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Water Mission providing safe water and relief in Honduras in response to Hurricanes Eta and Iota

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Гондурас
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Water Mission
Дата публикации

Water Mission Contact: Gregg Dinino
Public Relations Director
Water Mission
M. +1.585.305.6512
gdinino@watermission.org

More than 1.8 Million People in Honduras Impacted by Eta, Nearly 60,000 Residents Displaced as Hurricane Iota Now Threatens the Same Hard-Hit Areas

N. Charleston, S.C. — Nov. 16, 2020 – Water Mission, a nonprofit Christian engineering organization, is providing relief to communities in Honduras impacted by Hurricane Eta. The torrential rains from the storm brought more than 34 inches of rainfall to some regions and caused devastating flooding. Now just two weeks later, Hurricane Iota is a dangerous Category 5 storm and threatens to bring damaging winds and up to 24 inches of rainfall to the same hard-hit regions already dealing with extensive flooding. More than 1.8 million people— approximately one-fifth of the country’s population—have been affected and about 60,000 residents have been displaced from their homes. According to United Nations Honduras, approximately 38,000 internally displaced people are currently living in emergency shelters.

“Securing safe water access after any natural disaster is critical in order to avoid the spread of water borne illness,” said Water Mission CEO and President, George C. Greene IV, PE. “Our team is focused on providing immediate access to safe water so impacted communities can work towards rebuilding as soon as possible.”

Water Mission’s Honduras-based team is coordinating efforts with local government authorities and other aid organizations to provide safe water to as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. According to the Sphere Standards, the average volume of water used for drinking and domestic hygiene per household in a disaster is a minimum of 7.5 liters (1.98 gallons) per person per day. Water Mission staff are establishing safe water access points in emergency shelters and impacted communities and plan to expand outreach to the Sula Valley—one of the hardest hit regions.

"Our disaster response effort involves setting up temporary water supply points in affected communities and actively distributing approximately 750,000 water purification packets,” said Water Mission Director of Disaster Response, Mark Baker. “When added to unsafe water, each packet provides 10 liters (2.64 gallons) of clean, safe water. Water Mission Honduras staff are training residents on proper use of the packets so they have immediate emergency water access, especially in many hard-to-reach rural areas.”

Water Mission staff is also partnering with local churches to mobilize volunteer assistance to support our safe water activities, as well as to minister to displaced and affected families. Click here to learn more about our Hurricane Eta response in Honduras.

About Water Mission

Water Mission is a nonprofit Christian engineering organization that designs, builds, and implements safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) solutions for people in developing countries and disaster areas. Since 2001, Water Mission has used innovative technology and engineering expertise to provide access to safe water for more than 5 million people in 56 countries. Water Mission has over 400 staff members working around the world in permanent country programs located in Africa, Asia, North, South and Central America, and the Caribbean. Notably, Charity Navigator has awarded Water Mission its top four-star rating 14 years in a row, a distinction shared by less than 1% of the charities rated by the organization. To learn more, visit watermission.org, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, or Twitter.