IMAP Update and Relief Needs
Mesoamerican Permaculture Institute is working on relief efforts in the Lake Atitlan region of Guatemala. Here is their update and more information about supporting their work.
Dear Friends,
Thank you for your heart felt responses to the crisis we are living here in Guatemala. There are 20 departments (states) affected by the hurricane which devastated hundreds of communities in the Western and Central highlands and the Pacific Coast. You can imagine, in the highlands we suffered landslides and on the coast terrible flooding. One week later there are many communities isolated, without food, clean water, shelter and medical attention.
The situation in Santiago Atitlan is delicate as the possibility of epidemics, like hepatitis A, cholera, and respiratory infections continue to threaten the health of the survivors. Not to mention the psychological affect this tragedy has had on the community. Currently there are an estimated 1,400 deaths and 5,735 refugees in 64 shelters.
The Mesoamerican Permaculture Institute (IMAP) has been working in coordination with International Non Governmental Organizations: Water for People, Doctors without Borders, and The Red Cross, as well as several Governmental Organizations and the Local Municipality in the organization of disaster relief. It can be chaotic at times but by the end of each day we are a little bit closer to stabilizing the situation.
The shelters are schools, churches and meeting halls with limited space, toilets and access to sinks for washing. By day three, the first priority was to quarantine the common grave, site of the major mudslide in Panabaj, one of the neighbourhoods just West of the village, near the site of the 1990 massacre. The area was declared a "high risk zone"; however it has been difficult to prohibit people from returning to the area in search of missing relatives and belongings. The second priority was to chlorinate the municipal water supply, which has proved a difficult task. Today is the third day the water supply is chlorinated. We have encountered some resistance from the community in drinking chlorinated water. A meeting was held today to prohibit the community from consuming non chlorinated lake water, fish or snails. Fishing is the primary livelihood and food source for most Atitecos and the women wash clothing and fetch water from the shore. The bay of Santiago Atitlan is highly contaminated with the bodies of victims and dead animals surfacing daily. I apologize for being so graphic in my reporting.
With the help of Water for People and Doctors without Borders we have acquired enough chlorine for one month and the knowledge to dose the tanks appropriately. We still need at least one month more worth of chlorine and the funds to install a chlorification system. We have also secured 30 portable water tanks for the individual shelters. Our third sanitation concern was with the provision of portable latrines for shelters. In all of the Republic of Guatemala we were only able to find 40 available porta-potties. Fortunately the company was willing to go out of their way, driving their trailer over a damaged bridge to install the latrines today. We are very aware that 40 latrines won't even begin to solve the problem but we hope that by placing them strategically we can avoid illnesses in high risk shelters. We have only enough funds to rent for 10 days and will depend on your support to extend the contract.
Moving on to garbage... your donations help us purchase massive amounts of plastic bags to remove the trash daily from the shelters. Emergency rations produce huge amounts of garbage which then have to be burned to avoid more contamination.
IMAP is the only local organization participating within what is referred to as the socio – sanitation committee. We are coordinating donations of supplies, trucked in from the capital city and neighbouring towns and then making sure these donations are administered appropriately; for example, organizing the distribution and proper use of latrines and water tanks.
We are a small organization but we know the area well, (we speak the local language) which has proved to be an asset. We also have the support of many organizations and individuals in the capital city who are dedicated to helping us find the supplies we need many much of which have been donated. We are still in the stage of securing basic sanitation. In a few days temporary shelters will be constructed to decrease the population density in the centre of town. Reconstruction of homes is impeded by the lack of available, safe lands.
We feel grief for the loss of life and the destruction in this beautiful town, heart of the Maya Tzutujil. We also feel frustration with the difficult situations which arise and the delayed response from the government but we are encouraged by the amount of solidarity and expertise which support and guide us.
Thank you for your continued support,
Rebecca Cutter, Ronaldo Lec, Gabino Bocel and Felix Archila
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