Central America is struggling against the effects of the worst tropical storm in this record-breaking season which so far has claimed over 150 lives and affected many more.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies estimate that 75,000 people are in urgent need of humanitarian aid. The worst affected countries are Honduras, followed by Guatemala and Nicaragua. In Honduras, 1.8 million people have been affected with 20% of the entire population being severely affected and many having lost everything. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that 2.5 million people in total are suffering as a result of the hurricane.
Eta hit land in Central American on the 3rd of November coming from Nicaragua as a category four hurricane with speeds of 240 km per hour. It then proceeded further inland, devastating other countries in its path. Although the wind eventually weakened, heavy rains then sparked floods in Honduras, Guatemala, and Cuba.
Eta destroyed countless roads and much of the infrastructure of many parts of Central America including water systems which, for many people, resulted in the lack of access to freshwater. Unfortunately, the hurricane also washed crops from fields which can only exacerbate food insecurity and famine and many fields of coffee and banana crops were destroyed which represent a major part of the country’s export market. The OCHA has assessed that, in Honduras alone, nearly 153 thousand hectares have been devastated which will certainly severely impact upon the Honduran economy as 10% of the GDP generated by this Central American nation comes from agriculture which employs one-third of the population.
The natural disaster has only served to worsen the already complicated situation in Central America which has been struggling against poverty and food insecurity for many years with the situation recently having been exacerbated by the COVID-19 outbreak.
The World Food Program has called upon donors to increase their support as many people in the region are in urgent need of food assistance.
“Eta arrived at the worst time, making life harder for millions of people already hard hit by years of erratic weather and the socioeconomic crisis COVID-19 caused. We are also concerned that more heavy rain and flooding may destroy the upcoming harvest subsistence that farmers depend on to survive,” said Miguel Barreto, Regional Director of WFP for Latin America and the Caribbean.
According to the WFP, in 2019 1.6 million people suffered because of severe food insecurity in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua and it is expected that this number will be close to 3 million in 2020. The WFP estimates that it now needs US$13.2 million to meet the most urgent needs of those affected by the hurricane but this requirement will almost certainly grow in the forthcoming weeks as the real extent of this disaster is not yet known.
Among the international organizations which have decided to send help to the Central American nations hit by Eta, the EU has raised €1.55 million in immediate emergency funding for Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, while Oxfam has begun to distribute food and hygiene kits and it is planning to reach 100,000 people in Honduras, Nicaragua, and Guatemala.
The UK has also sent humanitarian assistance such as food and shelter kits and deployed a Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel to support the US military which is struggling against the effects of the hurricane in Honduras.
