of the main river. The authorities are also banning Burmese donors from giving help to the victims. Read the entire report

Tags: Asia / Myanmar Cyclone, Nargis, Floods, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

Cyclone Fundraising "Sluggish"?

The Hartford Courant reports:

The Myanmar death toll could be half of the fatalities that followed the devastation of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, but the amount of money donated to help has been a fraction of what was raised in the first week following the Indian Ocean disaster.

Tags: Asia / Myanmar
Cyclone, Nargis, Floods, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

Help wanted - young and energetic people to volunteer in the field

Email forwarded by Zamemi Hpyimaw.

From: HninHnin {dot} Sett {at} wfp {dot} org
Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 11:40:32 +0630
Subject: WFP need more human resources

Dear All,

I would like to inform you that WFP is urgently required young & energetic people to help us for assessments and collecting information of for delta area.

As such, if any of you know anyone, have any young relatives who are educated and want to work with WFP for a month or two. Eg. Church Organizations, University Graduates, Unemployed relatives etc.

All are welcome.

Please send the particulars soonest to WFP following address.


Thank you and best regards,

Hnin Hnin Sett


United Nations World Food Programme
UNDP Building
No. 6, Natmauk Road, Tamwe Tsp
Yangon
Myanmar


** Can stay overnight in the field.

Tags: Asia / Myanmar
Cyclone, Nargis, Floods, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue, Appeal,

Red Cross China calling for donations

Shanghaiist has contact details for Red Cross China, who is now calling for donations for those affected by the Sichuan earthquake.

For those who are looking to contribute to current aid efforts underway, you can now donate money to the Red Cross Society of China which has formed a disaster relief working group to be dispatched to the earthquake-stricken Wenchuan County in Sichuan.

They have also published an emergency relief hotline, along with bank account information to receive donations to assist their cause:

Account name: Red Cross Society of China
开户单位：中国红十字会总会

For those who want to donate in RMB: you can send money to the RMB account at the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China branch below:
人民币开户行: 中国工商银行 北京分行东四南支行
人民币账号: 0200001009014413252

For those who want to donate in foreign currency, you can send money to the foreign currency account at the CITIC Bank branch below:
外币开户行：中信银行酒仙桥支行
外币账号: 7112111482600000209

Hotline: (8610) 65139999
Online donations: Red Cross Society of China website: www.redcross.org.cn
Click the tab for online donations

Tags: Asia / China, Earthquake, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

US Restrictions on Remittances to Burma Union of Myanmar Eased

The United States Treasury Department is easing restrictions on personal remittances from US$300 per Burmese houshold in any three-month period to an unlimited amount and also easing restrictions on fund transfers for humanitarian and religious activity in Burma, Republic of Myanmar. Money transfers will not be permitted in any amount to or through persons blocked under a US sanctions program. General Licenses 14 and 15 are affected. Read the new rules from US Dept. of the Treasury

Tags Asia / MyanmarCyclone, Nargis, Floods, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

Relief Aid via Remote Control in Burma, Union of Myanmar

In Burma, Union of Myanmar, the ships, aircraft, money and people are slowly getting into place for a 'tsunami-style' international aid operation for the cyclone-ravaged Irrawaddy Delta. Now all they need is government permission. The World Food Programme (WFP) says it only has 10 percent of the staff and equipment it needed inside the army-ruled country."We think we need to be moving 375 tonnes of food a day down into the affected areas. We are doing less than 20 percent of that," WFP spokesman Marcus Prior told a news conference. The WFP says it is "essentially operating by remote control." Read the entire story.

Tags: Asia / MyanmarCyclone, Nargis, Floods, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

Death Toll Mounting - China

Times Online reports 5000 feared dead and 10000 injured. 900 young students are buried under debris. CNN reports 7000 feared dead.

UPDATE: some fear toll is 8500. Others fear 13000 already.

Up to 5,000 people were reported to have been killed in a single Chinese county today after a major earthquake struck a densely populated area of in the southwestern province of Sichuan.

The quake, with a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale, flattened schools, offices and houses in Sichuan, and caused widespread damage in nearby Gansu and Yunnan as well as the sprawling municipality of Chongqing. The tremor was felt in cities across southeast Asia as far as Bangkok, more than 1,200 miles from the epicentre.

Tags: Asia / China, Earthquake, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

Update (1) from China Earthquake Administration, Request for Sat Imagery

The following situational updates have come in from the Director (Mr Huang Jianfa) & Deputy Director (Ms. Hong Chen) of the CEA (China Earthquake Administration):

The communication and the transportation in the affected area have been interrupted. National disaster assessment teams and the national USAR team (CISAR), plus local USAR teams and other relief teams are moving to the affected area. Up to now, we are still in the stage of disaster information collection.

1. Communications with the earthquake affected area are cut off so information is hard to come by.
2. The area is quite mountainous with land lying at up to 3000 metres high so it is not as highly populated as other areas.
3. The main small town that they are concerned about and which they have no contact with yet is Wenchuan which has a population of 100,000 people and is approximately 30 km from the epicentre.
4. First reports from Chengdu are reassuring that there is not extensive damage.

Thanks to all of you who are paying attentions. We will provide further information when we get it.

A formal request for satellite imagery has been placed by CEA & ISAR team - SAR Ensa, to UNOSAT & other mapping agencies, however, at this moment the UNOSAT charter (GLIDE# EQ-2008-000062-CHN ) has not been activated yet. The CEA can be contacted via it's Deputy Director - Ms. Hong, on chenh AT cea.gov.cn or phone +86 13911732010



Tags: Asia / China,
Earthquake, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

WHO in Burma: Latest Figures on Casualties & Requests for Help

Updated official statistics as of 10 May:

• 28,458 deaths
• 33,416 remain missing
• Over 1,5 M severely affected

Situational Brief:

• Government assessment results to be officially released on 12 May
• International humanitarian staff not allowed to move out of Yangon yet
• Visas are hard to obtain for non-Asian nationals

Help Needed:

• 500 fogging machines
• 100,000 bed nets
• Tents to open outreach dispensaries

In order to make a donation or provide offers in kind assistance for the requested relief items, please contact the WHO Health Cluster Lead - Arun Malik, via E-Mail to mallik AT searo.who.int or phone on +66 819215486.



Source: UN OCHA Sit Rep sent to relief teams in Burma / WHO regional office in Bangkok

Tags: Asia / Myanmar, Burma, Cyclone, Nargis, Floods, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

Updates coming in

Most reports are of high-rise buildings being evacuated in Beijing and Shanghai and not much news coming out of Sichuan Province. Times Now has images of buildings being evacuated in Beijing which is almost 1000 km away from the Sichuan province. The buildings swayed for about two minutes. [I got this image off TV]



More pictures here and here.



No damages are being reported yet. Telephone lines are disrupted in the Sichuan region. The region is primarily agricultural, a mountaneous region, and is populated by Tibetans and Chinese - a total of 10 million people.

No tsunami warning by Japan's meteorological department.

Here's a video of the tremor felt in Beijing by Michelle Christensen.

Check out @Scobleizer on twitter for latest news - he's done a good job of collating the news as it broke.


Tags: Asia / China, Earthquake, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

Thailand feels tremors ; aftershocks in the region

Report from news.com.au in Australia:

Tall buildings shook in the Thai capital Bangkok, and tremors were also felt in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam.

High buildings in Bangkok were continuing to sway seven minutes after the first movements were felt.

The Hindu reports there were 4 aftershocks felt in the region:

A spokesman for China's Earthquake Administration confirmed the earthquake, but said it had a 7.3 magnitude. There were no reports of anyone hurt so far, he said, and the area is sparsely populated.

There were four aftershocks in the region, ranging from 5.0 to 5.2 magnitude, according to a notice on the Earthquake Administration's Web site.

Tags: Asia / China, Earthquake, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

Maps of Earthquake in China

From the USGS website:





Tags: Asia / China
Earthquake, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

Earthquake in China - Breaking News

From Reuters:

BEIJING (Reuters) - An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 struck China's Sichuan province on Monday, less than 100 km (60 miles) from the provincial capital of Chengdu, the U.S. Geological Survey said on its Web site.

The tremor, centered 92 km northwest of Chengdu, was felt as far away as Beijing and Shanghai, where office buildings swayed with the impact.

BBC News says:

An earthquake measuring 7.8 has hit south-west China, according to the US Geological Survey. Reports said tremors could be felt as far afield as the Thai capital, Bangkok, and Hanoi in Vietnam. The quake struck 57 miles (92km) north-west of Sichuan's provincial capital, Chengdu, at 1428 (0628 GMT), the survey said on its website.

Tags: Asia / China
Earthquake, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

UNDAC & WFP Appeal for Warehousing Facilities, Uplift Equipment & Transportation

The following is an urgent appeal for uplift equipment, warehousing facilities and transportation to affected areas from Dr. Jemilah Mahmood who is the UNDAC Head of Relief Operations in Burma:

Today, all the flights and aid consignments have safely arrived and cleared to the individual agencies with no difficulty. There is an urgent need for warehousing facilities, transportation to the affected areas and "uplift" equipment as the one (being currently) used is faulty and may delay transfer of goods out of the planes. If there is anyone out there who can provide the "uplift" equipment, please contact the logistics cluster urgently. Thank you.

Contacts for Logistics Cluster (Led by WFP):

Deployed In-Country
Logistics Lead - Paul Wyatt / paul.wyatt AT wfp.org
Logistics Officer - Theo Lingens / theo.lingens AT gmail.com / +95048701

Deployed to Bangkok
Logistics Officer - Kevin Howley / kevin.howley AT wfp.org / +39 3405605726
Matthew Hollingworth / matthew.hollingwoth AT wfp.org / +66 813635832
Rachida Rabdelli / abdelli.rachida AT wfp.org / +66 0817925635
Elena Rovaris / elena.rovaris AT wfp.org / +66 0817925591



Source: UNDAC/ECHO team in Yangon

Tags: Asia / Myanmar, Burma, Cyclone, Nargis, Floods, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

The Looming Water Crisis in Burma

The Wall Street Journal reports:

"More food reached Myanmar's hungry cyclone victims as roads were cleared of fallen trees, but a British aid group warned that up to 1.5 million people face death if they do not get clean water and sanitation soon."

On a related note, the first cases of cholera have also been reported in Burma. (Link to AGI, an Italian news agency)


Tags: Asia / Myanmar
Cyclone, Nargis, Floods, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

Burmese in India collecting relief funds

An email from Mr Kim

I am Kim. We, Burmese in India, start working to collect donation for relief fund for survivors of Nargis..
Our priority to send relief aids are
(1) Cash - we have direct network with Monk Association to transfer, and think safest way to reach to survivors without passing junta...
(2) Medicine- Diseases such as cholera, malaria, diarrhoea and typhoid have been infected..and recommended to supply water purification tablets.

Sasana Moli- International Burmese Monks Organisation is closely working and dealing with the issue..so my suggestion is to discuss with them as well.

I attach our request letter for donation of relief fund...

Relief Fund for Cyclone (Nargis) Survivors in Burma
Appeal for Donations

Burma's "rice basket"—the Irrawaddy delta rice-growing region—was hit by cyclone Nargis on 2 May 2008 leaving more than 1 million people homeless and destruction of 95% of the buildings.
The estimated death toll may be over 100,000 and an estimated 1.9 million people may be vulnerable to water-borne diseases, hunger and lack of clean drinking water. This is considered to be the worst natural disaster to strike Burma since the tsunami hit the region in 2004.
The primary risk following the flooding of the delta region is the outbreak of diseases spread by contaminated water, such as diarrhoea, cholera and typhoid. Stagnant water is providing a breeding ground for bacteria and mosquitoes. Initially, the most likely killer is acute watery diarrhoea, which causes dehydration. Those most at risk are under-fives, the sick, the old and the pregnant. There are already reports of an outbreak of Cholera in the Irrawaddy delta. Other threats include typhoid and hepatitis A, both passed on by contaminated food and water.
Compounding the problem are the efforts of the Burmese military government to frustrate aid actually reaching the vast majority of people affected by the disaster. Though the Burmese government has officially asked for assistance, aid agencies have been reporting that the supplies are being prevented from getting through. Many aid organizations and workers including the UN are being denied visas to enter the country.
At the moment, aid is being allowed from India, China and Thailand apart from the UN Agencies. Other countries are unable to reach essential necessities inside Burma.
Donations in the forms of cash, medicines, water purification tablets and clothes are
appreciated. Your donations in cash will be acknowledged with a receipt and collected at the International Burmese Monks Association. The first dispatch of all donations is on 17 May 2008.
Your support is urgently needed. Please join to help the cyclone survivors by your kind contribution through "Relief Fund for Cyclone Survivors in Burma (India)."
Please contact for further information to:
• Mr. Kim at Ph: +91-9810476273, Email: reliefcyclonesurvivorsinburma@gmail.com
or
• The Other Media, B5/136, Safdarjung Enclave, ND, Contact: Sahana Basavapatna at +91 11 2610 5472, +91 11 2853 5860 and +91 99682 96202, Email: Sahana.basavapatna@gmail.com

Sincerely,

Kim

Coordinator
Relief Fund for Cyclone (Nargis) Survivors in Burma (India)

Committee for Relief Fund for Cyclone (Nargis) Survivors in Burma (India) concerns the Burmese and Indian activists to ensure that much needed humanitarian aid reaches the survivors.

Tags: Asia / Myanmar
Cyclone, Nargis, Floods, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue, Appeal,

Message from Charles Bo, Archbishop of Yangon

Dear Friends and all,

I am Fr. Ignatius Nyan Htoo, new secretary to Archbishop Charles Bo. On behalf of Archbishop Charles Bo, I would like to thank you for all your love and concern to our people of Myanmar. For the time being, Archbishop Charles Bo is busy with going around the affected areas in the Archdiocese. Here is the message that the Archbishop would like to communicate with you and soon he will be at the position to contact you personally.

Messsage of Archbishop Charles Bo

From the bottom of our hearts, we would like to express our gratitude and thank to all of you for the messages of concern, prayers and sympathies for our suffering people. Indeed, the cyclone Nargis left a lot of terrible and bad consequences to our country especially to our poor people. All your prayers, concerns and desire to be of help for our people are deeply appreciated. We have formed a committee “Emergency Disaster Relief Committee” (MDRC) composed of Archdiocese of Yangon, Karuna (Caritas) Myanmar Social Services, CAFOD, CRS and New Humanity to carry out effectively and quickly the emergency response. We do believe and hope that the good Lord is close to us through all of you especially at this moment of suffering and darkness.

With deep appreciation,

Charles Bo
Archbishop of Yangon

Tags: Asia / Myanmar
Cyclone, Nargis, Floods, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue, Appeal,

Update on Visas & Flights Gathered from Recent Sit Reps

The following updates have been compiled from recent IASC & UNJLC Sit Reps over the past 24 hours:

1. The government of Myanmar is on a four days leave, ending Tuesday. In the meantime, no visa applications will be processed from the Burma Embassy at Bangkok in Thailand.
2. Some aid agencies have been able to obtain visas into Burma through their embassies in Sri Lanka and Paris
3. The president of Red Cross in Myanmar has provided a certificate for Red Cross and IFRC staff to use upon Arrival at the airport. This will supposedly allow for visa on arrival for Red Cross staff, but it is still not sure if this approach will work in practice, however 4 staff have already arrived and been granted visas on the basis of such a letter.
4. Flights arriving from Singapore into Burma are said to be easier for entry into the country than flights from Bangkok.
5. The US Military is planning to send 1 c-130 plane on Monday, as well as 2 more plane on Tuesday - using these as test flights. Both planes will be carrying emergency relief items.
6. Information coming from the Inter-agency Logistics team within Myanmar reveals that there is fuel available in the country for the time being and this includes airplane fuel.
7. There are heavy showers forecasted for next week, especially Tuesday through Thursday. This may have implications for access as roads potentially flood and this may hamper relief operations.
8. Communications have been established in 3 out of four townships, and the fourth is being worked on.
9. An early assessment reveals that 3000 schools have been damaged, out of which 75 percent have been severely damaged.
10. The Ministry of Health has promised that supplies coming into the country from WHO will be released to WHO staff in Myanmar.
11. There have been a few reports of diarrhea, but it is not known whether they are related to cholera and in order to prevent further outbreaks, the Ministry of Health has agreed to a surveillance system created by WHO.
    
    Tags: Asia / Myanmar, Burma, Cyclone, Nargis, Floods, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

Call for Emergency Volunteers by Australian Aid International

AAI (Australian Aid International) is seeking expressions of interest for persons wishing to volunteer to aid the relief effort in Burma. Suitable qualified and experienced people who have skills that would be beneficial to the AAI’s aid effort are encouraged to apply.

Suitable skills include but not limited to:

* Doctors
* Nurses
* Medics
* Public Health Specialists
* Engineers
* Builders
* IT Specialists
* Communication Specialists
* Logisticians
* Managers
* Community Development Specials


Important notes from the AAI website regarding this call for volunteers:

• In order to be successful candidates must also complete a AAI Introduction to Humanitarian Operation Course prior to deployment as a volunteer.
• Those wishing to apply can download the application form here.
• AAI we will only reply to those persons who are short listed for the Burma response
• Positions will be dependant on approval to enter Burma
• More information is available on +613 8625 0005 or via e-mail to info AT aai.org.au
  

Source: AAI's website & ReliefWeb

Tags: Asia / Myanmar, Burma, Cyclone, Nargis, Floods, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

IDP Camp Update from UNICEF - Key Figures Released

Following assessment teams returning from affected areas, the following WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) update was released by the UNICEF in Burma during an IASC (Inter-Agency Standing Committee) meeting last night. Of the key figures released regarding IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) in affected areas, 10,000 have been relocated as camps are too crowded and it is unclear as to how many IDPs have voluntarily relocated nor their distance while a chlorine producing factory is now operational and sanitation efforts have been initiated.


Bogale: 20,000 people living in 50 temporary “camps”
Pyapon: 16,000 people are living in 31 camps. In one of them, 5 latrines are shared by 3500 people.
Labutta: 150,000 people living in 117 camps.
Mawlamayinegyun: 50 percent of the villages have been destroyed and 20,000 people are living in 20 camps.


Urgent Needs:
Key problems with water supplies are that ponds are filled with dead bodies and cannot be used, and aquifers are saline. Normal water purification processes will not suffice in such circumstances. Buckets are one of the main needs and about 50,000 have been produced locally, but the need exists for 500,000 buckets.


UNICEF Contact Information for Donors:

Emergency WASH Specialist (based in Bangkok) - Roberto Saltori
Tel: +66 2356 9237 / E-Mail: rsaltori AT unicef.org



Source: UNICEF, May 10th IASC & Regional Cluster Lead Meeting

Tags: Asia / Myanmar, Burma, Cyclone, Nargis, Floods, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

Health, Water & Sanitation Update from Myaung Mya

The following health, water & sanitation update came in via SMS from a relief worker with World Vision who is on the ground in Burma, who requested us not to publish names of aid workers in-country due to the on-going & sensitive security issues:

According to the assessment team sent to Myaung Mya ADP, there are tens of thousands of severely affected people in 27 displacement camps who have moved from neighboring towns and villages including Laputta town. There are reports stating that nearly 1300 houses have been destroyed. In Hine Gyi Gyun island in the Ayeyarwaddy Delta, there are about 17,876 people affected from 25 villages.

Cases of diarrhea were reported by local residents since yesterday. The people are in dire need of water, sanitation assistance and medical supplies. Reports of children needing medical treatment is increasing daily. Tarpaulins are already out-of-stock in Yangon and relief teams are advised to purchase these from Mandalay, in-country.

Tags: Asia / Myanmar, Burma, Cyclone, Nargis, Floods, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

Situation Update from UN Resident Coordinator in Burma

Over the past 48 hours, the following updates were sent out, by Dan Baker who is the UN Resident Coordinator for Burma & the UN DAC, to relief teams responding to Cyclone Nargis:

1. The UN is now operating with a figure of 1, 5 million people severely affected. The official death figures are still 22 900, with 42 100 missing.
2. At least 226 000 people has been reached with emergency aid by 7th of May.
3. Message from UNDAC team to all relief teams: it is strongly recommended that only teams who possess pre-arrival visas are deployed to affected areas. Also it appears that visas are not available on arrival for persons other than diplomats from ASEAN+3 countries which are China, Japan, and South Korea
4. There are now 23 international agencies either operating in the affected areas, or planning to be operational.
5. IFRC and WFP relief flights have been landing in Yangon.
6. 62 Bangladeshi doctors without visas were reportedly turned back just prior to the UNDAC team landing in Myanmar.
7. The Government has now authorized the UN to airlift relief items to Myanmar from the United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot (UNHRD) in Brindisi.
8. Travel restrictions outside Yangon, are separate from the visa issue.
9. There is significant concern about the management of dead bodies in the country.
10. People seem to be coping by migrating out of the affected areas.
11. There has been some clearing of roads.
12. Electricity has been partly restored in some areas of Yangon.
13. UNICEF and Save the Children are currently leading on education and they are starting to plan for education to resume on 1 June, 2008.
14. Communication remains a critical issue: Phone networks (land line and mobile) have been partly recovered, but are still very limited while only UN agencies currently have internet access, though WFP is hoping to be able to move in some communications equipment in the coming days.
15. The water supply in Yangon has been switched back on but safe water remains a critical need in the Delta area. Queues for fuel in Yangon are 2-3km long.

Tags: Asia / Myanmar, Burma, Cyclone, Nargis, Floods, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

Important Logistics Information for Aid Cargo Clearance in Burma

The UNJLC (UN Joint Logistics Center) have provided important and useful documentation required for aid cargo and & related-logistics clearance in Burma for relief agencies and they are now available for pro-bono usage at the Myanmar Logistics Cluster website. Some of the documents linked to below are either in PDF or Zip formats and can be downloaded by right clicking and saving link as (or saving target as for the IE browser).


Key Documents

1. Air Cargo - Planning Arrival Form
2. Air Transport Procedures
3. Logistics & Planning Map (Flood Overview of Affected Areas)
4. Coordinates for Air Fields & Helipads


According to the UNJLC, the information required in the forms above and those available on the Logistics Cluster website will assist the teams at the participating airports responding to relief efforts in Burma to plan for the adequate unloading facilities (labor, equipment, etc.) while the the final destination of aid shipments will enable them to plan what kind of forwarding transport is required in country (boats/trucks). Once the relevant forms have been filled, aid agencies are requested to communicate details via e-mail or phone to the Logistics Cluster.


Logistics Cluster Contacts

Cluster Lead: Paul Wyatt- paul.wyatt AT wfp.org / 0095048701
Bangkok: Rachida Rabdelli - abdelli.rachida AT efp.org / +66 0817925635
Rangoon: Theo Lingens - theo.lingens AT googlemail.com

WFP Regional Office:
Matthew Hollingworth - matthew.hollingwoth AT wfp.org / +66 813635832
Kevin Howley - kevin.howley AT wfp.org / +66 813635573
Elena Rovaris - elena.rovaris AT wfp.org / +66 817925591




Source: UNJLC

Tags: Asia / Myanmar, Burma, Cyclone, Nargis, Floods, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

Google Earth And Nargis

From the Google Earth and Maps' team blog, this post about how Direct Relief International is using Google Earth for their relief operations.

(Direct Relief International's page on Nargis)

Tags: Asia / Myanmar
Cyclone, Nargis, Floods, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

Press Release: International Fund For Animal Welfare

"...When animals with lowered immune systems crowd together on high ground, in wet conditions, outbreaks of endemic diseases such as Foot and Mouth become a grave concern."

IFAW's press release. (IFAW is a "four-star" charity, according to Charity Navigator).

Tags: Asia / Myanmar Cyclone, Nargis, Floods, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

Cyclone Nargis - Images

Via NY Times' The Lede, some photographs from Burma. The Lede has some more reader-submitted photographs.

Tags: Asia / Myanmar
Cyclone, Nargis, Floods, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

Independent sites to watch for post-Nargis coverage

The Irrawady, a news site covering Burma and South-East Asia.

Burma Cyclone, run by a group of Columbia Journalism School students who previously spent almost eight months documenting the lives of Burmese refugees in New York for their Master's Project.

Myanmar Relief, a blog run by a Richard Blair, which has a lot of links and opinion.

Added on 10th May

Mizzima and Mizzima TV, 'specializing in Burma related news and media.'


Tags: Asia / Myanmar
Cyclone, Nargis, Floods, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

Phone Lines Restored in Yangon (Rangoon)

Phone lines have been restored in downtown Rangoon (Yangon), and Internet is back. With the exception of fallen trees and satellite dishes, things are life is resuming a sense of normacy.
Most houses in Rangoon are all brick and the walls are 1 to 3 feet thick and built to last back in the British days. The hardest hit area was in the surrounding suburbs and villages because the homes there are built on wood with bamboo stems due to poverty. They fared badly against 120mph wind and 12-ft waves.

Tags: Asia / Myanmar
Cyclone, Nargis, Floods, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

How you can help [Donations - Myanmar - Cyclone Nargis]

Google has donor links up to Unicef ("100% of your contributions through Google Checkout will reach the U.S. Fund for UNICEF to support emergency relief efforts for children") and Direct Relief International ("100% of all cash donations go to programs, and not to administration or fundraising") on this dedicated page.

Updates

The International Red Cross Red Crescent has launched a preliminary emergency appeal for 6.29 million Swiss francs (USD 5.9 million/€ 3.86 million). Also see this appeal (pdf file). [The IFRC online donation page, which has the option to specify that a donation will go to Myanmar; details on how to make bank transfers; dedicated Cyclone Nargis page]

UNICEF has a dedicated donation page here.

Direct Relief International's Cyclone Nargis page; their donation page; and their tribute donation page (if you would like to donate in honour of or in memory of someone).

Save the Children has a response up here, and their donation page is here.

Doctors Without Borders / Medicins Sans Frontieres has an initial response here, and a press release. And this is their donation page.

Thirst-Aid's website says that it is "is uniquely positioned to offer help to the people of Myanmar. Our team is already working to help the people of Yangon. The two factories we helped create to manufacture point of use ceramic water filters are working overtime to produce filters. And our in country health partners are working to set up safe water distribution centers which will provide safe water and re-hydration solutions for those in need." Their Paypal page is here, or can be accessed via the top left corner of their site, or you can support them via their partner, Asia Transpacific Foundation, on this page.

Watch this post for new links. I'll be adding more as I find them.

Tags: Asia / Myanmar
Cyclone, Nargis, Floods, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

Field Report From MSF's Website

"People tell stories of spending the night of the cyclone hanging on to trees all night long, while watching their villages being destroyed."

The full report can be read here.


Tags: Asia / Myanmar
Cyclone, Nargis, Floods, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

Help wanted

If you know someone in Myanmar/Burma, could you help us get in touch with them? We would like information about the situation, and, ideally, people in the country who could join us on the blog (and perhaps a wiki if we need one).

We'd like to hear from people with reliable NGOs, secular charities, even in government or administration. The kind of information we are looking for is what the scale of destruction is, what emergency supplies and essential commodities are most needed, where money could be most effectively donated, organisations that need volunteers (many are willing to fly to Myanmar at their own cost, for instance), and so on.

Leave a comment here, please, with some form of contact information so we can get back to you.

Tags: Asia / Myanmar
Cyclone, Nargis, Floods, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

Cholera Outbreak Reported in the Irrawaddy Delta

“The cholera outbreak has begun,” said one medical worker. “People have nothing to drink so they drink water from the creeks and rivers." Local medical personnel said some survivors from Kyein Kyi Chaung village in Bogalay have died of cholera. Cholera has also occurred among some survivors from Laputta. The government has been transferring Laputta refugees to Myang Mya Township daily, according to an army officer.

More than 600 villages are submerged in Burma/Myanmar's Irrawaddy delta along Cyclone Nargis’ deadly path. The worst-hit areas are Bogalay, Laputta, Mawlamyaing Gyun and Pyapon townships where more than 80,000 people have died and more than 700,000 people are homeless. Read the entire report

Tags: Asia / Myanmar
Cyclone, Nargis, Floods, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

Labutta, Burma, Union of Myanmar Residents Suffering after Cyclone

Struggling to breathe through the overpowering smells, residents of the Irwaddy delta town of Labutta wrapped layers of cloth around their faces and rubbed in balm to mask the odour. Death pervades this town so completely that many said they cannot sleep because ghosts of the cyclone victims torment them. One said: “We can’t sleep at night, because we can hear people shouting at night. Maybe these are the ghosts of the villagers."

One man said of the desperate survivors arriving from villages that had been wiped out: “The people have no emotion left on their faces. They have never seen anything like this before. They have lost their families, they have nowhere to stay, and they have nothing to eat. They don’t know what the future will bring. " Read the entire story

Tags: Asia / Myanmar
Cyclone, Nargis, Floods, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

Rocketing Fuel Prices in Yangon Leads to Newspaper Shutdowns

The Price of diesel fuel in Rangoon (Yangon), Burma, Union of Myanmar has increased from US$3.08 before Cyclone Nargis to US$15.72 per gallon afterwards. As the press must depend on generators after loss of electricity following the storm, at least 20 sport papers have suspended publication and only a few news journals continued to operate. Before the storm, Yangon had more than 100 papers which were regularly published. Read this story along with more coverage at Mizzima.

Tags: Asia / Myanmar
Cyclone, Nargis, Floods, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

Irrawaddy Reports Monks Working to Aid Nargis Survivors

Burma's Buddhist monks have taken on leading roles in aiding survivors and rebuilding homes in Burma, the Union of Myanmar, despite efforts of the government to halt their efforts. Read the entire story along with additional stories and photos at The Irrawaddy.

Tags: Asia / Myanmar
Cyclone, Nargis, Floods, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

Buddist Tzu Chi Foundation Aiding Cyclone Victims

Visa problems have been holding up aid from many NGOs to the victims of Cyclone Nargis in the Union of Myanmar (Burma). Buddhist group the Tzu Chi Foundation has, however, has already been able to provide aid to the cyclone victims. "Some 100 Thailand-based Tzu Chi members and volunteers have gone to Myanmar to distribute relief material and medicine to cyclone victims," Tzu Chi spokesman Ho Jih-sheng said. Read the entire article.

Tags: Asia / Myanmar
Cyclone, Nargis, Floods, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

Satellite pictures of the Myanmar coast

Images from NASA that show the Myanmar coast before and after Cyclone Nargis.

Flood water can be difficult to see in photo-like satellite images, particularly when the water is muddy. This pair of images from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite use a combination of visible and infrared light to make floodwaters obvious. Water is blue or nearly black, vegetation is bright green, bare ground is tan, and clouds are white or light blue.

On April 15, rivers and lakes are sharply defined against a backdrop of vegetation and fallow agricultural land. The Irrawaddy River flows south through the left-hand side of the image, splitting into numerous distributaries known as the Mouths of the Irrawaddy. The wetlands near the shore are a deep blue green. Cyclone Nargis came ashore across the Mouths of the Irrawaddy and followed the coastline northeast.

The entire coastal plain is flooded in the May 5 image. The fallow agricultural areas appear to have been especially hard hit. For example, Yangôn (population over 4 million) is almost completely surrounded by floods. Several large cities (population 100,000–500,000) are in the affected area. Muddy runoff colors the Gulf of Martaban turquoise.

Tags: Asia / Myanmar
Cyclone, Nargis, Floods, Breaking News, Disaster, Emergency, Humanitarian, Relief, Rescue

Situation Desperate in Irrawaddy Delta

In just three days the price of drinking water in Yangon (Rangoon), Burma (Union of Myanmar) has increased 500% and the price of rice has increased 60%. The Irrawaddy Delta, the rice-basket of this cycylone-affected country, is gravely affected. There are no telephones or electricity and airports--with the exception of Yangon International--are closed. It is estimated that 1,000,000 citizens may be without food, water, and shelter. Read the entire press release from Acción contra el Hambre (Spain)

The devastation in Burma (Myanmar) following Saturday's Cyclone Nargis appears to be much greater than originally thought. "We are looking at 50,000 dead and millions homeless," said Andrew Kirkwood, country director of the British charity Save The Children. "I’d characterise it as unprecedented in the history of Myanmar and on an order of magnitude with the effect of the tsunami on individual countries. It might well be more dead than the tsunami caused in Sri Lanka." Read the entire story

10,000 Believed Dead in Burma (Myanmar) Following Cyclone

In the wake of Saturday's tropical cyclone in Burma (Myanmar), a Yangon-based diplomat in Bangkok, following a briefing from Foreign Minister Nyan Win, told Reuters that it is believed that 10,000 persons were killed and 3,000 persons are missing.

The U.N. office in Yangon said there is an urgent need for plastic sheeting, water purification tablets, cooking equipment, mosquito nets, health kits and food, saying that the situation outside Yangon is "critical, with shelter and safe water being the principal immediate needs." Read the entire story

Burma (Myanmar) Reeling Following Cyclone Nargis

Five regions in Burma (Myanmar) were declared disaster zones Sunday after Tropical Cyclone Nargis smashed hundreds of houses, knocked out electricity and left at least four people dead.
The military run Myaddy television station said Yangon, Irrawaddy, Bago, Karen and Mon states were all heavily damaged by Saturday's cyclone, which packed winds of up to 120 mph.

It's a bad situation. Almost all the houses are smashed. People are in a terrible situation," said a United Nations official in Yangon. "All the roads are blocked. There is no water. There is no electricity," she said.

Read the entire story

Scientists Warn Reno, Nevada

Scientists urged residents of northern Nevada's largest city to prepare for a bigger event as the area continued rumbling Saturday after the largest earthquake in a two-month-long series of temblors. More than 100 aftershocks were recorded on the western edge of the city after a magnitude 4.7 quake hit Friday night, the strongest quake around Reno since one measuring 5.1 in 1953, said researchers at the seismological laboratory at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Read the entire story

Major quake kills three in western Indonesia

A major earthquake shook western Indonesia on Wednesday afternoon, killing at least three and injuring 25 others, officials in the country told CNN.

The magnitude 7.5 quake's epicenter was about 195 miles (315 km), south-southeast of Banda Aceh, on the Indonesian island of Simeulue, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

Read more ...

Tags: [Breaking News/Disaster/Emergency/Humanitarian/Relief/Rescue]

Millions to evacuate as cyclone slams into Bangladesh

A powerful cyclone battered the coast of Bangladesh on Thursday with strong winds, surging waves and heavy rain, forcing hundreds of thousands of villagers in the low-lying nation to seek shelter.

With maximum sustained winds of 149 mph (240 kilometers per hour), Tropical Cyclone Sidr swept in from the Bay of Bengal, buffeting southwestern coastal areas within a 155-mile (250-kilometer) radius of the storm's eye.

Source: CNN Asia

Tags: [Breaking News/Disaster/Emergency/Humanitarian/Relief/Rescue]

Comprehensive Information Available on California Wildfires

Comprehensive information about the 17 wildfires burning in Southern California from Malibu to the Mexican border--which has impacted approximately one million Americans--is available at NBC's KSND, San Diego, website. Included are news, maps, photos, a list of damaged homes, and evacuation orders. A Resource Guide is also provided.

Quakes Continue to Shake Indonesia

Indonesia continues to shake with a series of new aftershocks. How Earthquakes Happen is an excellent brief and non technical explanation of earthquakes from the BBC. The current list of earthquakes since the initial 8.4 magnitude tremor in reverse chronological order (from the United States Geological Survey) is as follows:

MAP 5.5 2007/09/13 16:59:26 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 6.2 2007/09/13 16:09:10 SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.6 2007/09/13 15:08:53 SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.1 2007/09/13 13:43:55 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 5.6 2007/09/13 13:10:20 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 5.2 2007/09/13 12:13:00 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 5.0 2007/09/13 11:57:17 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 6.2 2007/09/13 09:48:44 KEPULAUAN TALAUD, INDONESIA
MAP 5.4 2007/09/13 09:21:35 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 5.1 2007/09/13 06:37:23 MARTINIQUE REGION, WINDWARD ISLANDS
MAP 5.2 2007/09/13 06:32:49 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 5.0 2007/09/13 06:28:51 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 5.1 2007/09/13 05:53:24 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 5.0 2007/09/13 05:44:15 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 5.5 2007/09/13 05:23:24 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 5.2 2007/09/13 04:06:10 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 7.1 2007/09/13 03:35:26 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 5.5 2007/09/13 02:51:31 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 5.9 2007/09/13 02:30:01 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 5.0 2007/09/13 01:55:44 SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.2 2007/09/13 01:49:04 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 5.2 2007/09/13 01:38:05 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 5.8 2007/09/13 01:26:33 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 7.8 2007/09/12 23:49:01 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 5.1 2007/09/12 23:19:44 SOUTHWEST OF SUMATRA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.4 2007/09/12 22:17:17 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 5.1 2007/09/12 22:02:23 SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.9 2007/09/12 17:04:40 KEPULAUAN BARAT DAYA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.9 2007/09/12 16:37:01 SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.2 2007/09/12 15:35:05 SOUTHWEST OF SUMATRA, INDONESIA
MAP 6.0 2007/09/12 14:40:02 SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.3 2007/09/12 13:17:15 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 5.7 2007/09/12 13:02:08 SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.2 2007/09/12 12:21:44 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 8.4 2007/09/12 11:10:26 SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA

Indonesia Quake: UN Country Team Issue Stand-down Notice for International Relief Response

The following e-mail has been recevied by many international aid agencies, search and rescue crews and other stakeholders who have stepped up resources to respond to this disaster, from the UN Disaster Assessments and Coordination (UNDAC) and UN Country Team (UNCT), notifying them to stand-down from launching a major international relief response while stating that this is not a large scale catastrophe in Indonesian context, and the Government of Indonesia is in a position to respond to this emergency, with UNCT and relevant aid agencies support who are already based in-country:

"The UNCT team arrived in Bengkulu this morning. The team visited the hospital where they met the Minister of Social Affairs. They also met the Acting Governor and other government officials. They have information from all sub-district except two northern outlying sub-districts. 123 houses collapsed, 1,200 houses heavily damaged, and 2,400 houses lightly damaged. Six people reported dead and 23 injured according information from local authorities.

The general impression is that this is not a large scale catastrophe in Indonesian context, and the Government of Indonesia is in a position to respond to this emergency. There are needs for non-food items for IDPs (currently around 1400 persons), and rehabilitation of damaged houses. These we hope could be met with in-country resources.

Upon consultation with the humanitarian coordinator we do not expect establishing a major relief operation. We also do not think a major international relief response would be needed. Agencies in the country will be advised to provide support. We are monitoring the situation closely and will issue a situational report today. The team will leave behind two members to collect information on the remaining two sub-districts. The remaining will return to Banda Aceh. They will look into possibility of dropping two members in Padang to have an assessment but we already know from the local authorities that it is also not as devastating"

Tags: [South East Asia/Indonesia] [Earthquakes] [Breaking News/Disaster/Emergency/Humanitarian/Relief/Rescue]

Indonesia Quake: All tsunami warnings cancelled - Updates from OCHA regional offices

Via e-mail briefs from the UN OCHA offices in Indonesia and Geneva:


All tsunami warnings have now been cancelled including the recent alerts of last night by the Indonesian Metro Office. A team from Banda Aceh comprising OCHA and UN staff is en route to the affected area for inital assessment. A ministerial team is also enroute to assess the situation.

No official reports of damage or casualties have been received. However, local media, reports extensive damage to buildings, including tourist hotels in Jambi and Padang . Padang electricity is out in several locations and telephone connections disrupted, according to local media reports. Offical numbers of casualties stand at 7 people. This is expected to be updated later today. OCHA Geneva has alerted the Asia/Pacific UNDAC team as a cautionary measure.

A UN flight has already left Aceh to Bengkulu with staff from UNORC, UNICEF, WHO & WFP. Coordinating Minister for Peoples Welfare (Menko Kesra), Minister of Social Affairs, Minister of Information and Communication, and Chief Executive of BAKORNAS (Nation Coordination Agency for Disaster Management) reached Bengkulu this morning at 10:00 am local time.

According to Bapak Hasyan Kasyim, the Head of Bureau for Social Welfare of SATKORLAK, in Jambi there has been no significant damage. People panicked and rushed to go out from buildings. Only small numbers of houses have cracks on the walls. In Jelingsi District, some electricity poles were moved without damaging the electricity supply to the people. This has also confirmed by Jeong, Disaster Management Coordinator of IFRC who sent a team last night to Bengkulu.



Tags: [South East Asia/Indonesia] [Earthquakes] [Breaking News/Disaster/Emergency/Humanitarian/Relief/Rescue]

Quakes Continue in Indonesia

Following is a list of earthquakes in Indonesia in reverse chronological order beginning with the initial 8.2 quake through the 5.2 magnitude quake occuring at 4:06:10 UTC on September 13, 2007.

MAP 5.2 2007/09/13 04:06:10 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 7.1 2007/09/13 03:35:26 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 5.5 2007/09/13 02:51:31 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 5.9 2007/09/13 02:30:01 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 5.0 2007/09/13 01:55:44 SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.2 2007/09/13 01:49:04 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 5.2 2007/09/13 01:38:05 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 5.8 2007/09/13 01:26:33 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 7.8 2007/09/12 23:49:01 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 5.1 2007/09/12 23:19:44 SOUTHWEST OF SUMATRA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.4 2007/09/12 22:17:17 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 5.1 2007/09/12 22:02:23 SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.9 2007/09/12 17:04:40 KEPULAUAN BARAT DAYA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.9 2007/09/12 16:37:01 SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.2 2007/09/12 15:35:05 SOUTHWEST OF SUMATRA, INDONESIA
MAP 6.0 2007/09/12 14:40:02 SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.3 2007/09/12 13:17:15 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 5.7 2007/09/12 13:02:08 SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.2 2007/09/12 12:21:44 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 8.4 2007/09/12 11:10:26 SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA

New big quake in Indonesia's Sumatra, tsunami feared

Rescue teams and troops headed on Thursday for Indonesia's Sumatra coast as aftershocks continued to pound a region where a powerful earthquake the night before killed six people and perhaps many more.

Japan's Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning for Indian Ocean countries after the latest aftershock, a shallow quake which the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said measured 7.5.

"The city is in complete chaos. Everyone is heading to higher ground, I saw one house collapsed to the ground. I'm trying to save my family," said a Reuters witness in Padang, the capital of West Sumatra, soon after the first quake.

Indonesia's Health Ministry crisis centre in Jakarta said the latest casualty figures showed that six people had been killed and 40 injured after the initial 8.4 magnitude quake, which was also felt in neighbouring Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia.

Read the Full Article at Reuters AlertNet

Rescuers bound for Sumatra quake

At least two people are confirmed dead and dozens injured, though officials fear darkness and broken communications may be hiding the scale of the impact.

The quake, measured by US officials as magnitude 8.4, sparked tsunami alerts across the Indian Ocean.

However, only a small wave surge hit Sumatra, causing little damage.

More here.

Tags: [Breaking News/Disaster/Emergency/Humanitarian/Relief/Rescue]

Kenya, Tanzania under tsunami warning

Much of the East African coast was under a tsunami warning Wednesday, with Kenya and Tanzania urging residents to evacuate beaches following an earthquake in the Indian Ocean.

But in Seychelles, which would likely get hit by a tsunami before Kenya, authorities said the window for a strike had passed and they were no longer under a tsunami watch.

More here.

Tags: [Breaking News/Disaster/Emergency/Humanitarian/Relief/Rescue]

Indonesia Quake Magnitude Reclassified to 8.4 by USGS

The large quake in Indonesia has been reclassified by the USGS as an 8.4 magnitude. The continuing quakes (aftershocks) are also listed below in reverse chronological order.

MAP 5.9 2007/09/12 17:04:40 KEPULAUAN BARAT DAYA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.9 2007/09/12 16:37:01 SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.2 2007/09/12 15:35:05 SOUTHWEST OF SUMATRA, INDONESIA
MAP 6.0 2007/09/12 14:40:02 SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.3 2007/09/12 13:17:15 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 5.7 2007/09/12 13:02:08 SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.2 2007/09/12 12:21:44 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 8.4 2007/09/12 11:10:26 SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA

Death toll in Indonesia quake rise to two

The death toll from Bengkulu earthquake rose to two, Antara reported on Wednesday.

The news agency also reported that 13 people were injured in the 7.9-magnitude earthquake, which occurred at 6:10 p.m. Jakarta time.

Source: The Jakarta Post

Indonesia Quake: National Response to disaster underway

The President of Indonesia has instructed Menko kesra (Coordinating Ministry for Emergency Response), the national Police and Army (TNI) to prepare for deployment to the earthquake affected regions to assist in search and rescue and assess the needs of the people displaced by the earthquake.Several ministers are also expected to fly to the earthquake affected region at day break tomorrow (local time).

Department of Social Affairs (DepSos) in Indonesia has stated that it is sending search and rescue team along with medical teams to Bengkulu. Depsos is attempting to acquire more accurate information on the impact of the earthquake. The Governor of Bengkulu reports that the earthquake response system in Bengkulu province was activated immediately after the earthquake and is operating well.

An additional note via sms has just come in via a citizen blogger at Detik.com regarding a tsunami alert which was reported as an aftershock by Metro TV (via Jakarta Post)where the recent earthquake of 6.6 RS (5.9 RS USGS) in 33km underground off the south west coast of Sumatra has triggered a Tsunami alert. However, no tsunami has been reported.


Source: Detik.com / Menko Kesra

Indonesia Issues Second Tsunami Alert

A second tusnami alert has been issued by Indonesia. The city of Padang is in complete chaos following a 6.0 additional earthquake. Residents are fleeing for higher ground.

Read the entire report from Reuters here.

15:02 Update - Pacific Tsunami Warning Center

Convert your local time to UTC (listed below as "Z" or Zulu Time, which is the same as UTC) here.

TSUNAMI BULLETIN NUMBER 005
PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER/NOAA/NWS
ISSUED AT 1505Z 12 SEP 2007

THIS BULLETIN IS FOR ALL AREAS OF THE INDIAN OCEAN.

... FINAL INDIAN-OCEAN-WIDE TSUNAMI WATCH ...

THIS THE FINAL TSUNAMI WATCH FOR

INDONESIA / AUSTRALIA / INDIA / SRI LANKA / THAILAND /
UNITED KINGDOM / MALDIVES / MYANMAR / MALAYSIA / BANGLADESH /
MAURITIUS / REUNION / SEYCHELLES / MADAGASCAR / SOMALIA / OMAN /
PAKISTAN / IRAN / YEMEN / COMORES / CROZET ISLANDS /
MOZAMBIQUE / KENYA / TANZANIA / KERGUELEN ISLANDS /
SOUTH AFRICA / SINGAPORE
THIS BULLETIN IS ISSUED AS ADVICE TO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. ONLY
NATIONAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE
DECISIONS REGARDING THE OFFICIAL STATE OF ALERT IN THEIR AREA AND
ANY ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN IN RESPONSE.
AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS
ORIGIN TIME - 1110Z 12 SEP 2007
COORDINATES - 4.5 SOUTH 101.3 EAST
LOCATION - SOUTHERN SUMATERA INDONESIA
MAGNITUDE - 8.2
MEASUREMENTS OR REPORTS OF TSUNAMI WAVE ACTIVITY
GAUGE LOCATION LAT LON TIME AMPL PER
------------------- ----- ------ ----- --------------- -----
SIBOLGA ID 1.7N 98.8E 1434Z 0.09M / 0.3FT 52MIN
PADANG ID 0.9S 100.4E 1348Z 0.98M / 3.2FT 34MIN
COCOS CC 12.1S 96.9E 1236Z 0.11M / 0.4FT 22MIN
DART 23401 8.9S 88.5E 1421Z 0.02M / 0.1FT 15MIN
LAT - LATITUDE (N-NORTH, S-SOUTH)
LON - LONGITUDE (E-EAST, W-WEST)
TIME - TIME OF THE MEASUREMENT (Z IS UTC IS GREENWICH TIME)
AMPL - TSUNAMI AMPLITUDE MEASURED RELATIVE TO NORMAL SEA LEVEL.
IT IS ...NOT... CREST-TO-TROUGH WAVE HEIGHT.
VALUES ARE GIVEN IN BOTH METERS(M) AND FEET(FT).
PER - PERIOD OF TIME IN MINUTES(MIN) FROM ONE WAVE TO THE NEXT.
EVALUATION
SEA LEVEL READINGS INDICATE A TSUNAMI WAS GENERATED. IT MAY HAVE
BEEN DESTRUCTIVE ALONG COASTS NEAR THE EARTHQUAKE EPICENTER.

FOR THOSE AREAS - WHEN NO MAJOR WAVES HAVE OCCURRED FOR AT LEAST
TWO HOURS AFTER THE ESTIMATED ARRIVAL TIME OR DAMAGING WAVES HAVE
NOT OCCURRED FOR AT LEAST TWO HOURS THEN LOCAL AUTHORITIES CAN
ASSUME THE THREAT IS PASSED. DANGER TO BOATS AND COASTAL
STRUCTURES CAN CONTINUE FOR SEVERAL HOURS DUE TO RAPID CURRENTS.
AS LOCAL CONDITIONS CAN CAUSE A WIDE VARIATION IN TSUNAMI WAVE
ACTION THE ALL CLEAR DETERMINATION MUST BE MADE BY LOCAL
AUTHORITIES.

BASED ON AVAILABLE DATA THIS CENTER DOES NOT EXPECT MORE WIDESPREAD
DESTRUCTIVE EFFECT. HOWEVER ...
DUE TO ONLY LIMITED SEA LEVEL DATA FROM THE REGION IT MAY NOT
BE POSSIBLE FOR THIS CENTER TO RAPIDLY NOR ACCURATELY EVALUATE
THE STRENGTH OF A TSUNAMI IF ONE HAS BEEN GENERATED.
ESTIMATED INITIAL TSUNAMI WAVE ARRIVAL TIMES AT FORECAST POINTS
WITHIN THE WARNING AND WATCH AREAS ARE GIVEN BELOW. ACTUAL
ARRIVAL TIMES MAY DIFFER AND THE INITIAL WAVE MAY NOT BE THE
LARGEST. A TSUNAMI IS A SERIES OF WAVES AND THE TIME BETWEEN
SUCCESSIVE WAVES CAN BE FIVE MINUTES TO ONE HOUR.
LOCATION FORECAST POINT COORDINATES ARRIVAL TIME
-------------------------------- ------------ ------------
INDONESIA BENGKULU 3.9S 102.0E 1123Z 12 SEP
SIBERUT 1.5S 98.7E 1203Z 12 SEP
PADANG 0.9S 100.1E 1214Z 12 SEP
BANDAR LAMPUNG 5.7S 105.3E 1242Z 12 SEP
SIMEULUE 2.5N 96.0E 1243Z 12 SEP
CILACAP 7.8S 108.9E 1307Z 12 SEP
BANDA ACEH 5.5N 95.1E 1329Z 12 SEP
BALI 8.7S 115.3E 1345Z 12 SEP
KUPANG 10.0S 123.4E 1453Z 12 SEP
BELAWAN 3.8N 99.0E 1703Z 12 SEP
AUSTRALIA CHRISTMAS IS 10.4S 105.4E 1220Z 12 SEP
COCOS ISLAND 12.1S 96.7E 1234Z 12 SEP
NORTH WEST CAPE 21.5S 113.9E 1429Z 12 SEP
CAPE INSPIRATIO 25.9S 113.0E 1526Z 12 SEP
CAPE LEVEQUE 16.1S 122.6E 1542Z 12 SEP
PERTH 32.0S 115.3E 1545Z 12 SEP
AUGUSTA 34.3S 114.7E 1559Z 12 SEP
GERALDTOWN 28.6S 114.3E 1603Z 12 SEP
ESPERANCE 34.0S 121.8E 1726Z 12 SEP
KINGSTON SOUTH 37.0S 139.4E 1906Z 12 SEP
EUCLA MOTEL 31.8S 128.9E 1934Z 12 SEP
DARWIN 12.1S 130.7E 1948Z 12 SEP
HEARD ISLAND 54.0S 73.5E 1955Z 12 SEP
HOBART 43.3S 147.6E 2015Z 12 SEP
INDIA GREAT NICOBAR 7.1N 93.6E 1338Z 12 SEP
LITTLE ANDAMAN 10.7N 92.3E 1421Z 12 SEP
PORT BLAIR 12.0N 92.5E 1440Z 12 SEP
NORTH ANDAMAN 13.3N 92.6E 1453Z 12 SEP
CHENNAI 13.4N 80.4E 1540Z 12 SEP
KAKINADA 17.2N 82.7E 1604Z 12 SEP
TRIVANDRUM 8.3N 76.9E 1608Z 12 SEP
BALESHWAR 21.6N 87.3E 1701Z 12 SEP
MANGALORE 13.3N 74.4E 1732Z 12 SEP
BOMBAY 18.8N 72.6E 2005Z 12 SEP
GULF OF KUTCH 22.7N 68.9E 2019Z 12 SEP
SRI LANKA DONDRA HEAD 5.8N 80.5E 1447Z 12 SEP
TRINCOMALEE 8.7N 81.3E 1502Z 12 SEP
COLOMBO 6.9N 79.8E 1515Z 12 SEP
JAFFNA 9.9N 80.0E 1625Z 12 SEP
THAILAND PHUKET 8.0N 98.2E 1508Z 12 SEP
KO PHRA THONG 9.1N 98.2E 1554Z 12 SEP
KO TARUTAO 6.6N 99.6E 1626Z 12 SEP
UNITED KINGDOM DIEGO GARCIA 7.3S 72.4E 1526Z 12 SEP
MALDIVES GAN 0.6S 73.2E 1528Z 12 SEP
MALE 4.2N 73.6E 1544Z 12 SEP
MINICOV 8.3N 73.0E 1614Z 12 SEP
MYANMAR PYINKAYAING 15.8N 94.2E 1537Z 12 SEP
CHEDUBA ISLAND 18.9N 93.4E 1554Z 12 SEP
SITTWE 20.0N 92.9E 1629Z 12 SEP
MERGUI 12.8N 98.4E 1647Z 12 SEP
YANGON 16.2N 96.5E 1713Z 12 SEP
MALAYSIA GEORGETOWN 5.4N 100.1E 1704Z 12 SEP
PORT DICKSON 2.5N 101.7E 2048Z 12 SEP
BANGLADESH CHITTAGONG 22.5N 91.2E 1801Z 12 SEP
MAURITIUS PORT LOUIS 20.0S 57.3E 1803Z 12 SEP
REUNION ST DENIS 20.8S 55.2E 1820Z 12 SEP
SEYCHELLES VICTORIA 4.5S 55.6E 1847Z 12 SEP
MADAGASCAR TOAMASINA 17.8S 49.8E 1900Z 12 SEP
ANTSIRANANA 12.1S 49.5E 1905Z 12 SEP
MANAKARA 22.2S 48.2E 1919Z 12 SEP
CAP STE MARIE 25.8S 45.2E 2009Z 12 SEP
MAHAJANGA 15.4S 46.2E 2009Z 12 SEP
TOLIARA 23.4S 43.6E 2034Z 12 SEP
SOMALIA HILALAYA 6.5N 49.2E 1922Z 12 SEP
CAPE GUARO 11.9N 51.4E 1933Z 12 SEP
MOGADISHU 2.0N 45.5E 1938Z 12 SEP
KAAMBOONI 1.5S 41.9E 2004Z 12 SEP
OMAN SALALAH 17.0N 54.2E 1930Z 12 SEP
DUQM 19.7N 57.8E 1939Z 12 SEP
MUSCAT 23.9N 58.6E 1943Z 12 SEP
PAKISTAN GWADAR 25.1N 62.4E 1937Z 12 SEP
KARACHI 24.7N 66.9E 2031Z 12 SEP
IRAN GAVATER 25.0N 61.3E 1943Z 12 SEP
YEMEN AL MUKALLA 14.5N 49.2E 2003Z 12 SEP
ADEN 13.0N 45.2E 2100Z 12 SEP
COMORES MORONI 11.6S 43.3E 2006Z 12 SEP
CROZET ISLANDS CROZET ISLANDS 46.4S 51.8E 2009Z 12 SEP
MOZAMBIQUE CABO DELGADO 10.7S 40.7E 2034Z 12 SEP
ANGOCHE 15.5S 40.8E 2044Z 12 SEP
QUELIMANE 18.0S 37.1E 2213Z 12 SEP
MAPUTO 25.9S 32.8E 2218Z 12 SEP
BEIRA 19.9S 35.1E 2246Z 12 SEP
KENYA MOMBASA 4.0S 39.7E 2039Z 12 SEP
TANZANIA LINDI 9.8S 39.9E 2039Z 12 SEP
DAR ES SALAAM 6.7S 39.4E 2047Z 12 SEP
KERGUELEN ISLAN PORT AUX FRANCA 49.0S 69.2E 2049Z 12 SEP
SOUTH AFRICA PRINCE EDWARD I 46.6S 37.6E 2146Z 12 SEP
DURBAN 29.8S 31.2E 2205Z 12 SEP
PORT ELIZABETH 33.9S 25.8E 2256Z 12 SEP
CAPE TOWN 34.1S 18.0E 2359Z 12 SEP
SINGAPORE SINGAPORE 1.2N 103.8E 0048Z 13 SEP
THE JAPAN METEOROLOGICAL AGENCY MAY ISSUE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
FOR THIS EVENT. IN THE CASE OF CONFLICTING INFORMATION...THE
MORE CONSERVATIVE INFORMATION SHOULD BE USED FOR SAFETY.

Time Elapse for Possible Tsunami Following Indonesia Earthquake

Above is a graphic issued by GDACS Disaster Monitoring indicating time lapse for possible tsunami following the 7.9 earthquake in Indonesia.

The magnitude of the earthquake occuring at 11:10:26 UTC in Indonesia has been revised to 8.2. UTC can be converted to your local time here.

Sri Lanka also lifts Tsunami Warning

Sri Lanka lifted a tsunami alert issued on Wednesday for its north, south and eastern districts after a major earthquake in Indonesia, the National Disaster Management Centre said. "We have lifted the warning as there is no threat anymore, there will not be a major wave," said Keerthi Ekanayake, an official at the centre. The alert was lifted soon after Indonesia's meteorological agency lifted its own tsunami warning.

Source: Reuters AlertNet

Indonesia lifts Tsunami Warning

Indonesia's meteorological agency lifted its tsunami warning, which it had issued on Wednesday after a strong earthquake measuring 7.9 struck Sumatra island. The agency also said via a telephone text message that there had been no tsunami.

Source: Reuters AlertNet

Indonesia Quake: UN OCHA to conduct initial assessments tomorrow

The following was sent via SMS from the UN OCHA office in Indonesia:

Tomorrow morning), a team from Banda Aceh comprising OCHA and UN staff will be dispatched into the affected area for inital assessment. As of now, there is no contact to the affected area (by OCHA field office Indonesia) due to interrupted communication lines. Unconfiremd reports from IFRC indicate damage to houses and infrastructure. OCHA Geneva has alerted the Asia/Pacific UNDAC team as a cautionary measure.

Sri Lanka Tsunami: Estimates times of Tsunami Occurances

Via ColomboPage:

The Pacific Tsunami Center have issued Sri Lanka with a warning, stating that the tsunami can reach Dondra around 8.04 PM, Trincomalee around 8.59 PM, Colombo 9.12 PM and Jaffna 10.32 PM. All are local times, Sri Lanka is +530 GMT/UTC. The Sri Lanka Disaster Management Centre has warned the residents of the north, east, south and southwestern coastal areas to leave to safer grounds.


Source: Sri Lanka Disaster Management Center / PTWC

Predicted Tsunamis in Indonesia - JRC

According to the JRC (Joint Reserch Center) at the European Commision, a tsunami wave model predicts a tsunami of over 2.5 meters in 20 minutes at Pondokkapoer, Siabun, Kandan Indonesia, Lubuklintang and another within 30 minutes at Kembangnadar, Lais, Kerkap


Source: JRC

Srilanka issues Tsunami Warning

Following the 8.0 earthquake in West Sumatra, Sri Lanka has issued a Tsunami warning and has advised everyone to stay away from the beaches.

Source: Reuters AlertNet

Several Buildings in Padang in West Sumatra, Indonesia Collapse

Several buildings in Padang in West Sumatra, Indonesia have collapsed following the 8.0 earthquake.

Source: Reuters AlertNet

TSUNAMI ALERT - INDIAN OCEAN

TSUNAMI BULLETIN NUMBER 002PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER/NOAA/NWSISSUED AT 1153Z 12 SEP 2007

TSUNAMI WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR INDONESIA / AUSTRALIA / INDIA / SRI LANKA / THAILAND / UNITED KINGDOM / MALDIVES / MYANMAR / MALAYSIA / BANGLADESH / MAURITIUS / REUNION / SEYCHELLES / MADAGASCAR / SOMALIA / OMAN / PAKISTAN / IRAN / YEMEN / COMORES / CROZET ISLANDS / MOZAMBIQUE / KENYA / TANZANIA / KERGUELEN ISLANDS / SOUTH AFRICA / SINGAPORE THIS BULLETIN IS ISSUED AS ADVICE TO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES.

Further information . . .



Tags: [Americas/Suriname] [Floods] [Breaking News/Disaster/Emergency/Humanitarian/Relief/Rescue]

Malaysian Authorities issue warning to stay away from beach

Due to the Indonesian quake, a series of Tsunami warnings have been issued. Malaysian Authorities have issued Tsunami warnings for all of its coasts and have requested people to stay away from the beaches.

Source: Reuters AlertNet

Indian Government Ocean Centre Issues Tsunami Alert for Andaman

Indian Government Ocean Centre has issued a Tsunami Alert for the Andaman Islands after the 8.0 Quake in Indonesia. No Alert has been issued for the mainland as yet.

Source: Reuters AlertNet

Powerful Earthquake in Indonesia, Tsunami Alert Issued

A powerful earthquake has struck off the western Indonesian island of Sumatra, triggering a tsunami alert.

The tremor had a magnitude of 7.9, according to the Indonesian Meteorological Institute. It caused buildings in the capital, Jakarta, to sway, and some offices were evacuated, reports say. There are no reports of damage or casualties.

A massive undersea earthquake sparked a tsunami that killed more than 130,000 people in Indonesia in December 2004. Indonesia, part of the seismically active Pacific "Ring of Fire", is frequently shaken by earth tremors.

The latest quake struck at 1810 (1110 GMT), about 15km (nine miles) under the sea, some 100km (60 miles) south-west of the city of Bengkulu, the US Geological Survey said.

Source: BBC News

Magnitude 6.0 Earthquake in Tonga

According to this USGS alert, there's a magnitude 6.0 quake in Tonga, with the epicenter at 95 miles North North West of Neiafu, Tonga.

Rescuers give up hope for finding more survivors

According to PR-Inside, rescue workers have given up hope of finding any more survivors in the destruction caused by the 8.0 earthquake that occurred in Peru last week, killing over 500 people.

Tags: [Americas/Peru] [Earthquake]

Oxfam Reports Rural Situation in Peru "Desperate"

Following last Wednesday's earthquake in Peru, thousands of persons in the rural regions are in desperate need of water, sanitation, and building materials for refuge, according to international NGO Oxfam.
Tags: [Americas/Suriname] [Floods] [Breaking News/Disaster/Emergency/Humanitarian/Relief/Rescue]