El Salvador - GFDRR

20 | El Salvador: Damage, Loss, and Needs Assesment
D. national and international response
Based on the weather forecast issued by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, through the
Bureau of the National Territorial Studies Service (MARN/D-SNET), on November 5, 2009 the General Bureau
of Civil Protection and Disaster Prevention and Mitigation declared a preventive Green Alert throughout all
of El Salvador and began to issue communiqués to place municipal and departmental governments on alert
and to ready their respective Departmental and Municipal Civil Protection Commissions. On November 8 th
the level of alert was raised to Orange in the five municipalities most affected by the disaster.
The first response by the National Civil Protection System was to activate the seven Sectoral Technical
Commissions for Civil Protection: emergency services, logistics, security, shelters, technical-scientific services,
infrastructure and health. The initial operational actions were undertaken by all government agencies
related to addressing the emergency; these agencies carried out efforts to rescue victims, evacuate
the population and transfer people to shelters.
On Monday, November 7 th , the President of the Republic issued Decree Nº 73 which declared the
State of Emergency throughout the entire country. Legislative Decree 175 dated November 9 th was also
issued; this decree declared a State of Catastrophe. Later, the Legislative Assembly issued Decree 179 on
December 12, 2009 in order to redirect resources to handle the emergency.
In addition, the Legislative Assembly issued Decree 178 which allows Municipal Councils to use
resources from the Economic and Social Fund (Fondo Económico y Social -FODES) to allocate resources
from the months of November and December to address the consequences of the climate phenomenon.
The Minister of the Interior asked the Minister of Finance to appropriate US$3.5 million from the Civil
Protection and Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Fund (Fondo de Protección Civil, Prevención y Mitigación
de Desastres -FOPROMID) to deal with the short-term emergency. During the emergency’s development,
56 temporary shelters were put into operation, aiding nearly 10,400 people; this service continued to be
expanded until there were 135 shelters and nearly 15,000 refugees.
Numerous state agencies and organizations participated in the response efforts, including the
Secretariat of Social Inclusion which, with the support of the World Food Program, took charge of food
distribution in the various zones affected. The Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance activated
health surveillance in the shelters and strengthened health services with more personnel, especially in the
areas of orthopedics and surgery. Mobile units of the Solidarity Fund for Health (Fondo Solidario para la
Salud -FOSALUD) were deployed to priority areas and 15 round-the-clock health units were installed in the
Departments of Cuscatlán, San Vicente, La Paz and Cabañas.
The Ministry of Education (MINED) decreed a total suspension of classes in 18 schools damaged by
the phenomenon and in those that were being used as shelters. The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock
(MAG) conducted an assessment of crop damages.
In order to respond to the evolution of emergency needs, the President of the Republic formed the
Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Committee under the coordination of the Technical Secretary of the
Presidency. The Committee was composed of ministries with duties directly related to recovery, in order to
plan and expedite subsequent medium- and long-term actions.