Three days after severe flooding devastated five departments in central El Salvador, the Salvadorean Red Cross (SRC) continues to search for and rescue survivors, distribute emergency relief to affected families, and carry out preliminary assessments of damages to homes and infrastructures caused by floods and landslides.
To date, the government has confirmed 137 people are dead, while an estimated 70 to 100 remain missing. Some 3,000 people have taken refuge in temporary shelters set up by the authorities.
SRC teams have identified 15 zones affected by flooding and 10 affected by landslides. Some 500 SRC volunteers from branches across the country have been deployed in those areas to distribute relief items to survivors. Meanwhile, search and rescue teams have evacuated dozens of people from flooded areas and recovered many bodies from destroyed buildings.
Isolated communities
Teams have begun the preliminary assessment of damages. To date, 1,570 homes have been damaged or destroyed, as well as bridges and roads. “There are many isolated communities which we have not yet been able to reach,” explains Amílcar Tejada, Head of emergency relief at the Salvadorean Red Cross. “For that reason, the number of victims will probably continue to increase over the next hours.” In these circumstances, the work of the SRC airborne search and rescue teams is particularly important.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has released182,500 Swiss francs (180,600 U.S. dollars / 120,780 Euros) from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund to support the Salvadorean Red Cross operation to bring basic assistance to 1,500 families. Relief items include 7,500 blankets, hygiene articles and kitchen utensils.
“Our current priority is to make clean water available to survivors. We are in the process of setting up water purification equipment in the affected areas”, says Amílcar Tejada. Yesterday, SRC volunteers began distributing food to people housed in the shelters. At the same time, Red Cross psychosocial support teams, working in coordination with professionals from the University of El Salvador, have begun helping affected people.