Guatemala News

Guatemala City. According to the latest report of CONRED and other Guatemalan authorities they confirmed 35 casualties, 19 injured and six missing. 168,471 affected by rains of the last weeks and 40 thousand suffered serious damages. 10.505 people had to be evacuated and the shelters are housing 12,699 people. A total of 106 shelters have been habilitated, 3, 500 people have found private shelter.

Housing

4.528 houses are at risk, 8. 312 houses have lesser damages, 2, 825 houses have moderate damage, 570 houses have been destroyed by rains and earthquakes.

Ten rivers are in danger of flooding or flooded.

Isolated communities.

The constant rain generated by the passage of Tropical Depression 12-E in the Pacific Ocean and now the low pressure system in the Caribbean, has caused floods in 10 rivers, at levels above the flood warning. Dozens of communities are isolated and it is feared that more disasters will affect the county with the ongoing rains. Isolated

Miguel Angel Torres, Governor of Escuintla, said that the river Mary Linda and river Coyolate keep a large number of isolated communities.

He noted that river Mary Linda has virtually isolated the communities of Güiscoyol, Atitán, Atitancito, El Chile, Candelaria and Puerto Iztapa. Some communities received assistance, but others where inaccessible due to flooding.

River Coyolate also cut off access to Santo Domingo, Los Cocos and Santa Maria del Mar, among other communities.

The river Los Esclavos continues to rise and caused floods in nine communities. Communities that remain cut off are Casillas, Santa Rosa, and 40 more communities on the Chiquimulilla beach.

Authorities of Cuilapa estimate that there are 13 000 people affected, isolated or flooded.

David Cóbar, Lieutenant Cornel who directs the rescue operations, stated that in some communities people do not want to be evacuated for fear of loosing their belongings, even when their lives are in danger.

Flooding
Petén Authorities reported that 10 communities of La Libertad, Sayaxché and Poptún are isolated after the river La Pasión overflowed. More flooding is expected, the rivers is still rising.

Local authorities reported that the Motagua River overflowed at noon yesterday and covered part of the road to Puerto Barrios, Izabal, towards Honduras, at kilometer 301. In addition, there were 36 isolated communities in Puerto Barrios, only reachable by boat because the road is covered with water.

The communities Mojanal and Jimerito are cut off and flooded in Morales, Izabal, where the Motagua River flooded tow areas.

Incidents attended

David de Leon, spokesman for the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (Conred), reported that in six days of steady rain they attended 424 incidents in the country. Including floods, landslides and mudslides that left 35 dead.

He added that Chimaltenango, Chiquimula, Escuintla, Huehuetenango, Jutiapa, Petén Quetzaltenango, Quiché, Retalhuleu, Sololá, Totonicapán and Suchitepéquez are on alert due to the impact of the rains.

Alejandro Maldonado, executive secretary of the Conred said that have transported 202 tons of humanitarian assistance by air and land to affected communities.

Weather
Eddy Sanchez, director of Insivumeh, said the problem is that with too many days of continuous rains in a row, the soil gets saturated with moisture and river banks can not absorb more water, so that the level rise constantly.

He added that the rivers of the South Coast when they reach the Pacific Ocean, they encounter a wall of water formed by large waves that prevent the flow of the tributaries, leading to flooding of nearby lands.

Damages to Agriculture and Infrastructure

The current estimates of damages to infrastructure and agricultural production is 20, 000 million quetzales- approximately 250 million dollars, according to Consejo de Instituciones de Desarrollo (Coinde), the Council of Institutions for Development.

According to Guido Calderón, President of COINDE hurricane STAN affected 86% of the guatemalan territory, Tormenta 12-E affected 72% of the territory.

Approval of emergency funds by Congress

The President of Guatemala declared national calamity for 30 days on Monday and asked Congress to approve readjustment of the budget for emergency funds needed to respond to this disaster. The Guatemalan Congres is still debating the approval of 895 million of Quetzales to respond to the emergency. Opposition leaders and some of the main media criticize the President because they are more concerned about the lax regulations of governmental spending proceedures in a clalmity situation, they fear more corruptiona and thefth. The Minister of Agriculture has alrady denounced speculation practices of staple food and construction materials.

Picture: Pinar Istek