[Cispes-Alert] Hurricane leaves 130 dead in El Salvador, thousands without homes: Help us raise $2000 by Friday!

[Alexis Stoumbelis, CISPES]

go to our webpage www.cispes.org if you're having trouble reading this email


 <http://www.cispes.org> www.cispes.org | 202 521-2510|
<http://lists.people-link.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/cispes-ern>
subscribe| suscribir
<https://lists.mayfirst.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/cispes-hechos> en
español








EL SALVADOR DEVASTATED BY HURRICANE IDA 

Help us raise $2000 by Friday!

November 10, 2009

 

 

Dear Friend in Solidarity,

 

 

Hurricane Ida hit El Salvador on Saturday, devastating the country,
especially the capital of San Salvador and the departments of San Vicente
and Cuscatlán. Though 13,000 families were evacuated, there are already 130
deaths reported as a result of landslides and massive flooding. Over 250
homes have been completely destroyed and another 1800 damaged.

 

 

Rescue teams are removing tons of mud, rubble and trees in search of over 70
people who are still missing, most from the community of Verapaz. Rescue
workers are reporting a lack of equipment and trained rescue dogs, limiting
their ability to rescue people who may still be trapped.

 

 

We want to raise $2000 by Friday for disaster relief: please make a
<http://www.cispes.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=296>
tax-deductible donation today!

 

 

There are some very powerful videos on line (
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKKivq0cffk&feature=related> El Faro,
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuAkmpWyZzM&feature=related> CNN en espanol
and  <http://www.elsalvador.com/mwedh/media/default.asp> El Diario de Hoy)

 

 

Many in El Salvador point out that the devastation caused by natural
disasters like hurricanes and earthquakes is so far reaching in part due to
decades of neglectful mismanagement of emergency response and lack of
appropriate infrastructure development. The level of destruction is
exacerbated by the dire economic situation that forces people to live in
precarious conditions; in tin shacks, in marginalized communities, at the
edge of rivers, and next to cliffs.  

 

 

President Mauricio Funes pointed to the loss of life and widespread damage
as an “expression” of the country’s “vulnerability” to natural disaster, and
demonstrated a commitment to a new course for the country. The president
declared a state of emergency and the Legislative Assembly acted quickly to
provide $150 million in emergency relief, including for farmers whose crops
have been washed away. “This time, the government will not leave the people
to suffer alone
 We have to overcome this tragedy,” said the President. 

 

President Funes has called on the international community to support the
rescue and disaster relief efforts; Brazil and Guatemala have been the first
to respond, followed by Cuba, Japan, Panama, and Venezuela, as well as the
EU and the United Nations. 

 

 

Hugo Martinez, Minster of Foreign Relations, stated, “The Salvadoran people
are not alone, we have had the voice of solidarity from various countries in
the world 
 and this help will be immediately channeled.”

 

 

Will you help the U.S. solidarity movement be next 
international community to respond?

 

 

Please make a
<http://www.cispes.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=296>
people-to-people donation today. The CISPES Education Fund (a 501(c)3,
tax-deductible organization) is collecting financial donations to send to
community organizations in San Vicente and Cuscatlán that are spearheading
local rescue efforts.

 

 

Our goal is to raise $2000 by Friday. We are trying to move quickly to help
get as many people to safety as possible and show the people of El Salvador
that we are with them. Please consider
<http://www.cispes.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=296> making
a donation today, and asking your workplace, family, church or community
organization to do the same. Please be sure to type Hurricane Relief in the
comments field. Mil gracias.  

 

 

En solidaridad, 

 

Alexis Stoumbelis
CISPES Executive Director

(photos: Reuters/Juan Carlos and La Sexta Notica)

 

 

 

 


If you no longer wish to receive our emails, you may unsubscibe here
<http://lists.people-link.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/cispes-ern> 

© 2008 CISPES - The Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador
CISPES National Office | ph. 202-521-2510 | 1525 Newton St. NW, Wash. DC
20010| cispes at cispes.org

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.people-link.net/pipermail/cispes-ern/attachments/20091110/420dfee9/attachment-0001.htm 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 21685 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://lists.people-link.net/pipermail/cispes-ern/attachments/20091110/420dfee9/attachment-0003.jpeg 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/gif
Size: 73 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://lists.people-link.net/pipermail/cispes-ern/attachments/20091110/420dfee9/attachment-0001.gif 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 44420 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://lists.people-link.net/pipermail/cispes-ern/attachments/20091110/420dfee9/attachment-0004.jpeg 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 46478 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://lists.people-link.net/pipermail/cispes-ern/attachments/20091110/420dfee9/attachment-0005.jpeg