In early November 2020, Hurricane Eta slammed into Nicaragua’s Atlantic coast. Two weeks later, Hurricane Iota struck the same communities. These back-to-back blows destroyed homes, crops, animals and livelihoods.
CWS and our partners have worked with communities in the area for years. We support the food security and community development work of trusted local organization Accion Medica Cristiana, or AMC. Together, we help mothers and young children improve their nutrition, facilitate access to health services, support farmers as they sell their harvests, help families diversify their diets and share information to prevent gender-based violence.
After the hurricanes hit in November, we responded once again through AMC. We provided urgently-needed food and hygiene packages. Each of the 1,000 food kits included beans, sugar, rice, flour, oil, salt, oatmeal and coffee. When potable water wasn’t available, we provided powdered milk. Each of the 1,000 hygiene kits included laundry soap, hand/dish soap, bleach and toilet paper. Families in shelters also received face masks, blankets, buckets, plastic sheets, eggs and beef (the preferred protein source for families in the area).
In 2021, we are looking at longer-term ways to help communities recover and move forward after these twin disasters.
In the gallery below, explore the impact of the storms and hear from 13 community members. Donate to the relief effort here, or read the Emergency Appeal here.
