Alert

El Salvador - 1/2008

Geneva, 8 January 2008

Heavy winds and low temperatures

From December 31, 2007 to January 4, 2008, a cold front affected El Salvador, causing storms with wind speeds of 50 kilometers per hour in the valleys and speeds more than 80 kilometers per hour in mountain regions.

According to the Civil Protection and the Ministry of Interior, the storm caused severe damage in eight departments of the country. Some reported damage was also caused by fires brought on by the storm.

Communities experienced unusually low temperatures of 12 °C in the valleys and 3 °C in the mountain regions.

There were three reported deaths of two women and newborn baby girl along with reports of two women injured. Reports also indicate that 164 houses were destroyed and 5,472 houses were damaged. Initially, 350 persons were accommodated in shelters.

According to information from some municipalities, approximately 40 per cent of the coffee harvest was destroyed as well as some bean, sorghum and vegetable crops affecting both food supply and livelihoods.

The members of the ACT forum in El Salvador are carrying out assessments in the communities in which they work. The following needs were initially identified: food and medical support, protection from the cold and building materials for the reconstructions of homes.

The ACT El Salvador Forum is planning to request support from the ACT Rapid Response Fund (RRF) and will be in contact with the ACT Coordinating Office (CO).

Any funding indication or pledge should be communicated to Jessie Kgoroeadira, ACT Finance Officer (jkg@act-intl.org).

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ACT is a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergencies worldwide. The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland.