Earthquake in El Salvador
Situation Report, 16 January 2001
The magnitude of the earthquake in El Salvador has left 594 dead, 1830 injured,
73 pubic buildings damaged, 7691 houses destroyed and 688 houses buried.
Close to 185 aftershocks have affected a number of neighborhoods near the capital,
San Salvador, since Saturday. These have now been declared high-risk zones in
which approximately 17, 941 people were evacuated.
On the health front, from recent field visits and reports, 1346 beds have been
rendered unusable in the local hospitals.
Initial reports have indicated the following damages:
- The Surgical Unit of the Rosales Hospital was completely damaged;
- the old wing (dating back 80 years) of the San Rafael Hospital (located
in Santa Tecla, the most affected region) was destroyed;
- the second floor of the National Maternity Hospital of San Salvador was
damaged enough to evacuate its patients to a temporary location.
In the interior of the country, the most damaged were the National Hospitals
in San Miguel, Zacatecoluca and Usulutan. Several health units also reported
damage - mostly damage to the roofs and walls.
PAHO/WHO Technical Cooperation
PAHO is providing assistance in epidemiological surveillance in hospitals and
in intensifying efforts against diarrhea from rotavirus, dengue, and cholera
and in implementing vector control.
Daily monitoring systems are in place in temporary shelters - of which there
are 87. The biggest problem has been in sanitation and excreta disposal.
A measles vaccination campaign, already slated for 22 January, will go forward
as planned prior to the earthquake.
PAHO is advising on the setup of temporary morgues for the corpses that have
been recovered from the debris.
Mental Health
A national group has been established and local groups are being organized
with the participation of representatives from UNDP, UNICEF, PAHO and the National
Inter-institutional Committee.
These groups are working with the press to use the media as a means of educating
and training the public instead of only printing the alarming details of the
disaster.
A national plan has been developed which recommends the allotment of psychotropic
substances for use in preserving the mental health of the population after the
disaster.
Environmental Sanitation
Actions have been focused on controlling basic sanitation in camps and the
provision of safe drinking water for the population.
Latrines have been purchased for all camps and drinking water stations. So
far 100 have been purchased.
Safe food handling procedures are being developed for the camps.
