by Tjarda Muller and Chris Hufstader
Preparation and early warning show lives can be saved.
For Elisa Azucena, the heavy October rains from Hurricane Stan were a sudden, unexpected danger for her family in El Angel, El Salvador. "The storm began Sunday and lasted all night," the teenager told Oxfam staff visiting her home. "By Monday morning the water came up to here," she said, holding her hand above her waist. "People insisted that we leave, that it would be dangerous if we stayed. They came with tractors because normal cars couldn't get through any more."
The Comunidades Unidas (United Communities) of Bajo Lempa orchestrated the evacuation that helped Elisa, her mother, and four younger brothers and sisters reach higher ground, where they stayed for a week until the waters started to recede. "Fortunately there were no tragedies, like in other places," Elisa said. "There were people there to help us."
Organizing to Reduce Risks
Having people available to help in an emergency is usually something only a relatively wealthy country can afford. But El Angel and hundreds of other communities across El Salvador are showing what well-organized communities can do to save lives in an emergency, even in a poor country.
Oxfam America is providing funding for a 15-member network of disaster relief organizations called the Permanent Forum for Risk Management (MPGR). The coalition helps local communities prepare for natural disasters and advocates for better government response to emergencies.
One member of the coalition is the Foundation for Reconstruction and Development (REDES). Since 2001, Oxfam America grants have helped REDES train local groups like the United Communities to analyze risks, design evacuation routes, develop communication networks for early warning, and provide emergency assistance in disasters. "They developed risk maps that identify the high-risk areas, where to locate shelters, and the routes to get there," said Oxfam America program officer René Ramos. "Every year they do a dry run-it's a continuous learning and training process."
Saving Lives in Emergencies
Together, United Communities and REDES evacuated more than 1,000 families in 28 communities flooded by Hurricane Stan. "We coordinated very closely with REDES, and the help they gave us made the evacuation successful," said Mario José Santo Guevara, the president of the United Communities. "Without them, the problems would have been more severe. People would have drowned."
Oxfam grants have helped MPGR members like REDES purchase radio equipment to coordinate assistance, as well as emergency kits and tools to dig out survivors and clear roads. They also distribute food, clothing, blankets, and other aid in the early phases of an emergency, and later work with communities to help them recover and get back to work.
REDES actively works with 120 communities all over El Salvador, and the MPGR network's coalition members are in over 500 others. They are all working hard to prove that even the poorest places can plan ahead, respond to emergencies, and save lives.