Plan is assisting floods victims in Guatemala
Villagers trying to recover belongings from
their house buried by a mudslide
The situation
Hurricane Stan caused landslides and river floods in many parts of Guatemala at the beginning of October with the country on alert level red (maximum level) for several days.
The areas affected were the south coast (departments of Escuintla, Jutiapa, Santa Rosa, Suchitepéquez, San Marcos) and the west (Quetzaltenango, Huehuetenango, Sololá, Totonicapán and el Quiché) of the country. Over 42,000 were evacuated from their homes and 669 people died.
Plan-affiliated communities
Among the areas affected, Plan works in the regions of Escuintla and Santa Rosa, where there are 6,951 sponsored children in 64 communities.
In the two municipalities of Masagua and Taxisco, most affected by the hurricane, the majority of the shelters have now been closed.
Plan’s response
After working with local government and other non-governmental organisations to ensure relief efforts were coordinated in the affected areas, Plan is now working on the rehabilitation of the families affected.
Plan’s activities consist of:
- Rehabilitation of schools affected and the provision of educational materials and equipment
- Provision of clean water and the recovery of sanitation facilities
- Assisting families in minimising the loss of income
- Supporting the Ministry of Health in recovering the basic conditions in health centres
- Provision of recreational activities and psychological attention to the affected children
How you can help
Plan is aiming to raise around £200,000 to respond to the crisis and assist vulnerable children and their families. You can help too; click here to make a secure online donation or call us on 0800 1300 230. Your contribution can make a real difference to the lives of these children and their families.
Please note that sponsorship communications to the affected areas will suffer delays. Further updates on the situation will be posted on this website as and when we receive them.
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