Last November, devastating back-to-back hurricanes Eta and Iota struck communities across Central America. Hurricane Eta, a Category 4 storm, and Hurricane Iota, a Category 5 storm, both came ashore in Nicaragua, ultimately impacting about seven million people in the wide-area from Mexico to Colombia. Communities in Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala bore the brunt of the impacts. Tragically, these storms remind us that the effects of climate change continue to disproportionately impact the most at-risk communities across the globe.
Thanks to your generous donation to GlobalGiving’s Hurricane Iota Relief Fund, we have been able to provide immediate and ongoing financial support directly to our local, trusted nonprofit partners working in storm-impacted communities. Here is a snapshot of how GlobalGiving’s nonprofit partners have been making a difference since Hurricane Eta and Iota made landfall:
- Population Council is ensuring that Indigenous Q'eqchi' communities in Chisec, a town in northern Guatemala, receive the critical support they need to recover from the impacts of Eta and Iota. The organization is getting financial resources directly into the hands of Na'leb'ak, an autonomous network of young Indigenous women that connects them to vital resources during the multiple emergencies caused by COVID-19 and the hurricanes.
- Agua Pura Para El Pueblo’s long-standing relationship with a small, remote community in northern Honduras came into play after the community's water system was seriously damaged by the hurricanes. The nonprofit immediately acted to get the pipes and emergency supplies needed to repair the water system. The organization also quickly provided emergency supplies, including clean water, soap, bleach, and face masks, to Indigenous families in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas after their neighborhoods were flooded during the hurricanes.
- Un Techo para mi País Colombia is raising awareness about the impacts of the storms on the Colombian islands of San Andrés and Providencia. Each island was severely affected by the storms, with a vast majority of infrastructure on both islands sustaining damage. The organization continues to provide emergency food kits and housing support to communities on the islands.
- Integral Heart Foundation has a proven track record of serving local communities in Guatemala over the past 10 years. Following the hurricane and the impacts of Eta and Iota, the organization continues to work closely through its local networks in storm-impacted areas to provide emergency supplies to families that have lost their homes and livelihoods.
The need remains enormous for impacted communities across the region. Within the next two weeks, GlobalGiving will be sending another round of direct financial support to our Central American nonprofit partners on the frontlines of response. We will be in your inbox again in the months ahead with an update about the continued incredible work of our partners.
Thank you again for your generosity and support of community-led disaster recovery.
With gratitude,
Chase + the GlobalGiving Team