Mexico City, Mexico, November 3, 2007—-Intense, heavy rains in southern Mexico have left at least 1 million people in need of emergency assistance, according to Christian aid agency World Vision. The most urgent needs right now are for clean water and non-food items that can help prevent disease outbreaks among the 800,000 left homeless. Help is even more urgent for the 300,000 people who are still stranded by the floods.

"This massive number of stranded people can only be reached via boats or helicopter, and rescuing them will take time," said Aldo Pontecorvo, World Vision's emergency response director in Mexico. "Meanwhile, children are at especially high risks of dengue, cholera and mosquito-borne diseases."

World Vision is sending an estimated 40 metric tons of soap, shampoo, sanitary towels, toilet paper, powdered detergent and liquid cleaner to Villahermosa in Tabasco state, although flooded roadways may cause delays. The agency plans to increase its response in the coming days.

Meanwhile, World Vision teams on the ground are working to ensure the safety of local families while waiting for heavy equipment to clear roads to isolated communities. The international aid agency has long-term development work in two communities in northern Chiapas state.

The risk of disease outbreaks in the area-—which is heavily populated by mosquitoes-—will continue even after the floodwaters begin to recede, according to Pontecorvo. Underwater debris will contribute to the threat of disease as things begin to decay, he explained.

World Vision has been serving in Mexico since 1963. Current programs focus on health care and nutrition, improved cultivation and agricultural techniques, community organization and income generation activities.

The agency is also providing emergency relief in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, where Hurricane Noel killed nearly 150 people this week.

The public can help by making cash donations at www.worldvision.org or 1.888.56.CHILD.

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To interview World Vision staff in Mexico, or for photos from the flood zone, contact Rachel Wolff at 253.394.2214 or rwolff@worldvision.org, or Casey Calamusa at 206.310.5476.

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. For more information, visit worldvision.org/press.