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American Red Cross Provides Disaster Relief Support in Mexico, Central America
Written by
Fran Kritz
, Special to Redcross.org
Thursday, October 13, 2005 — Stan is the latest of this hurricane season’s storms to make landfall, destroying homes, communities and taking lives. Early last week, Hurricane Stan made its way through the Gulf of Mexico, making landfall in Central America as a Category 1 hurricane. The storm brought torrential rains to the region, where it is now the rainy season, causing significant flooding and triggering mudslides. Recently reported volcanic and seismic activities have complicated matters in some areas as well.
The American Red is providing disaster response support to affected national Red Cross societies in coordination with the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (the Movement). American Red Cross support to the Mexican Red Cross will go towards procuring relief supplies locally for immediate distribution. In El Salvador, the organization has placed three staff members and two vehicles at teh disposal of the Salvadoran Red Cross Society for this response. A fourth American Red Cross workers is supporting the Guatemalan Red Cross in its disaster response efforts.
A Salvadoran girl sleeps in a shelter for flooding evacuees in San Salvador, Oct. 3, 2005.
(Photo Credit: REUTERS/Luis Galdamez,
Courtesy of Alertnet.org)
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Authorities in Guatemala report more than 650 dead with hundreds more missing and feared dead. Thousands of people have been reported injured and thousands more are in need of food and shelter. At least 100 communities in Guatemala have been cut off from regular supply routes by mudslides and flooding.
El Salvador, in addition to experiencing flooding and landslides, has experienced recent volcanic activity and seismic activity that have taken at least 70 lives and forced 70,000 people to evacuate into 600 shelters.
Preliminary death tolls are also expected to rise in Nicaragua, Honduras, and Costa Rica. In Southern Mexico, many towns are still without food and relief supplies because bridges have been carried away by flood waters.
Inquiries concerning U.S. citizens who were living or visiting in a disaster-impacted area should be referred to the U.S. Department of State, Office of Overseas Citizens Services, at 1-888-407-4747.
For inquiries regarding non-U.S. citizens in disaster-affected areas of Mexico and El Salvador, the American Red Cross is accepting inquiries from immediate family members (parents, siblings, children and spouses) for missing loved ones who permanently reside in the affected areas, who are NOT U.S. citizens and who were in regular contact with their relatives in the United States before the disaster occurred. Inquirers should contact their local American Red Cross chapter for assistance.
The Guatemalan and Honduran Red Cross are heavily engaged in tending to the emergency needs of the disaster-affected population and are not yet in a position to accept inquiries regarding family members; therefore, the American Red Cross is not able to accept inquiries for family members in Guatemala and Honduras at this time.
The American Red Cross is accepting monetary contributions for the relief effort in Central America. By donating to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, the Red Cross is able to provide immediate relief and long-term support for those affected by countless crises around the world each year. The Red Cross honors donor intent, so those wishing to designate their gift for a specific disaster should do so at the time of donation.
The organization is in constant contact with its partners in the Movement, and will be considering additional options for disaster relief support and assistance as the situation evolves and more information becomes available regarding emerging needs.
Fran Kritz is a freelance writer from Silver Spring, Md. She is working with the Disaster Public Affairs unit at Red Cross national headquarters in Washington, D.C.
A Note Regarding In-Kind Donations
Please remember that the American Red Cross is not able to accept small, individual donations or collections of items for emergency relief supplies. The decision to transport bulk donations from the U.S. is based solely on the needs identified by the relief operation and the availability of local resources. If you represent a company wishing to offer supplies in bulk, please contact your local Red Cross chapter.
You can help the victims of countless crises around the world each year, crises like the Myanmar Cyclone and China Earthquake, by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, which will provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical assistance and other support to help those in need. The American Red Cross honors donor intent. If you wish to designate your donation to a specific disaster please do so at the time of your donation by either contacting 1-800-HELP NOW or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish), or mailing your donation with the designation to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013 or to your local American Red Cross chapter. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org.
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