FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Managua, Nicaragua - Three earthquakes,
averaging 4.7 on the Richter scale, shook areas of Nicaragua over the weekend,
causing damage and driving scared residents from their homes. While the
government has yet to declare a national emergency, seven people are dead
and there are currently more than 4,500 displaced persons living in nine
refugee camps. Save the Children is responding to meet the most immediate
demands for tents and plastic water containers.
The first tremors occurred Thursday, July 6, in La Laguna de Apoyo, a crater measuring 8 km. in diameter that was formed over 18,000 years ago after a series of huge volcanic eruptions. Thursday's seismic activity was not of volcanic origin, but caused by movements in the local geological faults. Another earthquake rocked Masaya City, a densely populated city, and completely destroyed 21 homes. A third, smaller temblor, occurred late Sunday evening, the 9th or July.
This is the latest in a series of natural disasters that have befallen Nicaragua. Late last year, severe flooding caused widespread crop damage in a country that had been brought to its knees just a year before, in October 1998, when Hurricane Mitch struck much of Central America, causing devastation, suffering, and death. Nicaragua was particularly hard hit by severe flooding and mudslides, which displaced thousands of people, destroyed tens of thousands of homes, and severely damaged agriculture and livestock. In the regions where Save the Children works, which were already poor and vulnerable, nearly every area sustained severe damage.
Save the Children, a recognized leader of humanitarian emergency relief efforts, responded immediately to the urgent needs of children and families by helping communities recover from this disaster. In the months following the hurricane, Save the Children staff distributed 13,876 metric tons of food, and provided water, basic supplies, cooking kits, and temporary shelter materials to tens of thousands of children and families.
Now, approaching two years since Hurricane Mitch, Save the Children continues its long-term recovery efforts with food for work programs, road repairs, economic recovery programs, basic education, and children's health programs.
Save the Children is a leading international nonprofit child-assistance organization working in more than 40 countries worldwide, including the United States. Our mission is to make lasting positive change in the lives of children in need. Save the Children is a member of the International Save the Children Alliance, which is a worldwide network of 26 independent Save the Children organizations working in more than 100 countries to ensure the well-being and protect the rights of children everywhere.
CONTACT: Georgia Bushman, 203-221-3757
=A9 2000 Save the Children