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Location:
San SalvadorWFP is providing food assistance to some 15,000 people who have been hit by heavy rains and flooding that over the past few days have affected the entire Caribbean coast of Panama.
According to authorities, the number of victims could rise to 25,000 people due to the heavy and incessant
rain that began on 20 November and has since prompted the Government of Panama to declare a State of Emergency in all affected areas. The rains have also damaged roads, preventing humanitarian aid
agencies from reaching indigenous areas to estimate the number of affected people.
With support from the Panamanian authorities, WFP will distribute high energy biscuits, shipped from its regional emergency response hub based at El Salvador’s international airport in Comalapa, just outside San Salvador. The rations will be sufficient to feed up to 15,000 people for a period of 4 or 5 days.
The biscuits contain fortified food of a high nutritional value, especially developed to meet
the needs of affected populations in emergencies. After a natural disaster, families often lose their crops and animals, as well as their kitchens and clean water to cook with. The biscuits –
which require no preparation or cooking – will help affected communities to maintain the minimum necessary calorie intake until they are once again able to care for themselves.
Each package of 100 grams contains the equivalent of 450 kCal. This nutritional input is intended for people of all ages, even those who are suffering from health problems. The biscuits can also be consumed as a soft purée if they are dissolved in water, for children or the elderly.
Alejandro Chicheri,
WFP Latin America and the Caribbean,
Tel. +507-317-3900,
Cel. +507-6675-0617
Elio Rujano,
PMA America Latina y el Caribe,
Tel. +507 317-3930,
Cel. +507 6617-9261
Other Contacts:
