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Guatemala

Guatemala: STATE OF CALAMITY EXTENDED OVER CYCLONE AND VOLCANO ERUPTION

A state of calamity declared at the end of May by the government was extended for another 30 days due to the grave damages caused by the eruption of the Pacaya Volcano and tropical storm Agatha that left 166 dead and displaced thousands. The National Coordination of disaster prevention (CONRED) referred that the emergency was extended because the nation is still dealing with the grave consequences of the two disasters and the need to "ensure the welfare, security and serenity" of those effected. It is estimated that the eruption of the Pacaya, situated a few dozen kilometres from Guatemala City, and the cyclone caused damages to 36% of infrastructure on a national level, also razing large extensions of forest and crops in a country where half of the 14-million inhabitants live in poverty. The government estimated the cost of rebuilding at 7.8-billion quetzales (around 747-million Euro).