October 10, 2007
Hurricane Felix hit Latin America September 4, striking the North Atlantic Autonomous Region of Nicaragua (RAAN) and causing the biggest disaster there since Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Nicaragua's Army estimates, as of Sept. 10, some 162,373 people were reported affected, 67 people dead, 110 missing and 136 rescued alive. About 80 percent of community infrastructure was destroyed, agricultural land was flooded and crops are devastated.
The Northern Autonomous region includes a total population of some 314,000, mainly Miskitos and Mayagnas people. The region is one of the poorest of the country: the vast majority of people live under the poverty threshold, social and economic infrastructure is in an appalling state. Most of the communities live in remote areas that are extremely vulnerable to natural disasters.
In the majority of communities, water wells were contaminated, latrines were flooded, health and community centers were destroyed, houses were either damaged or totally destroyed and crops were completely lost. In the Tasba Pri district, wells and rivers have been contaminated by poisonous metallic residues (mercury, cadmium and cyanine) from the mining industry, which threatens the immediate health situation and people already suffer from acute diarrhoea, skin infections and fungi.
Nicaragua's poorest communities are cut off from washed-out roads. The population has no access to clean water and is threatened with water borne diseases. A large number of people suffer from psychological trauma, since the disaster has hit them without any precaution.
CWS may also further revise this appeal at a later point to include support for efforts by partners in Honduras, where response is still unfolding.
CWS RESPONSE
In the immediate period following the storm, CWS sent via airfreight 20 cartons of IMA medial boxes and 307 cartons of hygiene kits, valued at $316,021.68, to the Council for Protestant Churches in Nicaragua (CEPAD). Initial contributions to this appeal supported this shipment.
Now that Action by Churches Together (ACT) members have conducted a needs assessment in the area, a longer-term response is warranted and in need of support. CEPAD and other ACT members Christian Medical Action (AMC), Interchurch Center for Theological and Social Studies (CIEETS) and the Nicaraguan Lutheran Church of Faith and Hope (ILFE) plan to assist 21 communities in the affected areas of Tasba Pri, Llano Norte de Puerto Cabezas and Tasba Raya with the supply of food, personal hygienic kits and safe water. They will also rehabilitate roofs, support planting trees and vegetables and provide psychosocial care. The members will also support the communities in measures of disaster preparedness. All efforts are scheduled to be completed by Sept. 30, 2008.
Contributions to support this effort may be sent to your denomination or directly to: Church World Service, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN 46515
Contributions may also be made by credit card online, or by calling: 800-297-1516, ext. 222.
Media Contact:
Lesley Crosson, CWS/New York, 212-870-2676; lcrosson@churchworldservice.org
Jan Dragin, 781-925-1526; jdragin@gis.net
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
