Details of Payment

Emergency: Flooding & landslides following tropical storm Stan

Date of Emergency: October 2005

Implementing Partners: CIEDEG and the following local partners of CAID, Danchurchaid, LWF, NCA, TROCAIRE and ICCO: PRODESSA, AMMID, ASUDI, CONAVIGUA, CPR, PTI, KRAKEROY, Madre Selva, CPDL, ASDENA, MTC, ADEMI and ASECSA. The activities will be implemented under the co-ordination and supervision of ACT Guatemala Forum by the different implementing members and partners. CIEDEG will be responsible, on behalf of the Forum, for the financial administration and reporting to ACT Alliance.

Details of the Emergency: Since 1 October heavy rains, influenced by tropical storm Stan, have been lashing Guatemala the worst affected country in the region. The rains caused extensive flooding and mudslides in the highlands and south-western departments of the Pacific coastal area. Nine departments have been affected: San Marcos, Quetzaltenango, Solola, Totonicapan, Suchitepequez, Chimaltenango, Sacatepequez, Huehuetenango and Escuintla.

The areas affected are mostly populated by indigenous people living in extreme poverty. More than 900 landslides have been recorded in the area triggered by severe deforestation. The most deadly landslides were registered in the Panabaj and Tyanchaj indigenous communities in Solola, where 1,400 people were engulfed by a massive landslide accompanied by a 12-metre avalanche of sludge. The slide measured four kilometers in length. Rescue work is in progress but the avalanche is so huge that it is feared that many of the bodies will not be found.

According to the latest official reports the death toll stands at 652, 384 missing and 99 injured. It is estimated that 93,893 people have been affected. 1,298 houses destroyed and 5,225 damaged. 359 communities were affected and 118 remain cut off.

The bad weather conditions have hampered the humanitarian assistance and a new low pressure system is expected this week that could increase again the intensity of the rains and the damages.

Proposed Assistance: The ACT Guatemala Forum is planning to provide food, water, medicines, clothes and hygiene kits to the affected population. They will focus their activities in the most affected communities where other humanitarian actors are not responding. Priority will be given to the most vulnerable groups: families that have lost their houses and all their belongings, children and the elderly.

The ACT Guatemala Forum will also facilitate the mobilization of the local resources supporting the transport and distribution of the relief items collected at the local level. An Appeal is expected within the next few days.

BUDGET (US$)

Food and non food relief items: 35,000
Transport: 10,000
Logistics and distribution: 5,000

Total Estimated Expenditure: 50,000

ACTION

The ACT Co-ordinating Office has approved the use of US50,000 towards the budget from its Rapid Response Fund and would be grateful to receive contributions to wholly or partially replenish this payment.