El Salvador hit by hurricane

On November 7 and 8 severe flooding and landslides hit El Salvador following from the effects of Hurricane Ida. Following days of heavy rain, mud and boulders buried homes and destroyed agricultural lands. Collapsed bridges and damaged roads have worsened the isolation of already poor and vulnerable communities.  Up to 124 people have been killed and 60 are still missing. 7000 people have had to be evacuated from their homes and are living in temporary shelters.
 

The worst hit areas are the capital San Salvador and the San Vicente region and large parts of the country remain without water and electricity. President Mauricio Funes has declared a state of emergency and described the damage to the country as “incalculable”. Neighbouring Nicaragua has also been hit by heavy rains which have left some 13,000 people homeless.

In one of the worst affected places, La Libertad on the southwestern coast where some families have lost everything, Trócaire’s local partner organisation ACUA (the Community Association for Water and Agriculture) is already responding to the disaster. Emergency food rations, cooking utensils and hygiene products are being provided for affected families  Other Trocaire partners are visiting the affected communities to assess what the most urgent needs are in order to respond appropriately to the disaster.