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Floods, Landslides Imperil Thousands of Families in Honduras
WESTPORT, Conn. (Oct. 27, 2008) — Save the Children is working to assist thousands of families forced from their homes due to severe flooding and landslides that have devastated communities throughout Honduras, killing more than 30 people and compelling 38,000 to find refuge in temporary shelters.
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A girl crosses a flooded street with the aid of a rope in El amate. Oct. 21, 2008. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido. Courtesy alertnet.org |
Save the Children staff members report that heavy rains opened a massive geological fault in Tegucigalpa, the nation’s capital city, causing authorities to declare part of the city closed and uninhabitable. Hundreds of families in the city are seeking temporary shelter.
Throughout Honduras, torrential rains have created landslides and flooding that have destroyed homes, schools and health clinics, as well as half of the roads in the Central American nation. President Manuel Zelaya has declared a national state of emergency and asked for international support.
Save the Children Honduras plans to provide at least 400 homeless families with basic necessities including clean water, cooking supplies, blankets, and health care provisions. The agency is seeking additional support to help long-term recovery efforts, including restoring water and sanitation systems and rebuilding schools damaged by the storm.
Learn more about Save the Children's response in Honduras.
Save the Children (www.savethechildren.org) is the leading, independent organization that creates lasting change for children in need in the United State s and around the world. Save the Children USA is a member of the International Save the Children Alliance, a global network of 28 independent Save the Children organizations working to ensure the well-being and protection of children in more than 120 countries.
