Emergency Response

Donations as of November 23, 2005: $38,281

Updated November 23, 2005

An example of the damage caused by Hurricane Stan
Photo © Ken Kim

For a second consecutive year, hurricanes of unprecedented force and frequency pounded Caribbean island nations, Central America, Mexico, and the southern United States. October 2005 began with Hurricane Stan, which formed in the western Caribbean. After moving across Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, it struck the Mexican state of Veracruz. At the same time, torrential rains related to Stan affected Central America and various parts of southern Mexico.

The damage caused by Hurricane Stan in Mexico and Central America seems to have almost been lost from the world view as we are inundated with pictures and stories of the humanitarian crises resulting from other catastrophic events around the world. But within a few weeks in the Caribbean and Central America, Stan was followed by

• Wilma in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, Cuba, and Florida
• Alpha in Haiti and the Dominican Republic
• Beta in Colombia's offshore islands and Nicaragua

Members of the Fraternidad de Presbiteriales Mayas, a United Church partner prepare relief supplies for distribution
Photo © Ken Kim

Beta, the most recent hurricane in the longest series of storms in a single season ever recorded, hit the Atlantic coast of Nicaragua on October 30. Many communities south of Puerto Cabezas and north of Bluefields were affected, particularly around the Matagalpa Grand River. Infrastructure damaged includes houses, health clinics, schools, and churches. Many farmers lost their crops. The United Church of Canada immediately disbursed $5,000 from the Mission and Service Fund to assist our partner, the Development Institute of the Moravian Church (IDSIM), to respond to the immediate need for drinking water, food, and blankets.

The heavy rains caused by Hurricane Stan had the most effect on El Salvador and Guatemala. In El Salvador, 75 percent of the roads experienced floods and landslides, and more than 50,000 people were evacuated and were attended to in temporary shelters, schools, and churches. The disaster was exacerbated by the eruption of Ilamatepeque Volcano. Action by Churches Together (ACT) has issued an appeal to global partners for US$643,166 for assistance to El Salvador.

In Guatemala, the country most affected, almost one-third of the territory and its population (most of them Indigenous) were affected in one way or another, and 140,266 were housed in temporary shelters. Reports include more than 650 dead, 844 missing (most believed buried by mud slides), and many injured. Extensive floods and mudslides affected 815 communities, many of which took days to reach. Almost 25,000 houses were damaged (1,500 destroyed),Thursday, March 15, 2007or US$2.7 million for assistance to Guatemala.

The United Church immediately disbursed $15,000 from the Mission and Service Fund to assist its partners, the Guatemala Conference of Evangelical Churches (CIEDEG) and the Fraternity of Mayan Presbyterials (FPM) in Guatemala, and Emmanuel Baptist Church in El Salvador. Soon afterwards, from supragift support, we also sent $5,000 to the Fellowship of Mayan Presbyterians (HPM) to assist in their response. On November 9, a further $10,000 from supragift support was designated for CIEDEG, which is the lead agency in implementing the ACT Guatemala appeal.

After crossing the Yucatan Peninsula and before hitting southern Florida, Hurricane Wilma passed along Cuba's north shore and provoked extensive flooding in Havana and elsewhere in western Cuba. On November 9, a further $10,000 from supragift support was designated for relief and rehabilitation efforts led by the Cuban Council of Churches.
Much of western and central Cuba were still recovering from the passage of Hurricane Dennis in July. The United Church of Canada responded immediately with a $20,000 contribution from supragift donations for hurricane relief to the Action by Churches Together appeal (LACU 51) on behalf of the Cuban Council of Churches. A further $5,000 was sent to the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Matanzas (a United Church partner), which had suffered significant damage from Hurricane Dennis. Dennis also affected the southwestern peninsula of Haiti.

The United Church is responding to the impact of the series of natural and political disasters in Haiti in 2004 and 2005 by developing a joint program with the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. On November 9, up to $8,000 from supragift support was designated for rehabilitation efforts of the Presbyterian Church in Grenada.

A full description of actions taken following the Caribbean hurricanes in 2004 is available on this site.

For more information on relief efforts being carried out by United Church partners, contact: