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Red
Cross Red Crescent international assistance mobilized for Guatemala Geneva, 9 October 2005 An international relief flight sent in by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies will leave Panama today for Guatemala, bringing essential humanitarian assistance for victims of the devastating floods and landsides caused by Hurricane Stan in Central America. The relief flight will carry blankets, hygiene articles and kitchen sets to be distributed by the Red Cross in Guatemala, the country that was hardest-hit. A five-member Federation emergency field assessment team is also being deployed today in Guatemala. They will be able to determine in more detail the scale of the disaster and the needs of the population. Access to the affected area is a challenge since bridges, roads and communication lines have been destroyed. The Guatemala Red Cross will be using helicopters to distribute relief goods in the most isolated areas such as Coatepeque, Retalhuleu y Tecún Umán. “The needs in the affected communities are great. The population that was hardest-hit by these floods were already living in a precarious situation. The International Federation support to the Red Cross operations is initially focusing on providing emergency relief items, including household items,” explains Santiago Gil, head of the Federation’s Americas Department. “The emergency goods we are flying in complement the work being done on the ground by Red Cross,” he adds. Hundreds of Red Cross volunteers from the affected countries have been working around the clock participating in search and rescue, evacuating people and distributing humanitarian relief assistance. On 7 October, the International Federation launched an appeal for 1,568,000 Swiss francs to provide assistance for up to 10,000 people over the next six months. Another appeal seeking 487,000 Swiss francs to assist 21,000 people in El Salvador was launched on 5 October. A flight with humanitarian assistance was sent to El Salvador on 7 October carrying blankets, hygiene kits and kitchen sets. For further information, or to set up interviews, please contact: Eva M. Calvo, Media Officer, Tel. + 41 22 730 43 57 / + 41 79 217 33 72 Media Service Duty Phone (Out of hours), Tel: + 41 79 416 38 81 The Geneva-based International Federation promotes the humanitarian activities of 181 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies among vulnerable people. By coordinating international disaster relief and encouraging development support, it seeks to prevent and alleviate human suffering. The Federation, National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross together, constitute the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. © International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies |
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