No one’s talking about Honduras, and the disaster brought by Hurricane Eta
With the nation wrapped up in Election Week, the crisis in Honduras and neighboring countries flew under the radar.
Hurricane Eta first made landfall in Nicaragua last Tuesday — Election Day, in the United States — as a 145-mph Category 4 “monster,” as the Washington Post called it.
In its week of life, it has brought widespread damage, deaths, and catastrophic flooding to Central America, with rainfall estimated near 40 inches in some areas.
Over 150 were left dead or missing in Guatemala following mudslides. Then, the storm proceeded over the Caribbean.
Apart from a video of a little girl being airlifted from flooding by a U.S. Blackhawk chopper, the United States, perhaps with the exception of Florida, was too wrapped-up in what turned out to be an Election Week to pay any heed to the disaster unfolding in the south.
Red Cross teams estimate over 2.5 million people from Panama to Belize have been affected by #HurricaneEta. Additional aid is being sent to Nicaragua and Honduras, where the most severe damage took place. pic.twitter.com/U2Im6BDosD
— American Red Cross (@RedCross) November 10, 2020
Since Eta’s landfall in Central America, it has caused the deaths of 20 people in Mexico, 21 in Honduras, two in Costa Rica and two in Nicaragua.
Days of torrential rain led to extreme flooding and multiple landslides across the affected region. In Mexico, 10 people were swept away by a swollen stream in the mountain town of Chenalho and their bodies were later found downstream.
But According to reports, no country is as affected as Honduras.
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The country’s death toll has more than doubled in recent days, with authorities reporting 57 people dead on Monday, Nov. 9, as rescuers continued to search for more bodies.
Actress and activist America Ferrera voiced her concern for her “mother country” on Instagram on Nov. 10, sharing images of the flooding, collapsed houses, and families trying to navigate the wreckage with boats.
“My mother country, Honduras, has been devastated by Hurricane Eta. This is the aftermath of the storm from Southern Mexico to Panama. Millions of people throughout the region have lost everything. Hundreds of thousands of families and children are now without access to essential health services in the midst of an uncontrolled pandemic,” she wrote.Ferrera proceeded to link several ways to donate on her Instagram story, through dedicated charities, relief funds, or GoFundme pages.
“It’s absolutely heartbreaking and our help is desperately needed. Below are some organizations that are helping the people and countries affected by this crisis. Please donate or spread the word to get people the help they need to recover,” Ferrera continued.
The U.S. Army has sent military personnel in an effort to aid regions in Honduras and Panama.
An estimated 200 people have died.
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