Dear friends,
This it is an urgent call to ask for human sensitivity and solidarity in order to generate initiatives in institutions that can help our country to handle this tragedy. On Saturday, October 1st, at 08:05revious nig A.M. local time, ILAMATEPEC a giant volcano of 2.500 meters surrounded by humble small villages located in the western department of Santa Ana erupted, simultaneously with the impact of STAN, the tropical storm from the pht.
Both these events occurred in El Salvador, the country that is the most densely populated in the Americas with more than 300 poor inhabitants per square kilometer with extreme vulnerability derived from increasing poverty, hazardous constructions and serious environmental deterioration. We estimate that 75% of the population in El Salvador is at risk by floods and landslides generated by the prolonged rains to which we add the situation derived from the volcanic eruption. The four nig rivers of the country (Grande, Lempa, Jiboa and Paz) have been overflowing and have broken their banks in many places. The drainage system in the capital city has collapsed, completely flooding entire city sectors. Landslides and water supersaturation have occurred throughout the volcanic mountain range that crosses the country from east to west, disrupting the main highways of the country and making it more difficult to access the victims.
The situation is truly overwhelming. In one of the most violent countries of the world, many settlers refuse to leave their houses or humble properties for fear of losing the little that they have; this complicates the situation for the Committee on National Emergency and jeopardizes the evacuation of endangered zones. 80% of the schools of the national educational system have been affected by landslides and classes have been suspended at the national level. The central government and the local governments have, between them about 309 shelters that have 50.000 refugees. The floods and mud slides have already caused 60 deaths officially. Unofficially, the deaths are many fold.
The need is so much that the government, the army and others have been unable to cope with it. As it always happens in these disasters, the poorest are the ones who have been affected the most, thus multiplying many times the effect of structural injustices. The students of our University have formed multidisciplinary brigades to deal with the question of housing and infrastructure, basic hygiene, monitoring of epidemics and other activities. Our University is a center for collecting, storing and distributing materials and other donations. We have organized an Emergency Committee of which our Secretariat is a part.
In order to guarantee the transparency and to be accountable to the donors, the University has opened a special a banking account to receive donations in cash destined for the affected population. First we need the following urgently: Awnings or tents, Foods like milk powder, cereals and packaged water and drinks, Lamps and batteries, oral rehydration solutions and powders, antibiotics, portable latrines, First-aid kits, Ophthalmic, gynaecological and dermatological medicines etc.,
The University would be very happy to receive and distribute these donations appropriately. The relationship that our university brigades have already built up will guarantee that those affected would receive aid in a just manner.
In solidarity,
Eduardo Espinoza (espinoza at telesal.net) CONTACT ME FOR DETAILS International Relations Secretariat University of El Salvador