More than 10 thousand people affected, some two thousand flooded homes and hundreds of families outside their homes reflect the magnitude of the emergency caused by the overflowing of the Sepur River in Fray Bartolomé de las Casas, Alta Verapaz, the municipality most affected by the rains of recent days.
The emergency caused by the floods in Fray Bartolomé de las Casas is beginning to generate a new concern: the deterioration of the health of the people who remain in the shelters.
Staff providing care at the shelters reported that several children have skin infections, mainly on the feet, due to prolonged exposure to contaminated water and humidity.
The injuries have caused inflammation and, in some cases, make it difficult for the minors to walk, so they receive medical attention in the shelters set up to serve the affected population.
The overflowing of the Sepur River flooded some 50 communities in less than eight hours and forced thousands of people to abandon their homes. The Guatemalan Army, the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (Conred) and the Municipality carried out evacuations to protect families who were trapped by the advance of the water.
According to preliminary data from Conred and municipal authorities, around two thousand homes were under water. The emergency affects more than 10 thousand people in a municipality with approximately 90 thousand inhabitants distributed in 125 communities.
The sound of thunder stopped announcing only rain. Now it also represents a cause of fear for the neighbors, who remain attentive to the behavior of the Sepur River. A light rainfall is enough for many families to remember how quickly the water covered streets, homes and crops.
In some sectors, the water level reached between two and three meters high, which surprised families who barely had time to rescue some belongings before losing a large part of their assets.
In the shelters, the emergency has a face marked by childhood. At least 800 people remain refugees, including children, adolescents, adults and seniors. Many sleep on mats installed in educational establishments adapted as temporary shelters.
“We lost everything; now my children don’t even have any supplies,” mothers say as they observe the classrooms that today serve as bedrooms for those who had to leave their homes.
There are 10 shelters in the municipality, six of them located in the municipal seat. In this region, where a significant part of the population communicates in the Q’eqchi’ language, stories are repeated: lost documents, destroyed mattresses and belongings, lost crops and uncertainty about when they will be able to return to their homes.
As authorities continue to assess damage and distribute humanitarian aid, needs increase every day. The Municipality of Fray Bartolomé de las Casas maintains a collection center to receive non-perishable food, pure water, hygiene products, clothing, blankets and medicines, which will be delivered to the affected families.
The Departmental Coordinator for Disaster Reduction pointed out that humanitarian assistance continues, although the magnitude of the emergency requires more support to care for the affected people and facilitate their recovery once the water level decreases.
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