Costa Rica
1.1 Costa Rica Humanitarian Background
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Costa Rica

Disasters, Conflicts and Migration

Natural Disasters

Type

Occurs

Comments / Details

Drought

YES

North Zone

Earthquakes

YES

Costa Rica is subject to intense and continuous geological activity due to proximity to several geological fault lines.

Historical data from previous earthquakes:

  • 2017: A magnitude 6.6 earthquake that struck near Jaco. Deaths reportedly due to heart-attacks.
  • 2012: A magnitude of 7.6 earthquake 11 km east of Nicoya. No casualties.
  • 2012: Aftershock 6.6 earthquake 13 km northeast of Hojancha.  No casualties.
  • 2009: A magnitude 6.1 earthquake located 30 km north of San José. No registered casualties.
  • 1991:  A magnitude 7.6 earthquake located in Limon-Pandora area.  47 casualties, 109 injured, 7,439 homeless and severe damage in the Limon-Pandora area.
  • Several offshore incidents of seismic activity.

Epidemics

NO

  

Extreme Temperatures

NO

  

Flooding

YES

Heavy rains in Costa Rica isthmus can trigger floods and may force evacuations immediately, especially on risk-affected areas. 

Insect Infestation

YES

Dengue / Chingunguya / SIKA

Mudslides

YES

Related to flooding observations.

Volcanic Eruptions

YES

Costa Rica has 6 active volcanoes and another 61 dormant or extinct ones meaning volcanic activity is a regular feature.

Arenal volcano is the most active.

Other recent activity also to mention is Turrialba Volcano (2016). Fumaroles activity (smoke and gas that often includes carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, hydrochloric acid, and hydrogen sulphide) remains constant from the highest peak.

Volcanoes:

  1. Arenal:  1670 mts above sea level
  2. Barva: 2906 mts
  3. Cerro Tilaran:  634 mts
  4. Irazú: 3432 mts
  5. Miravalles: 2028 mts
  6. Orosí: 1659 mts
  7. Platanar: 2267 mts
  8. Poás: 2708 mts
  9. Rincón de la Vieja: 1916 mts
  10. Tenorio: 1916 mts
  11. Turrialba: 3340 mts  

High Waves / Surges

YES

Please refer to daily wave forecast.

Wildfires

YES

  

High Winds

YES

  

Other Comments

 

Man-Made Issues

Civil Strife

NO

 

International Conflict

NO

  

Internally Displaced Persons

NO

  

Refugees Present

YES

Refugees coming from Cuba since 2015 and huge migration to the country from Venezuela due to the ongoing situation there.

Landmines / UXO Present

 NO  

Other Comments

 

For a more detailed database on disasters by country, please see the Centre for Research on Epidemiology of Disasters Country Profile. 

Seasonal Effects on Logistics Capacities

Seasonal Effects on Transport

Transport Type

Time Frame

Comments / Details

Primary Road Transport

March to December

Primary Roads can be affected by climate or the mpact of heavy rains. These include primary roads such as Pan-American Roads and alternate roads.

Secondary Road Transport

March to December

  

Rail Transport

    

Air Transport

January to December

Juan Santamaria Airport can be affected mainly by volcanic fumarole activity and less frequently by foggy weather as a secondary reason.

Waterway Transport

    



Costa Rica Logistics Sector Working Group – UNETE (United Nations Emergency Team)

In Costa Rica, instead of a Logistics Cluster, there are various Sectorial Groups as part of a UN logistics response. The United Nations System responds to the government's need through United Nations Emergency Team (UNETE), which is an inter-agency response group. Extended UNETE includes national or international NGOs as part of the Humanitarian Response network. 

Seasonal Effects on Storage and Handling

Activity Type

Time Frame

Comments / Details

Storage

  

None

Handling

  

None

Other

    

Capacity and Contacts for In-Country Emergency Response

Government

The National Commission for the Prevention of Risks and Care of Emergencies (Comisión Nacional de Prevención de Riesgos y Atención de Emergencias - CNE), is the governmental institution responsible for emergency support  purposes under Costa Rica’s Law No. 8488 (Ley Nacional de Emergencias y Prevención de Riesgos N° 8488).

CNE is the maximum body attached to the Ministry of Presidency, with instrumental legal capacity for the management and administration of budget and for the investment of its resources, with assets and budgets.

For more information on government contact details, please see the following link: HQ staff will input a link to section 4.1 Government Contact List here.

Also refer to additional Government Contacts using document: Assignment of Subjects and Departments, Agencies and other Public Bodies. 

Humanitarian Community

UN entities with active offices in Costa Rica:  UNRCO, FAO, IMF, IOM, ISA, PAHO/WHO, UNAIDS, UNDP, UNDSS, UN Environment CEP, UN Environment, Caribbean Sub Regional Office, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF, World Bank.

International Organizations with based offices and activities within Costa Rica:

  1. Alto Comisionado de las Naciones Unidas para los Refugiados
  2. Banco Centroamericano de Integración Económica
  3. Banco Interamericano para el Desarrollo
  4. Banco Mundial
  5. Centro Agronómico y Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza
  6. Comité Internacional de la Cruz Roja
  7. Confederación de Cooperativas del Caribe y Centroamérica
  8. Consejo Monetario Centroamericano
  9. Corporación Centroamericana de Servicios de Navegación Aérea
  10. Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos
  11. Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales
  12. Fondo de las Naciones Unidas para la Infancia
  13. Instituto Centroamericano de Administración Pública
  14. Instituto Centroamericano de Administración de Empresas
  15. Instituto Interamericano de Cooperación para la Agricultura
  16. Instituto Interamericano de Derechos Humanos
  17. Instituto Interamericano para la Asistencia Democrática y Electoral
  18. Instituto Internacional de Recursos Genéticos de Plantas IPGRI e INIBAP
  19. Instituto Latinoamericano de las Naciones Unidas para la Prevención del Delito y el Tratamiento del Delincuente
  20. La Corporación Interamericana de Inversiones
  21. Oficina de Servicios para Proyectos Organización de Naciones Unidas
  22. Organismo Internacional Regional de Sanidad Agropecuaria
  23. Organización Iberoamericana de Seguridad Social
  24. Organización Internacional del Trabajo
  25. Organización Internacional para las Migraciones
  26. Organización Meteorológica Mundial
  27. Organización Panamericana de la Salud - Organización Mundial de la Salud (OPS / OMS)
  28. Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura
  29. Organización de las Naciones Unidas para La Agricultura y la Alimentación
  30. Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura
  31. Organización de los Estados Americanos
  32. Organización para los Estudios Tropicales
  33. Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo
  34. Secretaría Ejecutiva del Consejo Agropecuario Centroamericano
  35. Sede Académica de Costa Rica de la Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales
  36. Universidad para la Paz
  37. Unión Internacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza y los Recursos Naturales
  38. Unión Postal Universal
  39. Agencia de Cooperación Internacional de Corea / Korean International Cooperation Agency
  40. Agencia de Cooperación Internacional del Japón
  41. Consejería de Proyectos para Refugiados Latinoamericanos
  42. Convenio Costa Rica-Liechtenstein
  43. Convenio Suizo-Costarrricense
  44. Cooperación Técnica Alemana
  45. Escuela de Agricultura de la Región Tropical Húmeda
  46. Federacion Internacional de Sociedades de la Cruz Roja y Media Luna Roja
  47. Fondo de Población de las Naciones Unidas UNFPA-FNUAP Oficina Regional para Centroamérica
  48. Fundación Friedrich Ebert
  49. Fundación Konrad Adenauer
  50. Fundación para el Desarrollo de la Cordillera Volcánica Central
  51. GIZ -Convenio Costarricense-Alemán,
  52. Habitat para la Humanidad
  53. Instituto Humanista para la Cooperación de los Países en Desarrollo (HIVOS)
  54. Misión de Cooperación Cultural Francesa
  55. Misión de Cooperación Española
  56. Misión de Cooperación de Suecia
  57. S.O.S. Kinderdorf International
  58. Secretaría General de la Organización de los Estados Americanos
  59. Servicio de Intercambio Académico Alemán
  60. Visión Mundial



See the United Nations in Costa Rica website for more information: https://www.un.int/costarica/

For more information on humanitarian agency contact details, please see the following link: 4.2 Costa Rica Humanitarian Agency Contact List

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