GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala—Tropical Storm Agatha was a catastrophic tropical storm that produced torrential rain and caused widespread flooding in much of Guatemala.

OBI’s National Director for Guatemala, Mario Bucaro, shares the latest updates and relief efforts from the ground in Guatemala City.

The national disaster authority CONRED has reported that there are 21,465 people at risk; 29,245 in shelters; and 111,964 people have been evacuated. A state of emergency has been declared; the International airport is closed; main highways have been affected by landslides and rivers overflowing their banks; power outages are affecting many areas; and more than 15 main bridges have been destroyed.

In order to assure a one-month food supply for victims staying at shelters, we stocked an emergency warehouse with water, food rations, clothes and medicine, and are partnering with CONRED to distribute the supplies.

Today we were able to visit shelters in Chispan, Estanzuela and Teculutan, 3 places that have been affected by the overflow of the Motagua River, and where more than 2,000 people are living in shelters.

Our team is moving tomorrow to the OB Zacapa office in order to set up an emergency warehouse to reach the victims in the eastern region of Guatemala.

Day 3:
There was a second explosion from the Pacaya volcano yesterday afternoon, causing more fear among many of the people currently in shelters. The OB Guatemala team spent yesterday and today helping affected families. Our OB doctor has been examining them, including many children, to make sure they do not have any injuries. We are also providing them with nutritional shakes, partnering with local churches, and bringing in a truckload of clothes and shoes for distribution.

To make the situation more difficult, we have been having heavy rains. The government has confirmed that Tropical Storm Agatha has hit land. We are going to stay in the disaster zone and continue serving these displaced families.

Day 2:
The OB Guatemala teams have arrived at the disaster zone surrounding the Pacaya Volcano and have made a primary evaluation—the situation is very critical. This morning we went to the shelters to establish their needs. We found that the rivers and streams are polluted due to the massive amount of ash that fell on the ground.

Even though there are 8 shelters already established, they aren’t enough for the more than 100 displaced families. The shelters don’t have bathrooms or showers available. There aren’t very many organizations and volunteers in the disaster zone right now due to the warning of a second eruption.

We have already established a relief center at the National School near the volcano and are going to be providing water for this area. Water is very important for these families to survive, so we have coordinated efforts with our warehouse team and they are on their way to the shelter with 2,000 bottles of water. We are also working together with the army, national police and government organizations to obtain better results.

Day 1:
On the evening of May 27, Mt. Pacaya erupted, spewing forth a fountain of lava that reached a height of around 1 km, with an ash cloud reaching up to 4 km into the sky and began drifting northwest toward the capital.

At least 3 people were killed in the eruption. According to newspapers, at least 9 children were missing and more than 20 people injured. Thousands fled from their homes or were evacuated and many buildings were damaged.

The significant ash falling from the eruption caused traffic chaos in Guatemala City and closed the international airport. The intensity of the explosions declined later in the evening, but we are being warned that new violent phases could follow.

We are ready to assist the hundreds of homeless people living in the shelters that have been set up. Two OB Guatemala relief teams are en route to the disaster area to evaluate the most pressing needs.

Tags: Aid Distribution, Chispan, clean water, CONRED, Disaster Relief, Estanzuela, Guatemala, Guatemala City, Latin America, Mario Bucaro, Medical Aid, Motagua River, Mt. Pacaya, OB Guatemala, OBI, Operation Blessing, Relief Aid, Relief Supplies, Teculutan, Tropical Storm Agatha, Volcano Eruption, Zacapa

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010 at 11:03 am and is filed under Disaster Relief, Latin America. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.