Floods, Landslides Hit Western Nicaragua

The small Central American country of Nicaragua has been struck by landslides and floods in its western region, after many days of heavy rain. Several people have died or gone missing, and thousands were evacuated from their homes. Many structures and farmlands have been damaged or destroyed. United Nations agencies are working to help assist Nicaraguans affected by this.

According to a press release issued by the United Nations on Thursday, heavy rains fell during the past twelve days, triggering the landslides and flooding. Two Nicaraguans have gone missing and eight have drowned. Seven thousand people have been evacuated to shelters. Respiratory infections and other health problems have been reported in areas where damaged sewer lines caused sewage to spill into rivers.

Over nineteen-hundred homes have received damage, some of them being entirely destroyed. Many crops were flooded by the heavy rains, including as much as fourteen percent of the nation's bean crop and approximately four percent of its corn crop. A large number of non-residential facilities and infrastructure were also damaged, including bridges, roads, churches, and government buildings. The government of Nicaragua declared a national emergency earlier this week.

UNICEF, the Pan-American Health Organization, the U.N. World Food Program (WFP), and non-governmental organizations are taking measures to assist people in the affected region. Five-hundred blankets were distributed in the hard-hit Matagalpa area, and the WFP is giving technical assistance to the national government. The press release identified important needs as including bean and corn seeds, mattresses, and chlorine treatment systems.

Some governments and other organizations have provided assistance to Nicaragua as well. According to another press release, which appeared on reliefweb.int and was issued by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, others providing aid include Adventist Development and Relief Aid International, Agro Accion Alemana (a German organization), Food For Hunger International, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It also listed a number of localities affected by the heavy rains, including the capitol Managua, Rivas, Madriz, Carazo, and Masaya. It stated that experts have warned the damage may increase substantially if rain continues to fall.

Nicaragua has been hit by many natural disasters in the past, such as when it was struck by Hurricane Felix in early September. According to the CIA World Factbook entry on Nicaragua, it was also badly hit by Hurricane Mitch in 1998, and is one of the poorest countries in Latin America.

Sources:

1. United Nations, http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=24410
2. CIA World Factbook, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/nu.html
3. ReliefWeb/OCHA, http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/SHES-78BKBT?OpenDocument