A tropical storm hammered Central America for over a week starting October 11 with torrential rains, causing extensive flooding and damage in Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Mexico.  The Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC) is responding with emergency food and medical supplies.

“The tropical storm has affected the south of Honduras, the area has been flooded with more than 60-70 cm (over 2 feet) of rain,” said CRWRC-Honduras staff member Irene Zepeda.  “More than 30,000 people have been affected in the south, 7,057 are in emergency shelters, 2,058 houses have been damaged, four bridges have collapsed and 12 people have died.  On Sunday October 16, 2011 President Porfirio Lobo declared a state of emergency in the south of Honduras after more than a week of daily rain.”

The rains and successive landslides and floods have destroyed crops, killed livestock, and washed away homes and businesses.  Families are without food and are unable to work because of the rain.  Cases of waterborne diseases are also increasing.  In addition, many communities most in need are inaccessible because roads and bridges have washed away. 

CRWRC has been working in Honduras since 1974. Two of its local partners, Harvest Honduras and Diaconia Nacional, are already responding to this recent crisis.  Harvest Honduras was working in 11 of the communities affected by flooding, providing training to community leaders and programs in health and micro-credit.  With CRWRC support, Harvest Honduras is providing medicine, corn, beans, salt, sugar, oil and coffee to 300 families in 11 communities.  Diaconia Nacional is a long-time partner of CRWRC.  They were working in four affected communities providing training to church deacons and community leaders, and helping communities improve in lasting ways.  Diaconia Nacional is providing corn, beans, rice, sugar, oil, and medical supplies to 210 families. 

El Salvador was also deluged with a record 1.2 meters (4 feet) of rain. Although CRWRC is no longer active in community development in El Salvador, it is responding to this disaster through a long-standing partner Asociación Nuevo Amanecer de El Salvador (New Dawn Association of El Salvador) to provide rice, maize flour, oil, sugar, beans and medicine to 200 flood-affected households.

The tropical storm and flooding also affected four other countries in the region:  Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Mexico.  CRWRC is seeking to expand its responses in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, but requires additional financial support to make that possible. Please help us show God’s love to these families in their time of need!