Alejandra Arauz
At least nine people have died and more than 47,000 have been forced to leave their homes as a result of heavy rains and floods that have swept across the north of the Dominican Republic since 20 November.
Many have seen their livelihoods wiped out as the floods inundated 200,000 hectares of farmland, including rice and banana plantations. The flooding is worst in the Cibao valley and in particular where the Yaque del Norte and Yuna Rivers have burst their banks.
According to the state-run Emergency Operation Centre (COE), the provinces of Santiago, Valverde, Montecristi, Duarte, María Trinidad Sánchez, and Samaná have been affected.
The COE, which has declared a red alert, is concerned that water may begin pouring out of the Moncion and Hatillo dams, worsening an already serious emergency.
Several relief organisations - including the Civil Defence, the Fire Department and the Dominican Red Cross (CRD) - have been taking part in the evacuations and search and rescue operations. More than 64,000 affected people were reached and over 14,000 thousand food rations, blankets and mattresses have been distributed to the most vulnerable victims.
As well as the search and rescue operation, CRD volunteers are engaged in other activities such as providing psychosocial support to affected people and keeping them informed about the situation.
The water and sanitation situation is a major cause for concern. Many water sources have been contaminated and flood waters have reportedly been seeping into the damaged water systems. In addition, there are fears of increased risks of outbreaks of dengue fever and malaria.
To counter these threats, the CRD has sent a water truck to the affected areas and is working closely with the national water company in the provision of clean water. It is also launching a campaign to raise awareness among the population about waterborne diseases and hygiene.
To help the Dominican Red Cross in drawing up and implementing an action plan, experts from the International Federation’s Panama-based disaster response unit and the Venezuela Red Cross have travelled to the island. At the same time, CRD teams are conducting assessments on the ground, though this work has been hampered by the fact that many roads remain flooded.
The destruction of agricultural land is also a major concern. Given that planting for the new harvest should be completed by the end of November, the floods are likely to lead to some food shortages and loss of income for small-scale farmers.
To date, a total of 21 shelters, many of which are in schools, have been set up. Many of them are accommodating displaced Haitians. As a result, the CRD is liaising with the Haitian National Red
Cross Society in view of the affected Haitian migrant population.