VARIOUS: CLEAN UP STARTS AFTER HURRICANE MITCH DEVASTATES CENTRAL AMERICA

Record ID: 501251

  • Title: VARIOUS: CLEAN UP STARTS AFTER HURRICANE MITCH DEVASTATES CENTRAL AMERICA
  • Date: 4th November 1998
  • Summary: MANAGUA, NICARAGUA (NOVEMBER 3, 1998) (REUTERS TV) MV MEN CARRYING METAL SHEET AND DEBRIS SLV FLOODED ROAD PALIN, GUATEMALA (NOVEMBER 3, 1998) (REUTERS TV) SLV PULL-OUT OF PEOPLE LOOKING OVERFLOWED WATER AND FALLEN RIVER GUATEMALA CITY, GUATEMALA (NOVEMBER 3, 1998) (REUTERS TV) SLV TRUCK CARRYING PEOPLE FROM FLOODED AREAS SLV MAN CARRYING BASKET ON HEAD AMATITLAN, GUATE
  • Embargoed: 19th November 1998 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: MANAGUA, SAN FRANCISCO LIBRE, NICARAGUA; PALIN, GUATEMALA CITY, AMATITLAN, GUATEMALA; UNITED NATIONS AND MIAMI, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Disasters,Environment,General,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA5QKDNXEFQCAM3E1W94AIXRQ12
  • Story Text: The heartbreaking effort of cleaning up after Hurricane Mitch has begun in Central America, with fears that the death toll from the disaster could be more than ten thousand.
    United Nations Ambassadors from two of the worst-hit nations have made an appeal to the international community for aid.
    Residents and rescue workers of the worst-hit nations in Central America, struggled on Tuesday (November 3), to bring life back to normal after hurricane Mitch dumped several feet (metres) of rain on the region, causing floods and massive mud-slides.
    In Managua, Nicaragua, survivors tried to start anew, by gathering their few belongings and remnants of what they once called home.
    Without food or drinking, water families were moved to safer grounds by rescue workers, while efforts to assert the extent of the damage continued.
    The fallout from Mitch, the fourth most powerful Atlantic hurricane this century, left more than 6,500 people confirmed dead and another 11,000 missing in Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala.
    Guatemala, which was pounded by Mitch's tail, huge mudslides and raging rivers knocked out bridges and roads, killing hundreds and leaving crops under water.
    United Nations Ambassadors for Honduras and Nicaragua made an appeal for international assistance in bringing relief to those affected by Mitch's wrath.
    Hondura's Ambassador to the U.N.Hugo Noe-Pino said that,in his country alone, an estimated 500,000 were in shelters, needing food, medicine and clothing.
    Pino emphasised that "the goverment is at this moment by itself unable to assist all the people," and was therefore, asking for the cooperation of the international community.
    In Miami, Florida, residents began gathering drinking water, clothes and food to be sent to Central American nations for distribution among Mitch's victims.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register