Guatemala - Tropical Storm Agatha - World Vision Emergency Response 2010

The first tropical storm of the 2010 Pacific hurricane season Agatha made landfall on the Pacific coast of Guatemala on May 29 dumping more than 426 mm of rain in a very short period of time. Rainfall and damage across a large part of the country is the worst seen since 1948. Simultaneously the effects of the eruption activity of Pacaya Volcano limited search and rescue operations as well as provision of humanitarian relief. As of June 23 2010 174 people have been reported kill and 113 missing. Some 96 500 people are currently being supported in 453 and approximately 397 808 people need humanitarian assistance. CIDA is supporting World Vision Canada to assist to 1 550 households (approximately 9300 beneficiaries) through the provision of essential non-food relief items (NFIs) and emergency shelter materials as well as water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) activities. NFIs is focussing on shelter supplies and hygiene kits for women and children. Households whose homes are in high risk areas are been prioritized as beneficiaries of shelter materials. The WASH portion of the project is focussing on emergency water supply through the provision of a 15 gallon water tanks per family and the rehabilitation of water systems damaged by volcanic ash and flooding.