Healing Waters International teams were rapid responders and brought emergency relief to communities in Guatemala after devastating hurricanes Hurricane Iota and Eta struck in recent months.
Two Hurricanes Strike Guatemala Back-to-Back
Hurricane Eta made landfall in November as a Category 4 hurricane, causing deadly landslides that killed more than 50 people. Only two weeks later, Hurricane Iota made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane and then was downgraded to a Category 2. Unfortunately, due to the torrential rains and high winds of both hurricanes, it severely multiplied the devastation and disaster impact in Guatemala.
Healing Waters has safe water projects already running throughout Guatemala, so we quickly responded by providing emergency relief to some of the hardest hit communities. Through our ongoing contacts within the Ministry of Health (MOH), we received an urgent request from one of the MOH social workers to help several communities that had become isolated and cut off without clean water because of the flooding from the storms. In Samac and Sanimtaca, about seven hours outside of Guatemala City, 30 families had lost their homes to the hurricanes. They also lost their primary water supply. The main pipe broke, making it impossible for them to have safe water to drink, or for handwashing and other hygiene practices.
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Emergency Relief for Hurting Communities
Working with the COCODE community leaders, Healing Waters distributed emergency safe water jugs and bottles, sanitization kits, and face masks, which can be difficult to find a supply of in impoverished areas. Community Leader Esteban Pau, “We are so grateful for the help, because the pipe was broken during the storm and the families do not have water.”
Our HWI Guatemala team is on the ground coordinating additional relief to help support these children and families as they shift into recovery. During December, families will also be receiving groceries, clothes, and toys to bless them as they struggle to get back on their feet.
An additional gift of 40 safe water jugs was delivered to help vulnerable families within the Paija project that our partner ADRI is running, because it too is a community grappling with the aftermath of Hurricanes Eta and Iota.
Please pray for people in these hurricane-ravaged communities—that after the flood waters recede that these families can start to recover some of their belongings and what is left of their homes. If you feel led, we also take donations for Healing Waters International to go out and help these communities just like these all around the world.
