Caritas is sending staff to support parts of El Salvador hit by floods and mudslides after days of heavy rains have left over 120
people dead and thousands of people homeless.
El Salvador has been on a state of alert since Thursday after being battered by heavy rains . The rains have coincided with the nearby
passing of Hurricane Ida, which is currently moving through the Gulf of Mexico.
“We’re gearing up to respond to the aftermath of the hurricane by
sending staff out to the worst-affected sites to look at the damage and limit further risks,†said Wilfredo RamÃrez Escobar from Caritas El Salvador. “The
Government has declared a national emergency and schools and sports buildings have been made available as temporary shelters.â€
The capital San Salvador and central
San Vicente province were the hardest-hit regions. Large parts of El Salvador are without electricity or clean water and remain cut off from assistance. Collapsed bridges and damaged roads have
worsened the isolation of some communities.
Neighbouring Nicaragua has also been hit by heavy rains which have left some 13,000 people homeless. The hurricane poses a threat to oil
and gas fields as it moves through the Gulf of Mexico. It is next expected to weaken as it heads towards the US coast between Louisiana and Florida.
Residents walk outside their damaged houses, next to a river, after heavy rains in the village of San Vicente near San Salvador November 8, 2009. Hurricane Ida roared into the Gulf ...
