Hurricane Iris Appeal for Funding, Plenty Belize Friday, October 12, 2001 6:38 PM Dear friends and colleagues, As you may have heard, southern Belize has been devastated by Hurricane Iris, which swept through the coastal towns of Placencia and Monkey River before heading inland and south then west, cutting a narrow but intense swath of destruction. Preliminary estimates from the District Emergency Management Organization, DEMO, say that at least 8,000 people, more than half of them children, lost their thatch roofed homes in Hurricane Iris. Entire villages, mostly traditional Mayan farming hamlets, are reporting up to 95% of their structures have been damaged or destroyed. Reconstruction is complicated by the fact that the common palm trees which normally provide the roofing material for houses have been equally damaged by the storm’s fury, and can no longer be used. Thirteen rural schools in the district are confirmed as completely destroyed, many others have suffered serious damage. It will be some time before the children in the affected areas will be able to resume their education. Even after the clean-up, they will be without textbooks, since all their household belongings were lost, and the schools will be without basic furnishings and supplies. We have been working with four of these damaged schools, training volunteer cooks and providing soy foods to supplement the school feeding programs. Corn, rice and cacao crops, which are for many families the sole source of sustenance and income, have been severely impacted by storm winds, and farmers fear that most are total losses. Miraculously, no loss of life amongst the local population has been reported, but minor injuries and diseases due to unsanitary conditions are already filling the local hospital, particularly affecting babies and young children. Immediate and urgent needs are for emergency shelter, food, and water. Our organization, Plenty International/Belize is trying to address the short-term needs of these people, with whom it has been working for over 10 years, as well as design longer term programs to rebuild the lives of the most disadvantaged population group in Belize. Local news reporter Paul Mahung says the mood of the people is improving. "Yesterday people just wandered around in a daze, not sure where to start, today they are trying to put things back together." He says the people are determined to get back on their feet. "They did not want to come in and stay in PG afterwards, they are staying at their homes, picking up pieces of thatch roofing, trying to salvage what little they can, get their place back in order. They will not sit idly by waiting for help, they are helping themselves as best they can." I can confirm that – in fact I just heard that Pablo Cal, an organic farmer that we support with our agricultural program, started planting corn yesterday, only two days after disaster struck and wiped out his whole farm, and left only a small part of his house habitable. Only his citrus trees will live to bear fruit another year, having lost this year’s load of fruit in the storm. If his farm is any indication, the rural population of this district is indeed in dire straits. Pablo’s prediction is dire – he fears that his people will starve, if a way cannot be found to help them rebuild their lives very quickly. In this largely undeveloped area of Belize, even the few alternative sources of income that were available before the hurricane, such as ecotourism and timber, have been rendered virtually impossible. The rainforest, once the pride of Toledo and a significant draw for nature-loving tourists, has been stripped bare, broken, and robbed of its natural beauty for the next 10 years at least. Another local organization with which we collaborate, the Toledo Ecotourism Association, is now faced with huge challenges in trying to salvage its modest tourism operation, which introduced guests to life in the Mayan and Garifuna villages via a low-key nature-oriented program. The revenue once generated by this program, 85% of which stayed in the hands of villagers, was an important supplement to the income of families. With one fell swoop, Hurricane Iris has managed to reshape this very special place overnight, turning thousands of lives upside-down, wiping out the already flimsy economic base, creating a huge setback for the inadequate education system, and rendering the future uncertain and dim for those who have no option but to eke out a living from the land. It is hard to maintain hope, but we are all taking great comfort from the fact that not a single life was lost on land, despite many hair-raising tales of near escapes. We hope that you might be able to share some of your good fortune with the people in need in southern Belize. Donations are urgently needed, and 100% of donations raised will be used for emergency relief. Please make your check payable to Plenty International - Hurricane Relief, and mail it to PO Box 394, Summertown, TN 38483. Donations are tax-deductible for US Americans. Thank you for your kindness in these trying times. Melanie Reimer Country Coordinator Plenty Belize (501) 7 22 198 Personal requests for assistance from our friends in Belize.