Guatemala and El Salvador on Slow Road to Recovery
Since Hurricane Stan hit Central America the first week of October, CARE has been hard at work assisting the people of Guatemala and El Salvador while they recover from mudslides, flooding and a volcanic eruption.
Conditions have improved somewhat in the weeks that followed the hurricane. The mudslides have subsides and many roads are once again passable. El Salvador's Santa Ana volcano is once again threatening to erupt, and the Salvadoran government maintains a red alert for a 5-kilometer radius in the immediate area.
Immediate Action
CARE has provided nearly 50,000 survivors with food, safe water, clothing, blankets, latrines, hygiene kits, basic health services and other aid. We hope to help thousands more people as we expand our efforts.
Our first priority is helping those in temporary shelters, most of whom are women and children. While the hurricane destroyed and damaged homes, roads and schools, the hurricane also wiped out crops and farmland, which may create food shortages in the months to come.
In El Salvador, the United Nations World Food Programme estimates that 43 percent of crops and 37 percent of homes have been lost overall.
We're still providing humanitarian aid in El Salvador to around 23,000 people. So far we've provided:
- 2,199 emergency kits
- 2,295 bags of 12 liters of drinking water each
- 1,593 blankets
- 60 movable latrines
- 29 canvas roofs (one roll for five families)
- 1,482 tool kits
- 1,746 water containers
- 410 non-perishable food kits and 4 six-packs of food for children
- 968 school kits for children
We've helped 20,000 in the Guatemalan department of Huehuetenango, providing food, water and utensils while getting people access to the shelter and health care they need. In Sololá, we've provided food, basic medical care and transportation to shelters and hospitals for more than 600 people. We've also helped more than 18,000 get food and basic medical care in Quetzaltenango and San Marcos.
The indigenous Mayans have suffered the most in Guatemala. Living in conditions of chronic poverty, the Mayans are especially vulnerable to disasters such as Hurricane Stan.
Next Steps
CARE is working with the people of Central America to rebuild their lives. The agricultural and livestock sector suffered considerable damage from the storm and its aftermath, and there is an urgent need to introduce new agricultural, livestock and economic programs to provide secure sources of food and family income.
We're also helping people prepare for future disasters by introducing new farming techniques and foods that will survive under more harsh conditions, including:
- Mini-irrigation systems
- Low-irrigation crops
- Short-cycle crops
- Varieties of corn and beans that mature rapidly
- Crop diversification
Widespread and immediate needs
Despite our successes in Guatemala and El Salvador, there is much more to be done. We still need to provide basic needs, such as:
- Food
- Safe water
- Soap
- Blankets
- Psychological support
- Medicine and medical support
- Sanitation
- Communications
CARE is working to ensure that people have safe shelter, and adequate water and sanitation facilities. We're also helping families care for their children and ensure that they are receiving a good education — including working toward eliminating child labor as families look for alternate sources of income.
Our rebuilding efforts in Guatemala and El Salvador will take place over the coming months and years, and our long-term poverty-fighting work continues throughout Central America.
CARE asiste a sobrevivientes de los desastres en El Salvador y Guatemala.
|
