Guatemala

[Tackler]

Share the wealth, Emergency Aid for Guatemala

For the next six months (Nov./05-Apr./05) the Guatemala Stove Project (GSP) will be redirecting its fundraising efforts towards emergency aid for the victims of Hurricane Stan. This decision was agreed upon by both the Board of Directors and the general membership, at the Annual General Meeting October 16/05.
We have been in touch with our partners in Guatemala at CEDEC and the Ixchel Womens' Project, both located in the Quetzaltenango (Xela) area. Xela is Guatemala's second-largest city, and at the centre of one of the heavily affected areas. They tell us that while there was not mass destruction as in Panabaj, most of the communities they work in were affected, and many houses were destroyed. Most of the communities the Guatemala Stove Project has worked in are remote areas of the Western Highlands, where the storm has had the most devastating impact. These communities are made up of the some of poorest people in Guatemala and they are receiving very little aid. The government aid is going primarily to the southern regions, and little if any to the indigenous towns There are great needs for support to rebuild housing particularly. There are also serious ongoing problems in the area with shortages of food, gasoline, and water; and related price gouging.
We have been in touch with numerous individuals and groups in Guatemala by email and phone over the last week, and have been watching press coverage of the response to the disaster. In general while the situation is very difficult and resources are limited, the response has been well-organized and aid is coming in. Bridges are being rebuilt, roads are very slowly being reopened, and telephone service is slowly coming back to normal However, many communities are still isolated and there is a huge amount of work to be done.

The effort has now shifted from rescue and recovery to reconstruction, and the needs for support in this work are great and will be present for a long time. Official statistics from CONRED, Guatemala's federal disaster relief agency, show over 10,000 homes damaged or destroyed, with 140,000 people staying in 750+ shelters and a total of 1.5 million people affected. The actual totals are likely higher. Many groups are working to provide aid, ranging from the Guatemalan, US, and many other governments, to major NGOs like the Red Cross and Oxfam, to dozens of smaller groups such as ourselves.
Our partners have sent us the following list of needs from the villages hardest hit by the hurricane in the western highlands, within the area where the GSP operates.
The towns in need of emergency aid are:
*Palestina de los Altos 200 families *Xecalbal 150 families
*San Andres Xecul 100 families *Xecaracoj 100 families
Zunil 200 families *San Martin 200 families
*Pacutama 140 families *Tzanjuyup 125 families
*Chuicutama 35 families *Pasacuach 35 families
These communities need:
HOUSES, STOVES, FOOD SUPPLIES (INCLUDING POTABLE WATER, CORN, BEANS, OIL, SUGAR, CEREAL, RICE) FOR A MINIMUN OF 20 DAYS OR 3 WEEKS.
MEDICINE;( INCLUDING ANTIBIOTICS), BLANKETS AND/OR SLEEPING BAGS, PERSONAL HYGIENE SUPPLIES SOAP, COMB, BRUSH, NAIL CLIPPERS
GAS FOR TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILE CLINIC
As you can see, the need is great and any and all financial support is appreciated.
Donations can be made to the Guatemala Stove Project and mailed to RR#4 Perth ON K7H 3C6 or donate online at: http://www.guatemalastoveproject.org .Please include your name and address for income tax purposes, receipts will be issued for donations over $20.

WE AND OUR GUATEMALAN PARTNERS SINCERELY THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT, EXPECIALLY IN THIS TIME OF NEED.