I have received a telephone call from Sr. Fatima Carcano in Sulaco,
Yoro. The village is out of food, clean water, medicines and dry
firewood. Many refugees have come down from mountains, they are very ill and starving. All roads into and out of village are blocked by
mudslides. Only way into area is by helicopter.
Wednesday - November 4, 1998
Update on Roatan from Jennifer Joy:
I received an e-mail from someone on Roatan that let me know that my friend is alive and well and that there have been no deaths or serious injuries on Roatan!
Why is the U.S. Government delaying the release of its C-130s, and
other cargo aircraft and helicopters, for humanitarian service to
Central America? We have a team of medical / rescue personnel and
supplies ready to go into Honduras....and we can't get an aircraft! Our story is not unique. There are many teams, and tons of relief supplies and equipment sitting in US shipping ports and airports waiting for transport! How much red tape can there be? Several airports are now
open and receiving flights from other countries. An ocean away, England has ships there already! Everyone in the world is trying to help, except our government.
Please, anyone reading this post contact your congressman and senators immediately! Request the release of the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Units. The people in these units are ready and willing to go! Let's get the guys behind the desks to let them. And if that doesn't work, contact your local news media, CNN, or anyone who has any influence. Put the pressure on! These people need
our help.
Wednesday - November 4, 1998 - 11:00 p.m.
Update from Honduras.com STAFF:
Today we were able to get through to El Progreso, Yoro, where we spent the day assisting the Regional Emergency Command in diverse projects. A brewing problem is what to do with the people in shelters that are now homeless?
They want the government to give them land, but even if it wanted to, where is it going to get land to give them? The
radio reports that the road to La Ceiba is passable again, so slowly distribution routes will be opening. However, entire
communities are still isolated and tomorrow we will be accompanying a rescue team that will be taking food and
medication via boat to remote, isolated areas. The photograph below eloquently depicts the present state of affairs.
A top priority is to get the infrastructure back up. In one deft swoop, Mitch has crippled the country.
Honduras is a country of 20,000 villages. The situation seems similar everywhere: market towns isolated, and refugees
pouring in from the mountains. Please realize that we know very little of most of the remote, mountainous areas; help is
going towards certain areas, but there are huge blank spots: Depts of Olancho, El Paraiso, most of Francisco Morazan
Dept., most of the West. Here are some sobering statistics from a reliable source in Juticalpa, and from personal friends who have been evacuated to there from the remote towns of Northern Olancho.
Catacamas is cut off, and naked refugees are coming down out of the Sierra de Agalta, presumably one of the most hard-hit areas; at least two villages
there are gone in mudslides. Another village, La Avispa, was also destroyed by slides. These were mentioned to me because
they are places I know well, but the situation applies everywhere. After four feet of rain, fragile tropical slopes become
supersaturated and give way at an unpredictable rate. Extremely rugged areas like the Sierra de Agalta are the most
susceptible. The valley of Gualaco is partly under water and many houses are gone. The Valley of Agalta, including the town
of San Esteban, are in relatively good shape.
We are nowhere near comprehending the magnitude of this disaster, nor
has it been impressed on the American consciousness. Nevertheless, local efforts by aid agencies already present, local
military, and civilians is, and I suspect this is also general, right now the deciding factor. But please remember there are 20,000
villages, hundreds of market town centers--all in apparently similar situations.
Wednesday - November 4, 1998
If you would like to contribute relief funds directly to the City of San Pedro Sula, there is a new donation form specifically for them. You can access it by clicking HERE.
