On September 12, heavy rainfall in the
community of San Lucas Toliman in Guatemala caused a landslide that killed
28 people, half of whom were children. Many others were wounded or are
still missing. The hillside that suffered the landslide was home to more
than 60 families, many of who lost their houses. More than 200 people remain
in emergency shelters while search and rescue efforts continue.
"This is one of the poorest areas
of the country," said Dula James, Catholic Relief Services' Country
Representative for Guatemala. "The homes are often built with inadequate
materials. When heavy rains like these come, the combination of deforested
land and poorly constructed houses leaves people extremely vulnerable.
This is a problem that extends beyond immediate needs, and we will look
to attend to the medium and longer term needs of the community here as
well."
The landslide destroyed main water lines severing access to an already limited clean drinking water supply. Electricity was also cut off and the community has no health center to attend to the needs of wounded. One of the most important priorities now is preventing the spread of illness and disease.
Catholic Relief Services Responds
Immediately following the landslide, CRS provided emergency funding to its local partner, Guillermo Toriello Foundation (FGT) for food, medicine, basic household supplies and tools to remove the debris from the landslide. In addition, CRS Water and Sanitation staff will work with FGT to implement several preventative health activities in San Lucas Toliman including:
- Reconstructing half a mile of water
piping
- Purifying and storing water for the
community
- Providing families with water purification
supply kits
- Building 10 latrines
CRS staff recently visited San Lucas Toliman to assess the damage and will continue to coordinate with local authorities and FGT to provide assistance as needed.
Background
Natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and flash flooding from tropical storms are fairly common in Guatemala and frequently turn into devastating human disasters. CRS has worked in Guatemala since 1962 providing immediate emergency assistance when disasters strike, as well as supporting ongoing projects in agriculture, education, health, HIV/AIDS, and civil society. CRS' target group has been, and continues to be the poorest and most vulnerable members of Guatemalan society.
The agency's office is located in the capital, Guatemala City. The CRS/Guatemala staff is comprised of 83 professionals and support staff, 76 of who are Guatemalan. CRS/Guatemala also supports emergency response programs in Belize.
Your support is needed.
Donations can also be made by calling:
1-800-736-3467
or by sending checks to:
P.O. Box 17090
Baltimore, Maryland 21203-7090.
Copyright=A92002 CRS