November 11, 2008 – Tegucigalpa, Honduras….[IAD Staff]
The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in Honduras is providing thousands of relief kits to aid those in need after tropical storms poured torrential rains on the mountainous country, adding to heavy rains and flooding which began weeks before the Hurricane Paloma arrived. Dozens are dead and nearly 300,000 were left homeless or affected, including many Adventist families. Many crops were destroyed or damaged, as well.
According to Claudio Sandoval, ADRA director for Honduras, some 2,115 hygiene kits-which include hand towels, soaps, toothbrushes, and combs-as well as 1,250 clothing kits-which includes a set of clothing for a family of three-were donated and distributed in cooperation with COPECO, the Honduran government office for disaster response, on October 28. The donated supplies were delivered to affected regions of Comayagua, El Sur, Ocotepeque and Paraiso.
Marco Tulio Burgos, COPECO's commissioner, thanked ADRA for its support towards Honduras during the recent disaster as well as its previous support and commitment in building 419 houses after Hurricane Mitch devastated the country in 1998.
ADRA Honduras and COPECO have an agreement to work together in coordinating emergency and disaster response efforts.
In addition, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has donated more than 800 food bags to affected victims, said Walter Ciguenza, communication director for the church in Honduras.
“Dozens of Master guides have joined Televicentro, the largest television station in Honduras, to collect food from residents here in Tegucigalpa and help with the efforts,” said Ciguenza.
“More support will be needed as the days and weeks go by,” said Ciguenza, adding that just days ago more rivers along the northern Honduran coast overflowed into the Ceiba, Olanchito, and Trujillo communities.
