Summary
Content
- Update on Uganda
- Request for input on Bangladesh
- Zimbabwe Fuel Report
- Acceptance of the L&T guidelines for interaction with the private sector
- Philippines watch
Uganda
Coordination & Information Management:
- Proposal to close the Logistics Cluster in Uganda has been finalized and submitted to Head of OCHA in Soroti to be forwarded to the country team.
Interagency Air Operations:
- To date, the interagency helicopter operation has airlifted over 686.469mt of relief supplies and carried over 721 passengers (mostly distribution teams) to inaccessible areas.
· Air operation closes on 25th November’07
Warehousing:
- The interagency NFI warehouse in Soroti (500m2 capacity) will continue to operate until 10th of December, no additional stock expected
- In Katakwi Town, 350m2 warehouse was closed on 16th November.
Boat:
- The boat operation was closed on 16.11.2007
- During its subsequent use it provided an invaluable contribution to broadening the reach of agencies operating in the locality. Providing both a lifeline for people needing to be evacuated and access to the affected area for assessments and distributions conducted by local authorities, NGO’s, vulnerable people and the Clergy.
Uganda Logistics Cluster Closure:
Improvement in the weather and road conditions has decreased demand for the air operation. Monitoring of road conditions allowed the Logistics Cluster to advise partners on surface transport use. Right now there is a significant amount of rental trucks available in Soroti, Amuria and Katakwi districts. IOM is also providing 6x6 tracks on a cost recovery bases. Number of Cargo movement and storage requests significantly reduced from the end of October onwards. In light of the improved situation and absence of logistics gaps and bottlenecks in the area, the Logistics Cluster Partners have supported the recommendation of the closer of the Logistics Cluster.
Therefore, subject to country team concurrence, the Logistics Cluster will close on 25.11.07.
Bangladesh
As you know there is an LRT deploying to Bangladesh comprised of one WFP logistician, one from ACF and another from UNICEF. We have so far had word from four different organisations regarding their response to this crisis. All relevant details including information coming from the LRT, once on the ground, will be posted on the logistics cluster website: www.logcluster.org.
We requests all logistics cluster participants to keep us informed on their response so that we can post the information for the benefit of others. If you don't have situation reports etc perhaps you could pass on the contact details of your field staff in order that the LRT can get in contact with them in Bangladesh.
Zimbabwe Fuel Report
In August 2007, WFP commissioned a study into the fuel situation in Zimbabwe, concentrating on the availability of fuel in this challenging environment. There are some useful recommendation to WFP which we thought worth sharing with the logs cluster participants. We hope that it is useful to you. If you should have any queries/comments please let us know.
L&T Guidelines - Interaction with the Private Sector
In the absence of comments (deadline COB today as per last week's update) we are going to consider the attached guidelines (LET's and Cluster Relationship Guidelines) as accepted by the logistics cluster participants.
Philippines Watch
The following update has been forwarded by the WFP office in the Philippines:
The following update has been forwarded by the WFP office in the Philippines:
Typhoon MINA has continuously gained strength over the past few days as it nears mainland Philippines. As of 1000H of Nov 23, it already has maximum sustained winds of 175 kph near the center with gustiness up to 210 kph. The forecast peak sustained winds is 210-220 kph with gustiness that could be more than 250 kph. It has also slowed down moving westerly at 9 khp – this means that it carries a lot of water, among others. The elements of a supertyphoon are all present in this weather system. It is expected to hit land over the weekend and be out of the country by late Monday or Tuesday.
Different weather agencies in the AP region have different forecasts of the typhoon track and where to make the landfall. The Philippine weather bureau (PAGASA) forecasts the typhoon track as hitting the Bicol Region (same region hit by the Dec 2006 supertyphoon) while Japan and Hawaii based warning agencies indicate a landfall somewhere up north in the area of central Luzon (Please see attached forecasts). Whichever way the typhoon goes, it poses huge danger to life and property in 6-8 provinces with an estimated population of 10-12 million that will be directly hit.
GoP Preparedness Activities
In the Bicol Region, pre-emptive evacuation of families who are potentially at risk has been undertaken for the past two days. As of this report, a total of 10,348 families have been evacuated to temporary evacuation centers and private houses in four provinces. These were the provinces that bore the brunt of the Dec 2006 supertyphoon. Other provinces in adjacent regions are also undertaking evacuation of families in risky areas where 5,163 families or 26,613 persons have been evacuated to safer areas. A total of 15,511 families or 77,000 persons have been evacuated so far.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has prepositioned stockpiles worth P41M (~USD950,000) in threatened regions. Standby funds amounting to P3.2M (~USD74,420) has also been made available. The Department of Health (DOH) has beefed up supplies of essential medical supplies of regional health centers, and placed on standby P3M worth of medical supplies in the national capital. All available assets of the Armed Forces (AFP) have been placed on standby for any eventuality. The Transmission Corporation (TRANSCO) has prepositioned materials for immediate restoration of toppled electric posts. The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) Operations Center has been activated into an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) which required all national frontline agencies to put liaison officers on duty 24/7 at the NDCC OPCEN. This has facilitated IM function and inter-agency coordination. Local DCCs and government frontline
agencies are regularly fed with early warning updates and advisories by the weather bureau through the NDCC OPCEN.
Assessment of Potential Impact vs Capacity
GoP resources prepositioned, at the moment, MAY NOT suffice to address the potential humanitarian impact of TY MINA which threatens to directly hit 6-8 provinces with an estimated 10 - 12 million population (est 2 - 3 million households). GoP resources would be further exhausted in addressing potential humanitarian needs in other areas affected by the combined effects of TY MINA, northeast monsoon and the prevailing La Nina.