A
week after torrential rains and a slow-moving Hurricane Ida caused
severe flooding in several regions of El Salvador, more than 15,000
displaced Salvadorans are living in shelters with more than 190
confirmed deaths and another 80 still missing.
Heavy winds and rain hit El Salvador during the evening of November 7th and the early morning of November 8th,
resulting in landslides and flooding that swallowed entire
neighborhoods and caused severe damage to roads and bridges. According
to national authorities, the storm produced as much as 355 millimeters
(nearly 14 inches) of rain in four hours in some areas, making this the
second deadliest weather disaster in El Salvador history. The deadliest
was Hurricane Mitch in 1998, which killed 240 people.
“The
scenes of floods and landslides that struck El Salvador last week
reflect a storm of almost unbelievable intensity. More than 200 people
are dead or missing, more than 1,000 homes have been damaged or
destroyed, and crops that the rural population depends on for food have
been obliterated,” said Carolina Castrillo, a regional director for
Oxfam in Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean, based in San
Salvador.
In
the initial stages of the response, more than 70 Oxfam-supported
community protection committees were mobilized to help survivors
evacuate their towns and villages and reach the safety of shelters in
the coastal area of Puerto La Libertad, one of the hardest hit zones,
as well as in San Salvador and municipalities in the departments of
Zacatecoluca, San Vicente, La Paz, and Cuscatlán.
So far, Oxfam has supplied nearly 6,000 people in this region with food, water, personal hygiene kits, and other items.
“Needs
are significant across all of the affected areas with only 123 shelters
accommodating more than 15,000 displaced residents. The damage is
severe, and reconstruction and replacement of houses, infrastructure,
and crops will take a long time. We will continue working with partners
and local authorities to contribute to the recovery process,” said
Castrillo.
“This
week, Oxfam plans to reach more than 6,000 people with clean water,
sanitation facilities, and hygiene promotion,” says Enrique García,
Oxfam’s humanitarian coordinator for Central America, Mexico, and the
Caribbean. “Until now, we have focused our efforts on temporary
shelters, but people are now returning to their communities where there
are no proper water and sanitation facilities. We will begin by
installing water tanks in some of these communities.”
In
the wake of Hurricane Mitch, many Salvadoran communities joined forces
with aid providers to reduce the deadly outcomes of violent storms and
earthquakes. Over the past four years, Oxfam has supported local
organizations to help form and train committees within the villages to
operate early warning systems, develop evacuation plans, and administer
first aid. Oxfam also built a warehouse in San Nicolas Lempa in the
department of Sin Vicente to facilitate delivery of emergency supplies
to shelters in surrounding disaster-prone areas.
“Community
protection committees, formed by Oxfam and partners over the last three
years, were activated immediately to provide clean water and sanitation
services. In some areas, they assisted the evacuation of families at
risk, saving lives in the middle of the night, and used tools provided
by Oxfam to help families clean up debris the next day,” said García.
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