OCHA/GVA - 2001/0183
OCHA Situation Report No. 4
Central America - Drought
5 September 2001
"Estado de Calamidad Pública" declared in Guatemala
Regional Overview
1. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that the rainy season started with abundant rains in May, and a bumper harvest was needed for the region to recover from the shortfall caused by a series of natural disasters in recent years. However, the earlier expectations of a 13 per cent increase in aggregate cereal output from last year's drought-affected crop were lowered by a dry spell in June and July. Current estimates suggest an aggregate cereal output of 2.3 million tons for these countries, some 8 per cent lower than the last five-year average.
2. The dry spell in June affected crops in their early stages of growth, and erratic and unevenly distributed rains of July and August resulted in localized crop losses throughout the region. The drought severely reduced cereal as well as vegetable production in home gardens and communal plots, which are important sources not only of food but also income for the poorest families.
3. The first crop harvested in August normally provides small family farms with food until the end of the year, when the second crop is due to be harvested, as well as seeds for the following planting season. The capacity of the affected farmers to recover from the effects of the drought by increasing the area planted in the second and third planting season is limited due to the lack of seeds. FAO is collaborating with governments, international and civil society organizations in the provision of agricultural inputs for planting second season crops.
Guatemala
4. According to the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Guatemala, seven departments in the south-east of the country have been affected as reported below:
Departments | Number of Communities | Families affected |
| El Progreso | 67 | 4,032 |
| Zacapa | 46 | 2,327 |
| Santa Rosa | 21 | 1,743 |
| Jalapa | 12 | 1,126 |
| Baja Verapaz | 30 | 2,636 |
| Jutiapa | 7 | 1,084 |
| Chiquimula | Not Available | Not Available |
| TOTAL | 183 | 12,948 |
5. Farmers living off less than two hectares of rented land have lost 50 per cent of their harvest and it is estimated that some 60,000 children are suffering from serious food shortages.
6. The precarious food situation is not only caused by the severe, but also by the extensive poverty. It is feared that at the end of 2002 the number of affected families might increase to 25,000.
National Response
7. The President of Guatemala declared "El Estado de Calamidad Pública" on 3 September, as serious food shortages became evident. The action was taken by the Government to facilitate its response to the emergency.
8. The Ministry of Agriculture, together with the World Food Programme, El Fondo de Inversión Social (FIS), El Fondo Nacional para la Paz (FONAPAZ), La Asociación Intervida y el Proyecto de Desarrollo Integral de Comunidades Rurales, started delivering food supplies in the department of El Progreso.
International Response
- WFP is distributing 238 MT of maize, beans and vegetable oil to 4,032 families in El Progreso. WFP is redirecting food supplies from its ongoing development projects in Guatemala.
- UNICEF has been monitoring the situation on nutrition, and distributing vitamin A tablets and oral rehydration salts.
- WHO is advising the Minister of Health and coordinating technical assistance with the Instituto de Nutrición de Centro América y Panamá (INCAP).
- The United Nations Disaster Management Team (UN-DMT) is monitoring the situation in collaboration with national authorities.
9. Thus far, the Government of Guatemala has not requested international assistance.
Interested donors are requested to contact the following agencies:
WFP Representative in Guatemala:
Dorte Ellehammer
Tel. +(502) 333-5928
Fax. +(502) 333-7423
Email: dorte.ellehammer@wfp.org
UNICEF Representative in Guatemala:
Elizabeth Gibbons
Tel. +(502) 333-6373
Fax: +(502) 333-6317
Email: egibbons@unicef.org
10. Information on contributions to this disaster may be found by clicking on Financial Tracking on the OCHA Internet Website, www.reliefweb.int.
11. For coordination purposes, donors are requested to inform OCHA Geneva, on relief missions/pledges/contributions and their corresponding values by item. Donors are encouraged to notify OCHA Geneva of their contributions to this disaster using the OCHA Standardised Contributions Recording Format, available electronically on the above-mentioned Financial Tracking Website.
12. OCHA is prepared to serve as channel for cash contributions to be used for immediate relief assistance, in coordination/consultation with relevant organizations in the United Nations system. Funds should be transferred to:
Bank name: Chase Manhattan Bank, NY
Address: International Agencies Branch
1166, Avenue of Americas, 17th floor
New York, NY 10036-2708 USA
A/C name: United Nations Geneva General Fund
A/C: 485-001802
ABA Code: 021000021 (US Banking Code)
Swift Code: CHASU33
Reference: OCHA - Central America - Drought
OCHA provides donors with written confirmation and pertinent details concerning the utilization of the funds contributed.
13. This Situation Report and further information on ongoing emergencies are also available on the OCHA Internet Website at http://www.reliefweb.int
Telephone: +41-22-917 12 34
Fax: +41-22-917 00 23
E-mail: ochagva@un.org
In case of emergency only: Tel. +41-22-917 20 10
Desk Officers: Mr. Erik Haegglund / Ms. Masayo Kondo
Direct Tel. +41-22-917 3299 / 1997
Press contact:
(GVA) Ms. Elizabeth Byrs Direct Tel. +41-22-917 26 56
(N.Y.) Ms. Phyllis Lee Direct Tel. +1-212-963 48 32
