«Inspired by the parable of the Good Samaritan, we Bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Guatemala would like to convey a similar message of solidarity and closeness to the regions of the country that have suffered from the tropical storm Eta», the Bishops of Guatemala said in a joint appeal in which they ask for solidarity and call on the authorities and society of the country to provide help for those who have lost everything in the hurricane that also affected the neighboring countries of Nicaragua and Honduras. Hurricane Eta left more than 200 dead in all of Central America. According to local media, Guatemala is the hardest-hit country: 150 people are missing, the indigenous village of Quejáj was swept away by a mudslide after the hurricane caused several landslides. Fides News Agency reported the appeal.
Meanwhile, rescuers are looking for the bodies of people under the mud and rubble.
In Honduras, according to a report by the authorities updated to Saturday evening, November 7, there were 23 deaths in the north of the country alone, and more than 1.5 million people have been affected by material damage across the country.
There is no country in Central America that has not been hit by the devastating force of the hurricane: Nicaragua, Belize, part of Mexico, and even Cuba. Yesterday, a small plane carrying food aid for the Alta Verapaz region in the north of the country crashed just after take-off. The pilot died and the remains of the small plane fell on the grounds of the Apostolic Nunciature in Guatemala City and on the neighboring road. Even Pope Francis after the Angelus prayer with the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square, asked to pray for the victims of the hurricane: «I see a flag there, that makes me think of the populations of Central America, hit in recent days by a violent hurricane, which claimed many victims and caused immense damage, aggravated by the already difficult situation of the pandemic. May the Lord welcome the deceased, comfort their families, and sustain those most in need, as well as all those who are doing all they can to help them».
