Latin America & the Caribbean: Weekly Situation Update (4-11 November 2019) As of 11 November 2019 – World – ReliefWeb

KEY FIGURES

1.2M AFFECTED BY SEASONAL RAINS SINCE MAY 2019

4.9K EVACUATIONS DUE TO EFFECTS OF SEASONAL RAINS

55 TONS OF HUMANITARIAN AID DELIVERED BY GOVERNMENT TO RESPOND TO RAINY SEASON

GUATEMALA: NATURAL HAZARDS

RAINY SEASON

According to the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED), seasonal rains in Guatemala have affected some 1,285,000 people since the onset of the season in May 2019. The rains, which triggered floods and landslides throughout Guatemala, have rendered 4,330 people homeless, prompted 4,961 evacuations and driven 1,470 people to shelter throughout the season, as well as causing 12 deaths.

Infrastructure evaluations show 1,500 homes with mild damage, 2,500 homes with moderate damage and 263 homes with severe damage, as well as landslide damage to 149 roads and various damages to 12 schools. The Government has thus far delivered some 55 tons of humanitarian aid worth GTQ600,000 (US$78,000) to benefit nearly 5,000 people.

LANDSLIDE

On 4 November, President Jimmy Morales declared a public calamity for 30 days for the central Guatemalan municipality of Villa Nueva following a massive landslide that put 125 families at risk - Morales noted there are more than 100 homes at risk of collapsing due to the landslide.The decree will allow the Government to respond to damages, placing civil and military authorities under the coordination of CONRED.

COLD FRONTS

With the rainy season coming to a close, authorities are shifting their attention to seasonal cold fronts, with two to three fronts forecast for Guatemala starting on 15 November. Longer term forecasts from the National Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology and Hydrology Institute (INSIVUMEH) include an additional 14 cold fronts between December 2019 and March 2020, where temperatures in the west may fall as low as -7 C, while temperatures in the highlands may fall as low as -3 C.

INSIVUMEH expects the cold fronts to feature rain in departments without a defined dry season. Children under 5 and elderly people are particularly vulnerable during cold fronts, as they are likelier to fall ill. Departmental and municipal authorities are preparing shelters ahead of the incoming fronts.

KEY FIGURES

94K TOTAL CASES OF DENGUE IN HONDURAS THROUGH EPIDEMIOLOGICAL WEEK 43

HONDURAS: DENGUE UPDATE

Through Epidemiological Week (EW) 43 (20-26 October), there are 94,069 cases of dengue in Honduras, with 18,296 cases of severe dengue (19.45 per cent). The rising caseload is a 1,480 per cent increase from the 5,953 total cases registered by EW 43 in 2018.

Week-to-week dengue totals are declining again after a minor spike in EW 41 (6-12 October). Ministry of Health officials confirmed four more deaths, bringing the 2019 death toll up to 155. More than half of the deceased are under 15 years old. Comayagua, Corts and Santa Brbara remain the most affected departments.

The Vice-minister of Health reports that the Government has invested some US$10 million towards prevention and response measures.

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Latin America & the Caribbean: Weekly Situation Update (4-11 November 2019) As of 11 November 2019 - World - ReliefWeb