October 15, 2005

NEW YORK – Church World Service is responding to the emergencies experienced in recent weeks in the Central American nations of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua with shipments of blankets; CWS "Gift of the Heart" Baby, School and Health Kits; sewing kits; and medical supplies.

Hundreds were killed as a result of flooding and mudslides from Hurricane Stan, which has also affected parts of southern Mexico; in addition an earthquake resulted in damage in El Salvador and Guatemala. El Salvador is also facing the after-effects of a major volcanic eruption. Finally, the northeast coastal areas of Nicaragua have been affected by a food crisis brought on by a plague of rats. Rain from Hurricane Stan has lashed the region since October 1.

Church World Service and its partners in Central America – all members of the Action by Churches Together (ACT) International network – are responding to the emergency in multiple ways. The most urgent needs are potable water, food, and blankets.

ACT Forums in Nicaragua, Honduras, and El Salvador are all on the scene assisting.

The ACT Forum in Guatemala reports that the government has declared a red alert in some of the municipalities of Escuintla, Retalhuleu and San Marcos. It is estimated that 23,300 people have been affected and that 25,320 are at risk.

The ACT El Salvador Forum will assist around 1,000 families where the flooding is the most severe. It had also monitored the situation for two weeks prior to the eruption of the Santa Ana or Llimatepec Volcano. The Lutheran Church in El Salvador is sheltering 25 families and providing food assistance to other shelters. They are planning to open another shelter in Santa Ana for other families displaced by this disaster. El Salvador's largest volcano erupted October 1 after lying dormant for more than a century. Hurling hot lava rocks, the eruption killed at least two people and forced more than 2,000 to flee.

Acción Médica Cristiana facilitated a session oriented to identify a strategic response to the emergency in coordination with local and national government ministries and agencies: the Ministry of Health offices, the local Ministry of Education, Ministry of Agriculture, Cattle Ranchers and Forestry office, the local Institute of Farming technology, the technical unit of the Mayor's Office, and the mission from the United Nations.

A food crisis has developed along the Coco River in Nicaragua's northern frontier with Honduras, affecting the largely indigenous Miskito communities that live along the banks of the river and survive by subsistence farming and fishing.

For months, these communities have been attacked by rats which have eaten and destroyed basic crops used to feed the communities. A plague of worms has also affected the basic crops and has severely curtailed the food security of nearly 50,000 persons.

For further information on the Church World Service response, or to donate, please visit us online at http://www.churchworldservice.org/ or call the CWS Hotline, (800) 297-1516.

Church World Service