Heavy Rain and Floods hits Central America

Heavy rain has killed at least 60 people in Central America, authorities said Monday. El Salvador is the country hit hardest so far. At least 32 people have died in El Salvador and some 13 thousand Salvadorans have been forced to flee their homes, and the death toll has risen. Emergency efforts to distribute food are underway for families forced from their homes.The government has declared a state of emergency and ordered evacuations.
Meanwhile in Guatemala, the death toll stands at 28 and close to 110,000 people have been affected by the rain. President Alvaro Colom said that 15,000 more people are at risk and roughly 12,000 are in shelters, according to a statement on his website.
Honduras was similarly struck. The majority of the country's 18 departments are under alert and some 13,000 people have been affected. Central America has been flooded by torrential rain since last week.
The rains from this tropical depression are already the 6th worst in the past 42 years, and the rains are forecast for more days in the region.
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The needs in the country are basic – shelter from the rain and floodwaters, clothing for what has been lost, food for the hungry, and long term works for mitigation of risk in many areas. Several organizations are making calls for donations.
 

Source: BNA