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Network of Relief Agencies Decries Continued Suffering of Hurricane Stan Victims
Article Written by Simon Walker
According to the Network of Civil and Non-Governmental Organizations for the Emergency in Chiapas, the state of emergency brought on by Hurricane Stan is not only far from improving, but in fact, it is getting worse.
The Network, formed by NGOs and civil associations such as the Catholic relief agency Cáritas, Chiapas Civil Alliance, and the Fray Bartolomé de las Casas Human Rights Center, is demanding, among other things, that "federal and state government, humanitarian organizations, churches, and civil society guarantee that dispensation of aid not be conditional upon political affiliation, creed, or reasons of gender, class or ethnicity."
Although Stan ravaged south-western Chiapas nearly two months ago, according to the Network, there are still communities that remain inaccessible. In a press release issued on November 12, it declared victims of Hurricane Stan are suffering "despair due to hunger, the loss of crops and general means of subsistence… due to the absence of effective means that provide personal security to the habitants, there are clear symptoms of social decomposition."
After visiting affected municipalities, the Network stated that the Mexican government has minimized the number of deaths caused by the storm, and "has omitted communities, people in shelters, losses of lives, materials, crops and means of production" from its official reports. Many roads, highways and bridges remain damaged and impassable, and the humanitarian aid is "not sufficient" to cover the basic needs of the victims.
The Network found the general contamination of potable water sources "especially worrisome." as well as, the possibility of outbreaks of illnesses such as dengue, cases of persistent tuberculosis, and gastrointestinal, dermatological and illnesses of the nervous system, which are not being adequately attended." It continues to assert that the situation is becoming unstable due to the lack of coordination between federal, state and civil protection bodies, as well as discriminatory aid dispersion.
Sources:
La Jornada
Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Bartolomé de las Casas
According to the Network of Civil and Non-Governmental Organizations for the Emergency in Chiapas, the state of emergency brought on by Hurricane Stan is not only far from improving, but in fact, it is getting worse.
The Network, formed by NGOs and civil associations such as the Catholic relief agency Cáritas, Chiapas Civil Alliance, and the Fray Bartolomé de las Casas Human Rights Center, is demanding, among other things, that "federal and state government, humanitarian organizations, churches, and civil society guarantee that dispensation of aid not be conditional upon political affiliation, creed, or reasons of gender, class or ethnicity."
Although Stan ravaged south-western Chiapas nearly two months ago, according to the Network, there are still communities that remain inaccessible. In a press release issued on November 12, it declared victims of Hurricane Stan are suffering "despair due to hunger, the loss of crops and general means of subsistence… due to the absence of effective means that provide personal security to the habitants, there are clear symptoms of social decomposition."
After visiting affected municipalities, the Network stated that the Mexican government has minimized the number of deaths caused by the storm, and "has omitted communities, people in shelters, losses of lives, materials, crops and means of production" from its official reports. Many roads, highways and bridges remain damaged and impassable, and the humanitarian aid is "not sufficient" to cover the basic needs of the victims.
The Network found the general contamination of potable water sources "especially worrisome." as well as, the possibility of outbreaks of illnesses such as dengue, cases of persistent tuberculosis, and gastrointestinal, dermatological and illnesses of the nervous system, which are not being adequately attended." It continues to assert that the situation is becoming unstable due to the lack of coordination between federal, state and civil protection bodies, as well as discriminatory aid dispersion.
Sources:
La Jornada
Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Bartolomé de las Casas
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