Direct Relief Assembling Needed Medical Aid for Guatemala, El Salvador

June 2, 2010 

Direct Relief International is assembling needed medical aid for Guatemala and El Salvador to assist people injured in and displaced by flooding caused by Tropical Storm Agatha and the eruption of Pacaya Volcano.

An initial consignment of antibiotics, antifungal agents, and medicines to treat respiratory conditions is being prepared to send to Caritas Guatemala, a trusted partner that has been active in emergency response and reconstruction efforts in the country since Hurricane Stan in 2005. In El Salvador, longtime partner FUSAL has requested personal care items for families displaced by flooding there.

Direct Relief’s emergency response team has been corresponding with partners on the ground providing medical care and emergency assistance. One partner has reported that in Chimaltenango, Guatemala, many families have lost everything, including their homes and their crops. Though clean up has begun, the airport there is closed to cargo traffic in the next few days, roads are blocked with mudflows, and bridges have been damaged, making transportation difficult.

Direct Relief is preparing medical aid shipments so they can be dispatched immediately on news of open delivery channels.

Direct Relief Responding to Flooding and Volcano Eruption in Central America

Tropical Storm Agatha and Pacaya Volcano displace hundreds of thousands in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras

May 31, 2010 

Direct Relief International is reaching out today to partners in El Salvador and Guatemala to offer assistance after widespread evacuations and damage from two natural disasters, the eruption of Pacaya volcano and flooding from Tropical Storm Agatha. The organization is tapping into its standing inventory to resource needed items to treat the reported more than 115,000 people affected and displaced. More than 100 people have been killed in the events, according to news reports.

The emergency response team activated last night to connect with partners in the region and identify specific needs for medical material aid. Direct Relief has strong relationships with trusted partners in Central America, built over the past decade. This includes the God’s Child Project, which provides aid to families—especially children—living in extreme poverty in Guatemala.

In addition to medical aid, with such large numbers of people forced to leave their homes and seek temporary shelter, the team anticipates a high need for personal care products such as soap and shampoo. These basic items bring a bit of comfort to the displaced and help improve hygiene in crowded conditions. Especially during flooding, water-borne diseases are a concern among shelter populations as well.

Direct Relief will remain in close contact with partners throughout Central America to monitor the situation and respond to needs quickly and efficiently.