Measuring Commitment to Best Practice
HRI 2008
NICARAGUA
In September 2007, Hurricane Felix hit the Northern coast of Nicaragua. The category 5 hurricane caused more than 100 deaths, the disappearance of 86 and the destruction of 10,000 homes. According to the Nicaraguan government, more than 188,000 people were affected by Felix.
The humanitarian crisis
• Victims. The hurricane devastated an area where 300,000 people live, 80% of whom suffer from extreme poverty. Almost 20,000 homes were damaged, 10,000 of which were completely destroyed. The agriculture and livestock sectors in the area were affected severely, therefore worsening the quality of live of a population already living in extreme poverty.
•Response Difficulties. The region is one of the most remote and poorest of the country; the lack of infrastructure and limited logistical capacity made responding to the population’s most urgent needs difficult.
Source: OCHA, Situation Report 2 – Hurricane Felix 18 September 2007
Maps
- Situation map – Felix Hurricane in Nicaragua
Source: Reliefweb.
Background information on Nicaragua
• Population (2004): 5.5 million
• Human Development Index (2005): 110th out of 170 countries
• Gender-related Development Index (2005): 98th out of 177 countries
• GDP per capita (2005): $3,674
• Life expectancy at birth (2000-2005): 71.9 years
• Infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births (2005): 37
• Undernourished population (2002-2004): 27%
• Population not using an improved water source (2004): 21%
• Adult literacy rate (1995-2005): 76.7%
• Official Development Assistance (2005): -
• Political system: Representative Democratic Republic
Source: Human Development Report, 2007
The humanitarian response
• United Nations. The UN Flash Appeal for Nicaragua requested 41,742,000 dollars. 60.5% of this amount was covered by the contributions of the donors.
• Main donors. The main donor was the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), which provided 30.2% of the funding. It was followed by the United States with 19.5% and the European Commission (ECHO) with 14.5%.
Source: OCHA, Financial Tracking Service
More information
• OCHA's Report, “Situation Report 2 – Hurricane Felix, 18 September 2007” - Report that analyses the consequences of the hurricane on the population and their immediate needs.
• Relief Web (OCHA) on Hurricane Felix in Nicaragua – Information from a variety of sources on the effects of the hurricane in the area, the humanitarian response and other issues related to the population’s humanitarian needs.
The Nicaragua crisis in the HRI
The HRI 2008 is assessing the humanitarian emergency in Nicaragua as it is an area often affected by this type of natural phenomena. 10 years after Hurricane Mitch lashed Nicaragua causing massive damage, the humanitarian response to this type of crises continues to be insufficient.
Other crises assessed in the HRI 2008