Guatemala Gripped by Severe Drought
By Lisa Schlein
United Nations agencies say Guatemala is
facing the worst drought in 30 years. They
report some 2.5 million people in 21
provinces are affected and in need of urgent
food assistance.
The effects of the weather phenomenon known
as El Nino have extended the dry spell in
Guatemala, triggering a food crisis in the
country. The drought has caused a reduction
and loss of agricultural production.
The World Food Program says people are
suffering from a combination of factors,
including high food prices, the global
financial crisis, unemployment and recurrent
poor food crops.
WFP spokeswoman, Emilia Casella, says this
situation is having a bad affect on the
nutritional status of the rural poor in
Guatemala, particularly women and children.
"Guatemala has the fourth highest rate of
chronic malnutrition in the world and the
highest in Latin America and the Caribbean,"
she said. "Nearly 50 percent of children
under five years old in Guatemala suffer
from chronic under-nutrition, which can
cause stunting or severe weight loss. WFP is
expecting that the worst-hit families will
be about 54,000 families in Guatemala,
although the government is estimating the
number could be closer to 300,000."
Casella says WFP so far has managed to
distribute food to more than 20,000 families
in affected areas. She says 20 metric tons
of high-energy biscuits also are currently
being distributed to more than 10,000
families. In the next few weeks, she says
WFP will continue to distribute these
biscuits to a further 20,000 families.
She says stocks in Guatemala are at their
lowest level in years. She says WFP
currently is providing a special fortified
blended food to 100,000 children under
three, as well as to 50,000 nursing and
pregnant women in 136 communities.
The WFP spokeswoman warns this critically
important program will be cut by the end of
October unless the agency receives seven
million dollars to fund it over the next 12
months.
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