Guatemala Hurricane Victims Still Urgently Need Help: UN
The UN World Food Program has insisted on the critical need for funds to assist the more than 285,000 Guatemalan victims of Hurricane Stan.

"This is a time bomb, with serious consequences for thousands of people," said Duilio Perez, WFP emergency coordinator in Guatemala.

Last month the WFP asked the international community -mainly Latin American countries- for 14.1 million dollars for six months of assistance to help those affected.

Hurricane Stan´s torrential rains destroyed crops and the mud makes it impossible to plant.

The storm also damaged water supplies and sanitation systems, destroyed many houses, mainly affecting the poorest people, and Guatemalan authorities fear this may cause gastrointestinal illness -especially devastating for malnourished children.

In Guatemala 50 percent of children suffer from chronic hunger, the highest rate in Central America.

Many people lost everything in the hurricane and others only have the essentials to eat until the December crop, but they'll probably have nothing to harvest, Perez pointed out.

The official expressed his concern because winter is coming and people will need more calories, "If their bodies are weak they are more prone to illnesses," he added.