disaster

Rains cause havoc across Central America

Posted September 16th, 2010 by Megan Rowling
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The Nicaragua Network says in its latest bulletin that heavy rains have damaged infrastructure, affected crops, and raised the risk of disease in many parts of the country. Honduras and El Salvador have also been hit by storms. Here's the full report (for more news, visit www.nicanet.org):

Damage from storm Agatha to worsen Guatemala hunger

Posted June 6th, 2010 by Megan Rowling
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Humanitarian news website Reuters AlertNet reports that the number of Guatemalans going hungry is set to rise as the Central American nation faces more food shortages after devastating floods washed away crops.

Agatha, the first named storm of this year's Pacific hurricane season, lashed Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador last weekend, killing at least 180 people - most of them Guatemalan - and leaving tens of thousands homeless.

Strong winds and torrential rains in Guatemala, which recorded the highest rainfall in over 60 years, triggered landslides and severe flooding, washing away fields of maize, banana, sugar cane and coffee.

"We are facing a very difficult situation. Without doubt the food crisis is going to get worse and we can expect to see more cases of malnutrition," Rubelci Alvarado, programme manager with Save the Children, told AlertNet by phone from Guatemala City.

Floods bring misery for half a million Central Americans

Posted January 25th, 2009 by Megan Rowling
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Megan Rowling and Emma Batha

For several weeks from mid-October, Honduras and Guatemala were drenched by heavy rains caused by a slow-moving tropical depression. Areas of El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Belize also experienced flooding and landslides. A November update from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said 320,000 people had been affected in Honduras and 150,000 in Guatemala. At least 60 people were killed and tens of thousands made homeless.

Aid workers said the disaster in Honduras was the worst since the devastation wrought by Hurricane Mitch a decade ago. They fear the flooding – which washed away crops as well as houses – will push malnutrition higher in a region already struggling with food price inflation. OCHA has warned that the most vulnerable communities have lost their livelihoods and income, and their living conditions will remain precarious for several months to come.

Half a million people affected by floods across Central America

Posted November 9th, 2008 by Megan Rowling
in

Since mid-October, Honduras and Guatemala have been hit hard by heavy rains caused by a slow-moving tropical depression. Areas of El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Belize have also experienced flooding and landslides. 

A November 6 update from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said 320,000 people had been affected in Honduras and 150,000 in Guatemala. At least 60 people have been killed and tens of thousands are homeless.

The United Nations has issued an emergency appeal for $17 million to provide relief over the next six months, but less than 10 percent of that amount has been donated so far.

Aid workers say the situation in Honduras is worse than the devastation caused by Hurricane Mitch a decade ago, and they fear the flooding will cause malnutrition to rise in a region already struggling with food price inflation. More rain is expected in the coming weeks.

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