With funds from the UN's Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), in
El Salvador IOM will support the management of 42 temporary
shelters currently housing 1,895 persons; that the shelters comply
with safety and hygiene standards; provide basic materials to
improve the shelters; and distribute non-food emergency items
amongst most affected families.

"This week, all assessments were finished, and so with that
concrete information in hand we can now begin the delivery of
relief supplies and the rehabilitation of shelters," explains Jorge
Sagastume, IOM Shelter and Emergency Coordinator in El
Salvador.

Ten days of heavy rains in Central America have caused the
deaths of an estimated 123 persons; forced tens of thousands from
their homes and destroyed crops, livelihoods and
infrastructure.

In El Salvador, 35 persons are reported dead and some 55,000
persons were evacuated from their homes.  Two IOM teams,
working with government and international partners, carried out
preliminary assessments, focusing on urgent shelter needs and
return kits for the families to rebuild their damaged homes.

"The rains have stopped, but the emergency continues," said
Sagastume, head of the IOM eight-person assessment team which this
week visited the departments of Ahuachapán, Sonsonate, La
Libertad, Usulután, La Paz y San Miguel.

"Hundreds of persons have left the shelters, but have returned
to communities that are still suffering from lack of clean water,
proper hygiene, and bacterial infections, especially amongst the
children," added Sagastume.

As part of the UN Flash Appeal for El Salvador, IOM is appealing
for USD 709,522, which includes USD 288,997 from the CERF.

In Guatemala, where 39 people are reported dead and more than
500,000 have been affected, IOM is requesting USD 442,417 from the
CERF to repair and upgrade basic living and sanitary conditions in
temporary shelters and provide non-food emergency assistance to
some 2,000 families in the departments of Santa Rosa, Escuintla,
Retalhuleu, Quetzaltenango, Jutiapa y San Marcos.

IOM's Sebastian Berkovich headed the three-person IOM team that
this week visited seriously affected communities in the southern
department of Santa Rosa.  "We had relentless rains for more
than a week; non-stop rain for more than seven days.  During
our trip to Santa Rosa we saw chunks of highway that had been
washed away by the rains and entire communities isolated on the
other side of the road," recounted Berkovich.

Marta Zamora, Nursing Assistant at the village of La Bomba
health centre, told IOM, "The water has receded a bit, but access
to the clinic is still very difficult.  Fortunately one of our
colleagues was able to go the nearest town and fetch medicine, so
we have supplies.  We're treating children with upper
respiratory infections and many people with fungal infections."

At the peak of the rains and floods, the Nicaragua Government
reported that 10,000 persons had been evacuated to emergency
shelters.  Although some 3,000 have returned home, IOM
Nicaragua is working with its partners to rebuild and rehabilitate
existing shelters, strengthen the capacity of shelter managers,
distribute non-food items (house cleaning implements, kitchen kits,
comfort kits, and hygiene kits) to the estimated 7,000 persons who
remain homeless and in shelters.  As part of the UN Flash
Appeal, IOM Nicaragua is appealing for USD 637,374.

This week, the IOM Nicaragua team visited the most affected
departments of Estelí, Nueva Segovia, Madriz, Leon and
Chinandega.  The team worked hand-in-hand with IOM's local
staff in Chinandega and Estelí, as well as with authorities
and the NGO Shelter Box to assess the extent of damage to the
homes, as well as the living conditions of those who took refuge in
official shelters.

IOM Officer Daizen Oda reported heard from people whose homes
completely collapsed or were washed away; others lamented that
their home was missing the roof or a wall.

"Some shelters are filled with more than 200 people, including
women and children.  They told us that they had lost most of
their belongings.  IOM, working with its many partners, is
ready to begin distributing non-food items to this population the
moment funds become available," said Oda.

A woman from Villanueva, in the department of Chinandega, who
was forced to seek refuge in a school told IOM: "It is not easy to
live in a school with so many other people and with students coming
in every day for their classes."

As the lead agency in charge of shelter, IOM Nicaragua will work
with its partners to rebuild or rehabilitate existing shelters,
strengthen the capacity of shelter managers, distribute non-food
items (house cleaning implements, kitchen kits, comfort kits, and
hygiene kits) to families in shelters; provide protection and
psychosocial support to some 4,000 children and adolescents in
shelters, and support the prevention of gender-based violence in
shelters in Managua.

To carry out these activities in Nicaragua, and as part of the
UN Flash Appeal, IOM is appealing for USD 637,374.  The
approval of the UN's Flash Appeal for Nicaragua is expected
today.

IOM is working with governments in El Salvador, Guatemala, and
Nicaragua and Honduras, as well as national and international
partners, and is appealing for USD 2,783,926 to provide emergency
assistance to the affected communities.

In the past 40 years, the region has endured a multitude of
natural disasters that have killed some 50,000 people and caused
hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.

Marta Zamora, Nursing Assistant at the village of La Bomba
health centre, talks to IOM about the challenges that health
workers face in meeting the health needs of residents affected by
the flood in Chiquimulilla, Departament of Santa Rosa. Watch Video
target="_blank">here [Spanish, no English subtitles].

For more information, please contact:

Niurka Piñeiro

IOM Washington

Tel: +1 202 862 1826

E-mail: "mailto:npineiro@iom.int">npineiro@iom.int

Yulissa Guevara

IOM El Salvador

Tel: +503.2521; 0500

E-mail:  "mailto:yuguevara@iom.int">yuguevara@iom.int

Sebastian Berkovich

IOM Guatemala

Tel: +502.2314.0086

E-mail: "mailto:sberkovich@iom.int">sberkovich@iom.int

Carmen Paola Zepeda

IOM Nicaragua

Tel: +505.2278.9569

E-mail: "mailto:czepeda@iom.int">czepeda@iom.int

Juan Ramón Rivera

IOM Honduras

Tel: +504.2220.1104

E-mail:  "mailto:jramon@iom.int">jramon@iom.int