Update on the aftermath of Hurricane Stan that devastated southern Chiapas and Central America.  Also reports from other groups who are working on relief efforts and soliciting donations and support.

At this moment the government of Chiapas has counted 2.5 million people who have been effected by the passage of the hurricane Stan and the rains that followed it.  Thousands lost their homes and there are close to 500,000 refugees in 152 shelters, 22 of which are beyond capacity.

In the sierra region, the department of civil protection has declared that more than 450,000 people are trapped in the mountains because the streams and rivers have overflowed and destroyed roads and bridges.

It is very difficult to reach these areas or recieve news: 55 briges have collapsed, 45 bridges are damaged and at risk of collapsing.  More than 1000 kilometers of highway have been destroyed in the coast region. 
 
On Monday, the border  highway  was finally cleared (there were extensive mudslides), but there are still dozens of communities that are "incomunicado,"  the extent of the damage is yet to be seen.  Health care workers are demanding Chiapas be declared a "disaster site" to allow them to access emergency government funding.

The guerilla groups EPR (Popular Revolutionary Army) and the EZLN (Zapatista Army of National Liberation) issued communiques in solidarity with the people effected by the damage and denouncing government corruption that would prohibit aid from getting to the people who most need it. 

Nonprofit organizations have begun organizing relief efforts.  Donations can be made to these trusted and well established organizations:

Fray Matias de Cordova Human Rights Center- located in Tapachula, works principally on immigration issues.  Since the hurricane they have begun monitoring and relief efforts. They will publish periodic bulletins in the coming months, which we will translate and post here. 

Hermano Sol- Grassroots organization in the Sierra Madre Chiapas.

IMAP- Permaculture Center in Lake Atitlan Region of Guatemala

Nisqua (Network in Solidarity with People of Guatemala)  has compiled a list of Guatemalan groups recieving aid: http://www.nisgua.org/Hurricane%20Stan%20Relief%20Groups.htm