Press Release

OPEC Fund extends grant of US$400,000 to hurricane victims in Central America

109/2005 October 13, 2005, Vienna, Austria
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The OPEC Fund for International Development has extended a grant of US$400,000 to provide relief supplies for victims of the severe flooding and landslides brought on by Hurricane Stan, which struck Central America last week. Guatemala and El Salvador were the hardest hit countries, with more than 750 confirmed fatalities, countless injuries and over 160,000 people made homeless.

Worse affected is Guatemala, where an estimated 1,400 people are missing and presumed dead and at least 98,000 have been left homeless. Destroyed or flooded roads have cut off at least 90 villages in the northwest mountainous region, hampering rescue efforts. In El Salvador, at least 69,000 people have been evacuated due to the combination of flooding and the eruption of the volcano Santa Ana just a few days before the tropical storm hit. Both countries have also sustained extensive infrastructural damage.

In cooperation with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), the Presidents of Guatemala and El Salvador have launched an appeal to the international donor community for emergency assistance. Urgently-needed items include food and water supplies, blankets, tents, mattresses and medical supplies.

The OPEC Fund's contribution to the aid effort will be divided as follows: US$250,000 to the Republic of Guatemala and US$150,000 to the Republic of El Salvador. The grant will be channeled through UNOCHA.