AMERICA/EL SALVADOR - The Church assists more than 3,500 people affected by torrential rains

San Salvador (Agenzia Fides) - It has been raining constantly for 8 days and this phenomenon has devastated El Salvador causing 32 deaths so far. The danger now is landslides in areas of low mountains, floodings in cities due to the overflowing of rivers. Another danger is given by the imminent destruction of the main roads that go into the internal part of the country, which could leave many small villages isolated. President Mauricio Funes spoke to the nation to ask for internal solidarity in anticipation of some foreign aid. The Archbishop of San Salvador, Archbishop José Luis Escobar Alas, expressed his solidarity and that of the Church in a message of comfort to the victims of the torrential rains, expressing a commitment to continue to assist them in this time of emergency. According to the Archbishop it is positive that the government has asked for international help, and already the first part of a 25 million loan by the World Bank is scheduled to be delivered next Friday.
"It is a great sorrow to lose from night to day the crop (the sowing) and then to find the necessary funds and, with the support of social awareness, help the victims", said Archbishop Escobar Alas. Since the rains have begun, the Archdiocese has been following the situation and has already provided some assistance in food and clothes. "So far we have directly assisted more than 3,500 people in 150 official shelters of the civil protection, and also in the local parishes of El Paisnal, Aguilares Sacacoyo, Guazapa, Ciudad Delgado, Cojutepeque, San Martin", said the Archbishop.
According to statistics provided by the local Church, 40 tons of rice, 20 tons of clothing, 20,000 tubes of toothpaste, $ 100,000 in pharmaceutical material, 10 000 pounds of milk powder, 2,500 jugs of oil and 7 000 pairs of shoes have been delivered . (CE) (Agenzia Fides 17/10/2011)