A. Situation Analysis
A.1 Description of the disaster
After the increase in activity of the Tungurahua Volcano in November 2015, another increase in activity was detected in early March 2016; due to the increased activity, the operation was extended for another 3 weeks.
The emergency began in mid-November when emissions reached 3,500 metres above the crater level and began drifting northwest. The falling ash affected several villages located on the slopes of the volcano, as well as several cantons in the provinces of Tungurahua and Chimborazo. The most affected sectors were in Cotaló, Chacauco, Pillate, Chontapamba, Chonglontus, Cúsua, Juive and Bilbao, where 1 and 6 millimetres of ash fell. The cantons of Pelileo, Quero, Mocha, Cevallos and Ambato were also affected by falling volcanic material.
Technicians from the Tungurahua Volcano Observatory (OVT) reported explosions, as well as an increase in emission tremors on 4 March 2016, which caused ash, gas, and vapour emissions. The activity was so strong that the explosions were heard in various provinces in Chimborazo and Tungurahua and accompanied by vibrations in the earth and infrastructure.
Incandescent rocks were reported to have rolled down the flanks of the volcano in the early morning hours while significant levels of falling ash were recorded in nearby towns such as Chompanba, Chacauco, Pillate, Cotaló, San Juan, Cevallos, Quero, Tisaleo and Pelileo in Tungurahua and Guano, Puela, El Manzano, and Riobamba in Chimborazo. Layers of ash in the most distant areas reached 2.2 millimetres and winds carried volcanic dust to the south-east and south-west of the country.
A.2 Summary of the current response
Overview of Host National Society
Following the orange alert declared by the Secretariat for Risk Management for areas within the zone of influence of the volcano, the ERC activated its local technical teams to develop community-based activities, thereby strengthening the institutional response capacity and working directly with communities on emergency preparedness issues. These activities were conducted through actions at the institutional and community level.
Overview of Red Cross Red Crescent Movement in country
As explained in the emergency plan of action, the IFRC has a representation office in Peru that provides support to the Ecuadorian Red Cross as well as a representative of the Disaster and Crisis Prevention, Response and Recovery Department (DCPRR), which is providing technical support and assistance to the operation.
The ERC maintains a warehouse with pre-positioned stock (500 hygiene kits, kitchen kits and jerrycans) to mount an effective response to emergencies in Ecuador, southern Colombia and northern Peru. The ERC will maintain non-food items pre-positioned in the ERC warehouse in Tungurahua.
Movement Coordination
The Ecuadorian Red Cross maintains permanent communication with the IFRC and presents situation reports, uploads information onto the Disaster Management Information System (DMIS) and via phone and virtual meetings to coordinate possible actions related to the changing situation. The National Society also presents situation reports to the various Movement components in the country: American Red Cross and Spanish Red Cross, as well as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
Overview of non-RCRC actors in the country
In Ecuador, risk management activities are coordinated from the National Decentralized System and involve all public and private institutions as advising entities, which in turn are part of eight technical task forces (in normal situations) and of the Emergency Operations Committees (in emergency and disaster situations); the Emergency Operations Committees is led by the relevant state ministries. The Ecuadorian Red Cross actively participates in 5 of the 8 technical task forces at the canton, provincial and national level. Further detail on the main actions is available in the emergency plan of action.
The ERC is an active part of the Humanitarian Country Team, which holds weekly meetings for information sharing and coordination among member non-government organizations (NGOs).