Within the first two weeks of November, Honduras was struck by Hurricanes Eta and Iota. United Nations data (available in Spanish only) indicate that 3.6 million people are affected. Of these, 180,000 people have been evacuated; 76,000 are in temporary shelters; 184,000 are stranded beyond contact; and 91 are reported dead. Widespread damage to agriculture is also raising the spectre of longer-term food insecurity.
An appeal to Canadians
In this video message, The Most Rev. Guy Charbonneau, Bishop of Choluteca appealed to Canadians’ generosity on behalf of the “noble and resilient” Honduran people:
An initial response
Using an emergency allocation of $20,000 from Development and Peace — Caritas Canada, the amalgamated Jesuit organizations, Equipo de Reflexión, Investigación y Comunicación (ERIC) and Radio Progreso (RP) will:
- Distribute hygiene kits and basic ration packages worth a total of $23.83 each to 500 households
- Each hygiene kit includes a litre each of disinfectant, chlorine, hand soap, detergent and dish soap; a roll of toilet paper; a dish sponge; and a roll of garbage bags.
- Each ration package includes 5 lbs of corn flour; 4 lbs each of rice and beans; 2 lbs each of sugar, wheat flour and salt; 1 lb each of coffee, spaghetti and butter; a jar of tomato sauce; four rolls of toilet paper; and a box of matches.
- Produce 20 radio programs (at the cost of $297.84 each) to inform an audience of 500,000 about the situation, safety measures, available help and their rights
- Monitor 50 shelters (at the cost of $40 each) to safeguard the health, safety and rights of their occupants
The relief measures will reach over 4,500 of the most vulnerable people, including the elderly, single-parent households and families with children and babies.
An ongoing need
Robust as it is, this initial response is limited in scope. To properly address the immediate needs of even more people and to ensure their longer-term wellbeing and recovery, our partners will need your help.
