Action by Churches Together (ACT)
Belize - Guatemala: Hurricane Iris
Geneva, October 9, 2001


The National Weather Centre in Miami reported that Iris made landfall at
the town of Monkey River in Belize yesterday, after threatening the
Caribbean Coast of Belize, Guatemala and Honduras from the border with
Guatemala eastward to Limon.

Preliminary reports indicate that nearly 1,000 people were left homeless
and that extensive damage was caused to houses and schools along the
southern coast of Belize. There are also reports of damage to networks of
telecommunications and electricity supplies as well as to the fruit, grain
and aqua-culture (shrimp) industries.

Hurricane Iris has been downgraded to a tropical depression and at last
report was moving at about 42 km/h toward the west. Rainfall totals of 5
to 8 inches are likely along the path of Iris.  These rains could cause
life-threatening flash floods and mud slides over mountainous terrain.

In Guatemala CONRED -- The National Co-ordinating Office for Disaster
Response -- reported that one person died, 15 were wounded and 2,000
evacuated. In the municipalities of San Luis, Poptún and Sayaxché in Petén
2,500 houses have been affected.  There are also damages reported along
the border with Belize, where it is estimated that 1,200 houses have been
destroyed.

ACT member, LWF/DWS Petén Office, is assessing the situation in Guatemala
and along the border with Belize.

Thank you for your attention.

For further information please contact:

ACT Director, Thor-Arne Prois (phone ++41 22 791 6033 or
mobile phone ++ 41 79 203 6055)
or
ACT Appeals Officer, Elsa Moreno (phone +41 22 791 6420)

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Action by Churches Together (ACT) is a worldwide alliance of churches and
their related agencies, meeting human need through co-ordinated emergency
response.  The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of
Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland.
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   Ecumenical Centre                          Phone: ++41-22-791.60.33
   150, route de Ferney                         Fax: ++41-22-791.65.06
   P.O. Box 2100                             E-Mail: act@wcc-coe.org
   1211 Geneva 2                              Telex: 415 730 OIK CH
   Switzerland                                 http://www.act-intl.org


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