40.000 Affected, As Rain
Continues To Batter The
Caribbean, US Lends A
Helping Hand
Although the weather has
gotten a little bit
better, as the current
low pressure system
wanes, the weather
service says another is
just behind and ready to
pound the area even
more.
At last count more than
40.000 residents of the
Caribbean coast, in the
province of Limón,
Heredia and Alajuela,
the Northern Zone, have
been affected.
The worst of the foul
weather has been felt in
Matina and Talamanca
region, where flooding
and mud slides has
forced the evacuation of
thousands. More than
5.000 are currently
living in shelters.
The central government
yesterday signed an aid
package of 2 billion
colones to help the
residents of Matina and
Talamanca regions and
the U.S. has come
to the aid of the
affected in the province
of Limón, as three
helicopters of the US
Southern Command landed
at the Juan Santamaría
(San José) International
Airport.
The three helicopters
will join the other two
that landed at the Limón
airport on Tuesday,
bringing aid to the
border area of Costa
Rica and Panama, where
at least eight people
have died from the
flooding and landslides.
Costa Rican residents on
the edge of the Sixaola
river that divides the
two countries, yesterday
were complaining of the
excellent efforts by
Panamanian authorities to
shore up the banks of
the river, adversely
affecting them. Costa
Rican authorities say
they are doing their
best to get to all the
affected, especially the
far remote areas where
access id difficult even
in good weather.
Acting president,
Francisco Antonio
Pacheco, along side of
the ministro de la
Presidencia, Rodrigo
Arias, and cabinet
ministers, inked the aid
package as one of his
first acts as acting
president, while Oscar
Arias is on a two trip
to Qatar and Singapore.
Costa Rica's Red Cross
is also requesting
donations from the
public into three
different bank accounts: Banco Nacional
(account number
100100-7, colones only); Banco de Costa Rica
(176003-3, colones only,
or 204-6 for dollars).
|
