The Israeli humanitarian aid agency IsraAID has launched an emergency response in Guatemala following Hurricane Eta, which has killed more than 150 people and left 200,000 affected in the Central American country.
IsraAID’s locally-based Emergency Response team is expected to arrive Monday (Nov. 9) in Alta Verapaz, among the worst-affected areas.
The team is bringing psychological first aid, medical support, relief items, hygiene kits, and water filters.
Eta first made landfall in neighboring Nicaragua last Tuesday, before moving slowly through the region, bringing heavy rains, flooding, and mudslides.
At least 7,000 Guatemalans have been displaced to temporary shelters, with 45,000 evacuated from their homes. Along with the immediate emergency response, the IsraAID team will perform a rapid needs assessment, focusing on recovery needs in affected communities.
IsraAID has had a permanent team on the ground in Guatemala since the 2018 Volcán de Fuego (volcano) eruption, which caused significant damage across the southern area of Escuintla.
In 2020, IsraAID Guatemala has responded to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, reaching households across the country with guidance on psychosocial support and resilience in the face of lockdown, along with hygiene promotion and food distribution for vulnerable communities.
Donations to support IsraAID’s emergency response can be made through the IsraAID Emergency Response Fund.