A Conversation With An Earthquake Survivor and Aid Provider

by Allen Clinton, Press Officer

SAN SALVADOR (January 18, 2001) -- CARE El Salvador staff member Roney Gutierrez speaks of the aftermath of the earthquake in El Salvador, focusing particularly on community needs in the department of Usulutan in southeast El Salvador.

Question: How is your family?
Gutierrez: My family lives in Santa Tecla, the town where the huge landslide occurred. Fortunately everyone is fine and my home suffered only minor damage. Some CARE staff have lost family members. We also have staff who have lost their homes and are now living with family or with the family of other CARE staff.

Question: What are your impressions of the effects of the earthquake in Usulutan?

Roney Gutierrez. All photos © CARE 2001.

Gutierrez: The earthquake has caused severe visible damage in every home, down every street, in every town in the department of Usulutan. Depending on the community, between 50 percent and 90 percent of homes have been severely affected or leveled. Most are now leveled to the ground.

Question: How many people have been affected?
Gutierrez: There are approximately 300,000 people in the department of Usulutan. Easily, 100,000 people have been affected. As of January 17, in Usulutan, there have been 26 deaths, 585 people have been injured, 96 public building have been damaged, nearly 11,000 homes have been damaged and more than 5,000 homes have been completely leveled.

People are going about their daily business as best they can, but I believe the worst is yet to come when they start thinking about their future. Many have lost their homes. Many homes that are still standing are unsturdy, and they will have to rebuild. How will they be able to afford to knock down walls and rebuild? They have no savings. All most families have is their home and their land. People don't want to think about that now. Psychologically it represents everything they have in the world.

Question: What are the needs of the people at this time?
Gutierrez: People need food. They need water. Good sanitary conditions will be important. CARE will be setting-up temporary housing for these folks. Literally, thousands of people are sleeping on the streets. I'm not exaggerating. For the past two days, CARE has been trucking in water for 2,000 families in four communities in the municipalities of San Francisco Javier, Jiquilisco and Puerto Trinfo. We also have provided weekly food rations to 500 families, distributed 600 mattresses, shelter materials and first aid kits. But we haven't been able to reach many communities until now. And some rural roads are still unpassable.

Q: What's next?
Gutierrez: CARE will be focusing on three things: getting food to the communities, providing water and sanitation services, and setting up temporary housing. We will be working with our partner organizations in 17 communities in Usulutan, four communities in Ahuachapan, two communities in Santa Ana and also in Santa Tecla. As we have worked in most of these communities, CARE knows the area and the people. CARE is in full gear to provide these three necessities to tens of thousands of people, for at least the next month. After that time CARE will be shifting into a rehabilitation and recovery phase, which we will begin planning for in the near future.

Gutierrez is a CARE water project manager. He has worked for CARE for two years.