Central America and the Caribbean

Clean-up and recovery begin as Hurricane Felix dissipates over Central America. More than 100 people have died in Nicaragua and Honduras. Providing relief is difficult as roads, especially in the hard-hit rural areas, have been made impassable. Continued heavy rains in Honduras and Guatemala are making hillside villages vulnerable to mudslides.

Poverty abounds in Hurricane Felix's impact zone. Of particular note are around 14,000 Miskito Indians, who were not able to evacuate in advance. Honduran officials estimate at least 5,500 Miskito homes were destroyed.

CWS is working with partners in the region, including CEPAD (the Council of Evangelical Churches for a Denominational Alliance) and AMC (Christian Medical Action), to assist with immediate relief and subsequent recovery.

CWS is providing 15,000 CWS Hygiene Kits for distribution by Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and others in Nicaragua. CWS is also providing 20 Interchurch Medical Assistance medicine boxes, each treating as many as 1,000 people for common illnesses for two to three months.

Indonesia

"The changes in Aceh since my last visit are monumental," says Donna Derr, director of Church World Service emergency response. "The markets are thriving, many thousands of people are now in permanent homes and the beat of life moving on can be felt in the communities that are recovering from the 2004 tsunami. It was a real affirmation of the efforts of the international community and the people of Aceh to see how much has been achieved in these last several years."

Following the tsunami, Church World Service provided thousands of blankets, CWS Hygiene, School, and Baby Kits, medicines, and other hygiene and shelter materials for affected families in Aceh Province. Church World Service also provided teams of doctors and mental health specialists, to respond to ongoing trauma. And, Church World Service has helped many families to rebuild their homes, access potable water, regain their livelihoods.