PRESS CONFERENCE BY Assistant Secretary-General for humanitarian affairs

An appeal seeking approximately $37 million to assist victims of the Peru earthquake would be officially launched early next week, Margareta Wahlström, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, said at Headquarters this morning.

At a press conference where she briefed correspondents on United Nations relief efforts in response to natural disasters, she said $9.6 million from the Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) had already been allocated to ensure the availability of resources.  The Prime Minister of Peru had made the announcement at a press conference yesterday afternoon.

There had been an enormous outpouring of assistance from countries in the subregion, regional banks and non-governmental organizations, she said.  Relief efforts were proceeding well, despite some organizational issues in terms of distribution and access to people in need, and problems of hygiene and sanitation.  In the next few weeks, however, there would be efforts to clear the rubble from the widespread destruction of churches, public buildings and homes and to establish emergency employment schemes.  With 514 people dead so far and 1,000 injured, United Nations assessments were reaching out to rural areas and the Government was conducting a local census to establish the correct numbers of people in need.

Turning to Hurricane Dean, she said the category 5 storm had now been downgraded, although a hurricane warning remained in effect for the Gulf of Mexico coastline.  While only a relatively limited number of people had been killed, the hurricane had caused huge economic damage to power networks, as well as the agriculture and fisheries of many Caribbean islands.  Those left homeless in Haiti and Jamaica were being supported by the authorities, the United Nations system and voluntary organizations.  Hopefully, the disaster relief operation would be relatively short, with the focus on recovery.

She then turned to the floods in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, where a week of torrential rains had dumped up to 850 millimetres of rain -- at least half of the country’s annual rainfall.  Momentum was building for an appeal to be launched early next week.  It had been agreed that about 400,000 people had been affected in 92 counties, with 221 dead.  Agriculture had been seriously hit, but the floodwaters were now receding.  The United Nations appeal would focus on providing food and emergency medical, water and sanitation needs.

She noted that the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies had launched an appeal on 20 August for $5.5 million.  There was a lot of interest by the donors, who were waiting for the United Nations to determine the first priorities, which would be available next week.  All the relevant United Nations agencies had staff in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, many of them having worked there for 10 years or more.  They knew the environment well and had actively led the needs assessments in all the affected areas.

Emphasizing the vulnerability of all countries to the increasing number of weather-related disasters, she noted the mid-western United States had also just suffered severe flooding.  There was a need for preparedness, early warning systems and consistent collaboration in reducing the human and economic impact of disasters.

In response to a question, she said the appeal for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea was estimated at “somewhere between $15 million and $20 million”.

She told another correspondent that, while there were sufficient supplies of water, food, plastic sheeting, blankets and other needs in Peru, there was a need to improve coordination.

Asked whether there had been access problems in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, she said all the affected areas had been assessed.  Where areas had been difficult to reach, that had been the result of physical obstacles like collapsed bridges.  Those problems were mainly in the eastern and south-eastern parts of the country.

In response to a question about the Government of Somalia directing who should receive assistance, she said she was unaware of any efforts to prevent assistance reaching those in need.  However, many people had left the capital, Mogadishu, and a growing number needed assistance.

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For information media • not an official record