Silver Spring, Maryland--In an effort to assist more than 16,000 survivors of Tropical Depression Sixteen in Honduras, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) provided more than 2,100 hygiene kits and nearly 1,300 clothing kits in cooperation with COPECO, the Honduran government office for disaster response, on October 28.
More than 10,500 affected residents benefited from the distribution of hygiene kits, while approximately 6,000 benefited from the clothing kits, according to Claudio Sandoval, country director for ADRA Honduras. The items were distributed in the regions of Comayagua, El Sur, Ocotepeque, and El Paraiso, areas severely affected by the storm. Each hygiene kit contained hand towels, soap bars, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and combs, and every clothing kit provided enough clothing items for a five-person family.
Marco Tulio Burgos, COPECO's commissioner, thanked ADRA for the assistance and recognized its dedication and service in Honduras, particularly in the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch in 1998, when ADRA constructed more than 400 homes for families who were displaced.
ADRA Honduras and COPECO have an agreement to work together in coordinating emergency and disaster response efforts.
Tropical Depression Sixteen made landfall in northern Honduras on October 16 causing severe flooding in 17 of the country's 18 provinces. According to the United Nations Emergency Technical Team (UNETT), flooding affected more than 270,000 people across the nation, displaced more than 42,000, and left 33 dead.
ADRA has been active in Honduras since 1998, working primarily in the areas of infrastructure, health care, economic development, food security, emergency management, and education.
ADRA is present in 125 countries, providing community development and emergency management without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, race, or ethnicity.
Additional information about ADRA can be found at www.adra.org.
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Author: Joel Paco/Nadia McGill
Media Contact: John Torres, Senior Public Relations Manager, ADRA International 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904 Phone: 301.680.6357 E-mail: Media.Inquiries@adra.org
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
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