ESA/EU-Digest report: HELP-Floods in Suriname: International Charter activated
At least three people have been killed and an estimated 25 000 people have been displaced in Suriname as a result of flooding caused by torrential rains since 1 May. Approximately 25 000-30 000 square kilometres are currently under water, and the government has declared the southwest and central lowlands disaster zones. In response to the crisis, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has called for helicopters to deliver relief supplies. According to media reports, a Dutch relief plane flew medicine, blankets, stretchers, tarpaulins and mosquito nets to the area on Monday. Suriname was a part of the Netherlands Kingdom until it became independent in 1975. The Suriname military is also reported to have been distributing food packages and hygienic items. According to OCHA, an increase in the number of respiratory infections has been reported and stored rainwater, used for drinking, is quickly diminishing. Malaria is also a growing concern as it is endemic in the interior of Suriname.
In order to observe the crisis, the U.N. Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) requested maps of the area from the International Charter "Space and Major Disasters".A map provided by GMES RESPOND over the area south of Paramaribo to Pr. Van Blommestein Meer, was comprised of European Space Agency Envisat satellite imagery, which you can see at
http://www.esa.int/esaEO/SEMRZA9ATME_environment_0.html and complemented by Spot 5 satellite data. The data covering water bodies were derived from NASA’s Landsat 7 satellite. Help is urgenly required to resettle and feed the displaced people from the disaster area in Suriname. Please contact one of the following organizations for further information on how you can help:
Samen voor Suriname: http://www.giro797.nl/nl-NL/Content.aspx?type=content&id=599,
Netherlands Red Cross: http://www.rodekruis.nl/nieuws/nieuws_index.phtml#,
Oxfam Novib: http://www.novib.nl/
Terre des Hommes: http://www.terredeshommes.nl/index.html
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