Emergency relief project after Hurricane Eta in Honduras

Hurricane Eta has caused serious devastation in Honduras. Communities in the Sula Valley suffered particularly from the aftermath: The small town of Potrerillos was about 80 percent flooded, with water up to the second floor of some homes. Most of the people affected were evacuated in time and taken to safety in emergency shelters or private homes. The masses of water caused severe damage: roads and bridges were damaged, fields flooded and harvests destroyed and houses damaged. " To save themselves, people had to leave all their belongings behind. They abruptly lost their livelihoods'' reports Karin Eder, Regional Manager Central America of AWO International. In Potrerillos alone, 7,880 people were left homeless. Housing the people in emergency shelters and private households brought an increased risk of contracting corona. There was a lack of protective equipment and hygiene supplies.

Together with our local partner organization OCDIH, emergency relief measures were implemented to support people in the affected communities in Honduras: In Potrerillos, for example, 600 families left without shelter received mattresses, blankets, cooking utensils, hygiene kits and mosquito nets, as well as drinking water and food. Of these, 250 families were in emergency shelters, and 350 families were staying with relatives. The situation in the emergency shelters is precarious. Here, two to three families live together in one classroom, makeshift kitchens have been set up so that families can prepare food. Some families have lost everything, while others, since the floods have receded, can return during the day to what is left of their homes.