MONTH AFTER HURRICANE, THOUSANDS CONTINUE TO SUFFER IN CENTRAL AMERICA, SAYS UN

MONTH AFTER HURRICANE, THOUSANDS CONTINUE TO SUFFER IN CENTRAL AMERICA , SAYS UN

GENEVA/NEW YORK, 2 November (OCHA) -- “Tens of thousands of people in Central America continue to suffer the ravages of Hurricane Stan”, said Yvette Stevens, Assistant Emergency Relief Coordinator, today, ahead of an information meeting convened by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on assistance to the communities affected by Hurricane Stan.

“The international community must do even more to meet the needs of the most vulnerable”, underscored Ms. Stevens, adding, “The poorest and most vulnerable -- those with the fewest coping mechanisms -- have been the most affected by this disaster.  And while there have been many demands on our attention as humanitarians this year, we must once more step forward to meet their needs.”

Hurricane Stan -- the eighteenth named storm and tenth hurricane of the record-breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season -- made landfall over southern Mexico on 4 October as a category 1 storm.  Originally, it appeared to be a relatively modest storm; however, the heavy rains it brought to southern Mexico and Central America caused extensive flooding and landslides, leading to more than 1,500 fatalities in six countries. Nearly one month later, nearly 32,000 displaced persons in Guatemala and more than 15,000 in El Salvador remain unable to return to their homes.  Moreover, those who have sought refuge in emergency shelters represent only the tip of the iceberg in this emergency; most of the displaced are staying with friends and family and are not easily reached by international assistance.

The emergency caused by Hurricane Stan had its heaviest impact on the most vulnerable populations in Central America, leaving them in an extremely precarious humanitarian situation for months to come.  Initial damage estimates in Guatemala amount to more than $400 million, while in El Salvador, where the hurricane coincided with the eruption of one of the country’s largest volcanoes, crop damage alone has been estimated at $10 million.

In the storm’s aftermath, both Governments requested international assistance for humanitarian relief and reconstruction, prompting the United Nations to launch a $24 million Flash Appeal for Guatemala, and the country team in El Salvador to call for $13.7 million through a joint inter-agency appeal.  United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) teams were dispatched to both countries in the hurricane’s wake, and OCHA released emergency cash grants for both El Salvador and Guatemala.  An emergency grant was also extended to Costa Rica.

International response to the two appeals to date has been mixed.  While 60 per cent of the funding required under the Guatemala Flash Appeal has now been committed ($14.9 million committed against $24.8 million in requirements), it is expected that higher-than-anticipated needs for food assistance during the six-month humanitarian response period will raise requirements by at least $7 million.  The World Food Programme (WFP) now aims to provide food assistance to 285,000 individuals in the hardest-hit departments over an initial three-month period.  A second phase of food assistance will benefit 180,000 over the subsequent three-month period.

Meanwhile, the response to the joint inter-agency appeal for El Salvador has been less satisfactory.  Only 30 per cent of requirements under the original appeal have been met to date ($2.3 million in commitments against the original $7.9 million in requirements), while higher than anticipated needs for assistance have prompted the country team today to increase the funding requirements by nearly $6 million -- to $13.7 million.  The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has dramatically expanded its outreach during the recovery phase, and the WFP and the International Labour Organization (ILO) have also joined the appeal.  Within both appeals, key sectors remain significantly underfunded.

Donors have been invited to announce new pledges in support of the United Nations appeals during today’s meeting, which was attended by at least 50 participants.  The meeting was organized in cooperation with the Governments of Guatemala and El Salvador.

For further information, please call:  Stephanie Bunker, OCHA- New York, tel: +1 917 367 5126, mobile: +1 917 892 1679; Kristen Knutson, OCHA- New York, tel:   +1 917 367 9262; Elizabeth Byrs, OCHA-Geneva, tel: +41 22 917 2653, mobile: +41 79 473 4570.

* *** *

For information media • not an official record