Guatemala: Earthquake - Nov 2012

A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the Pacific coast of Guatemala on 07 Nov 2012, killing 44 people and harming more than 25,000 (OCHA, 14 Nov 2012). The preliminary damage and needs assessment carried-out by government authorities revealed that 127 municipalities in 11 departments had been affected, which represents 38 per cent of the country’s municipalities. It is estimated that 3.4 million people were affected: 22,215 had lost their homes, 30,679 had been evacuated, 10,439 were housed in 88 temporary shelters and about 26,938 homes had been damaged (OCHA, 19 Nov 2012).