DESTACADOS:

• GUATEMALA: 6,910 personas afectadas por desastres a inicios de Mayo

• ECUADOR & MÉXICO: Ambos países en alerta por actividades de los volcanes Tungurahua y Popocatépetl.

• COSTA RICA & COLOMBIA: Los casos de dengue se incrementan. 6,150 en Costa Rica y 664,000 en Colombia.

DESTACADOS

• 19 desastres naturales afectaron a cerca de 552,000 personas en la región, durante el primer trimestre de 2013. Las inundaciones afectaron al 71 por ciento del total.

• Brasil es el principal donante de la región, aportando $106 millones para la respuesta humanitaria, desde el 2000.

• Un fuerte compromiso por parte de los socios humanitarios es necesario sobre el tema de la violencia. 41 de las 50 ciudades más peligrosas del mundo están en América Latina y el Caribe.

The main staple foods produced and consumed throughout most of Central America and the Caribbean are maize, rice, and beans; the latter constituting a key source of protein for poor households. In Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua white maize, mostly consumed in the form of tortillas, and red or black beans are preferred, while in Costa Rica and Panama rice dominates in production and consumption. In Haiti, the primary staples are rice, black beans, and maize.

White maize is the primary staple food consumed in Central America. White maize is most commonly consumed in the form of tortillas. Beans and rice are also key staple foods. Wheat, sugar, potatoes, and vegetable oil are commonly consumed . In Costa Rica and Panama, imported rice is the primary staple food instead of maize. The region, overall, has a deficit of both maize and rice. San Salvador in El Salvador is the most important regional market and has links to the domestic market, to trade with North and South America, and to cross-border trade with Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• BOLIVIA: 13,000 people affected by rains in La Paz. 107,500 people affected nationwide.

• PERU: More than 100,000 people affected by rains. Some 4,200 people are homeless.

• MEXICO: Authorities on alert as 37 per cent of the territory affected by drought.

• La inflación anual de los alimentos de América Latina y el Caribe cerró el 2012 con una variación de casi 9%, nivel muy similar al que había al final del año 2011. Por su parte, la inflación anual general de la región cerró el 2012 en 6%, cifra en la que se mantuvo durante gran parte del año.

DESTACADOS

• Unas 7,3 millones de personas resultaron afectadas por desastres durante el último trimestre de 2012

• Los medios han publicado 92 por ciento más noticias referentes al Huracán Sandy en Estados Unidos, en comparación con los países afectados en el Caribe.

• Guatemala enfrenta las tareas de reconstrucción tras el sismo de 7,2 grados.

White maize is the primary staple food consumed in Central America. White maize is most commonly consumed in the form of tortillas. Beans and rice are also key staple foods. Wheat, sugar, potatoes, and vegetable oil are commonly consumed . In Costa Rica and Panama, imported rice is the primary staple food instead of maize. The region, overall, has a deficit of both maize and rice. San Salvador in El Salvador is the most important regional market and has links to the domestic market, to trade with North and South America, and to cross-border trade with Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• BRAZIL: Some 200,000 people affected by floods in Río de Janeiro
• BOLIVIA: 320 families affected by climate conditions as a consequence of La Niña.
• PERU: 1,570 people in Junín and San Martín affected by intense rains.