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Guatemala: UN appeals for urgent funds to feed 285,000 hurricane
victims
More assistance urgently needed in Central America
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) issued a new urgent
appeal to donors to help feed an estimated 285,000 Guatemalan
victims of last month’s Hurricane Stan, warning that they
face a severe hunger crisis as early as this Christmas.
“We are looking at a ticking time bomb with grave consequences
for thousands of people,” WFP Emergency Coordinator for
Guatemala Duilio Perez said, noting that the agency had already
appealed at the end of last month for $14.1 million to aid the
affected population for six months.
“There is a very short time-line to receive money for
this crisis,” he added, directing the appeal especially
to governments and corporations in Latin America to show their
support for their sister country.
Many people have lost some or all of their crops, especially
those dependent on terracing, their homes have been damaged
and in some cases destroyed, and entire villages have seen their
sanitation and water systems partially or completely wiped out.
“All of this has occurred in a country where even before
the Hurricane struck, the rate of chronic hunger among children
was almost 50 per cent – the highest in the region,”
Mr. Perez said. “Many people, if they haven’t lost
everything, only have enough food to last them until the harvest
begins in December, assuming they will harvest anything.”
He voiced concern that as the weather grew colder, people would
need a higher intake of calories. Also, if their bodies were
weakened by hunger, they would be more susceptible to disease.
Local authorities point to a growing danger of gastro-intestinal
diseases caused by damage to sanitation and water systems, which
could have a devastating effect on children already suffering
from chronic hunger.
“We need to be able to move quickly
to buy food, distribute it and prepare for the coming months,”
Mr. Perez said. “As people’s dwindling supplies
run out and as they gather smaller harvests, they will need
food assistance – especially when you take into consideration
that it will be another year before they can harvest the next
crop.”
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