ADRA Helps Hundreds of Displaced Families in El Salvador

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is escalating humanitarian recovery efforts in El Salvador to assist hundreds of residents impacted by Tropical Storm Julia.

Despite being downgraded from a Category 1 hurricane to a tropical storm, Julia ravaged Central America when it made landfall on October 9. It pummeled the region, triggering deadly floods and landslides, killing at least 54 people, and leaving thousands of people homeless, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Local authorities in El Salvador have declared a 15-day state of emergency to facilitate response and recovery operations. ADRA’s country office in El Salvador has already launched its National Emergency Management Plan (NEMP) to mobilize immediate aid.

“Communities have already been devastated by the excessive torrential rains caused by climatic changes prior to Julia. The storm’s massive flooding has impacted families in all 14 departments of the nation. Overflowing rivers and streams have cut off entire neighborhoods. ADRA is working with local municipalities and the Adventist Church to aid displaced families and children. We are distributing food, water, and hygiene kits, as well as financial assistance to some of the most vulnerable communities,” says Alex Figueroa, country director for ADRA El Salvador.

The storm also interrupted the fishing sector and caused catastrophic damage to corn and bean harvests, with plots completely submerged, according to assessment reports. ADRA emergency response teams in Central America will keep monitoring the current situation in El Salvador and other countries hit by the storm and severe rains, including Guatemala and Honduras, to continue to assist local communities.

About ADRA

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency is the international humanitarian arm of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, serving in 118 countries. Its work empowers communities and changes lives around the globe by providing sustainable community development and disaster relief. ADRA’s purpose is to serve humanity so all may live as God intended. For more information, visit ADRA.org.

The original article was published on the Inter-American Division website.