Relief Supplies Arrive in Nicaragua.

Westport, Conn. (September 7, 2007) — Save the Children is now distributing plastic sheeting for shelter, water and hygiene kits and special materials for children as it expands its relief assistance to thousands of children and families forced from their homes in Nicaragua a result of Hurricane Felix, which hit the Nicaraguan coast on Tuesday.

The Category 5 hurricane reportedly has claimed scores of lives in Nicaragua and Hondorus and has left 6,000 families homeless in Nicaragua, according to Save the Children staff and government officials, who continue to assess the damage.

A special Save the Children airlift filled with relief supplies arrived in Nicaragua on Thursday and will soon be distributed to displaced children and their families in Puerto Cabezas, one of the areas hardest hit by the hurricane. The safe space kits, containing items such as soccer balls, crayons, puzzles and other toys purchased and compiled in the region, are used with tailored activities to help bring a sense of normalcy into children's lives.

"We are very concerned for the well-being of children and their families in Nicaragua," said Rudy Von Bernuth, who heads Save the Children's emergency response team. "Getting relief items into the areas hit hardest by the hurricane is challenging. The only way to access these communities right now is by airplane or by helicopter."

Save the Children staff are in the region working with staffers in emergency shelters to set up safe spaces for children to play. Save the Children expects to expand its reach to respond to the needs of displaced children and their families in Bilwi and other hurricane-affected areas.

Save the Children has been operating programs in Nicaragua since 1968. Felix is the second Category 5 storm to strike Central America in recent weeks.

You can help Save the Children respond to emergencies like these that put at great risk the survival, protection, and well-being of significant numbers of children. By contributing to the Children’s Emergency Fund, you help us to respond immediately to children and families who urgently need our assistance when disasters strike.