On Sunday, November 12, a 6.5-magnitude earthquake shook Guatemala´s Pacific coastline. There where four aftershocks with magnitudes ranging from 4.5 to 5.0. President Otto Perez informed that now more than nine thousand homes are damaged. He also informed that the aftershock caused some landslides and sttuctural damage, but no more deaths. The official death rate has been lowered to 42 confirmed casualites.
The Director of Guatemala's National Institute of Seismology, Vulcanology and Hydrology (INSIVUMEH), Eddy Sanchez recommendet residents to avoid buildings and homes with structural damage from the last quake.
The president said that the reconstruction data and the costs will be presented next Friday.
The aid efforts are slow and there are not enough resources. There have been complaints about lack of coordination and disorganization in the flow of humanitarian aid provided by the government.
Otto Perez explained that from now on, all aid efforts would be channeled through CONRED (National Coordination of Networks for Disaster Management).
He added that the Ministry of Health should ensure that there is medicine in hospitals and shelters, and provide water to communities.
The National Institute of Municipal Development and communes should restore the distribution networks of piped water.
In addition, the Ministry of Social Development and Sesan should distribute food.
As for safety, looting attempts have been reported. According to Perez Molina, the National Civil Police (PNC) and the Army are responsible for the safety of people and their belongings in these affected areas.
