Friday - November 6, 1998.
Update on Utila from Kisty Engel, Utila Lodge:
Dear Friends and Family,
It has been a grueling week and a half. We in Utila consider ourselves lucky that we only got the edge of the hurricane.
I must address the food situation on Utila. Please know that we are living day to day down here right now and the future is iffy. For the past week, tension has been really high due to the insecurity of where a lot of the next meals for the locals and their families are going to come from. Up until yesterday the shelves in the stores were bare, but thankfully, last night there was a supply boat that came into Utila with a pretty good supply of food.
People were pushing, shoving, and fighting to get to the food, but I believe that there was enough for the people that have money to purchase a little each. Not so lucky for the people who have been out of work for the last 2 weeks. Tomorrow, I hear a boat is coming from Port of Cortez. I spoke with the wife of the owner and she says that they were also able to find a pretty good supply. So the desperation for food that was here yesterday has been toned down for now. However, we have no way of knowing what the food supply will be like tomorrow or next week. We have spoken to our local food distributors who have informed us that their supplies are depleting rapidly, and are uncertain of how they will be replenished. So the concern lies in the days and weeks ahead.
Considering there are no tourists on the island anymore, workers on Utila
are limited to jobs they can find day to day, therefore, making it difficult to sustain their families. We are trying to help most of our employees, but with the lodge being shut down, there is not enough work for everyone, (this of course is the same with every tourism based business, along with the rest of the businesses in Honduras), but they continue to look to us for food and support. It will take more than several weeks/months (until tourism picks up again) for the people on the island to get their money situation back in hand.
If after reading this information, you feel that you would like to
contribute anything to this situation that could help ease the troubled days ahead, it will be greatly appreciated by us all. (Clothing is not a necessity for Utila, but are for the mainland and Guanaja.) Thank you all for the prayers you've sent our way.
The Mayor of Utila, Monteray Cardones, has released a statement on the subject of food for Utila. Here it is:
This is to notify of our needs on the island and throughout the country.
We are in need of any help we can get, especially FOOD SUPPLIES. No
doubt in the weeks ahead we are to face hard times. It touches our hearts to hear that you all have started a relief effort for our people.
Seventy five percent of our crops throughout our country have been wiped
out, on Utila, ninety nine percent is gone. So any help you can give us will be gratefully appreciated. Our harbors and docks are still operational. Central and Local Authorities are here to help manifest the goods.
Sincerely,
Monterey Cardones
Update on Roatan, Utila, and Guanaja from COMITE DE EMERGENCIA ISLANDS DE LA BAHIA:
The Bay Islands Emergency Committee (CODEIB) is the official relief organization for the Bay Islands and is sanctioned by State of Emergency guidelines. We have been granted legal status through a Presidential Executive Order created under the law of National Contingencies (Decree PCM.019.98). COEDIB will be presided over by myself, acting as the Bay Islands Political Governor.
We are contacting you requesting aid on behalf of three communities located on the East end of Roatan that suffered heavy losses, and more importantly for our sister island, Guanaja, which sustained catastrophic damage as Hurricane Mitch unleashed its fury. Mitch, the most devastating Atlantic storm this century, was stationary over this small island community for 48 hours. This once beautiful island now appears as if it had been struck by an atomic blast. While they miraculously escaped with only seven fatalities, over 74% of the island's population of 8,000 has been left homeless.
As I'm sure you can imagine, we are in desperate need of many things. When considering our specific needs, think of all the supplies needed to rebuild communities from the ground up: electrical and plumbing supplies, building materials, tools, communication equipment (VHF radios and antennas). Perhaps you have high stock items or discontinued lines that fit these needs.
No words can express the extent of the disaster that has fallen upon these proud communities. Please help. Your gift will make a huge difference. Many thanks for your kind and prompt assistance.
Yours sincerely,
Jerry Hynds
Bay Islands Political Governor
Update from Honduran Association of Tourism Wholesalers:
NOTIFICATION TO ALL TRAVEL AGENCIES
On Thursday November 5, 1998, the members of the Honduran Association of Tourism Wholesalers
(AHMTUR) visited the San Pedro Sula Airport, with the purpose of reimbursing the labors of rehabilitation of the
terminal areas. Once reunited with the Manager of the Administration Board, Ing. Carlos Flores, who gratified our
presence, manifested the following:
1. -The cleaning labors are taking place at a fast rate and by this following weekend will count with partial electric
energy that, being until now one of the principal obstacles to continue cleaning labors.
2. - The lack of water is another of our major problems, which is preventing the general cleaning of the terminal areas.
At this moment they only count with the assistance of water cisterns provided by the Emergency Aids.
3. - Another very important priority is the URGENT rehabilitation of the phone lines. At this moment they are
completely isolated.
4. - Mr. Flores communicated that as soon as the above problems have been solved the Airport will be rehabilitated,
although it will not count with its regular advantages and conveniences till Thursday November 11,1998.
5. – According to Mr.Flores, in agreement to the above specified, not all the airlines will be functioning by the
previewed date.
The purpose of this note is to give you the knowledge of the present condition of the Airport and at the same time for
you to notify your passengers of the same. We have known that the information that has been circulating is totally
ambiguous.
For additional information you can contact a member of the AHMTUR.
BB TRAVEL COLUMBIA TOURS
EXPOTOURS INTERCONTINENTAL TRAVEL
PLANNING TOURS SERVISA INTERNATIONAL
TRAVEL INTERNATIONAL
Daily Report from Honduras.com STAFF:
We made it to the meeting place for the scheduled chopper flight to Yoro, but the sky was too overcast and drizzling
to fly. So we visited a nearby community - Guacamaya. We found a ranch that has been completely covered with
mud and rocks. The creek that formerly ran next to it now runs smack through their property. It filled the whole
area up with mud, sand, rocks and other debris. This ranch was hit extremely hard, the house is wrecked, buses
and other vehicles buried, the loss of 130 cattle and the cages for raising roosters for cock-fights. One bit of good
fortune, though, they have captured ALIVE one of the crocodiles that escaped from the farm that raises them -
using a lasso rope that they wrapped around its jaws. Today's attached photo is a surrealistic shot of the rooster
cages after the storm.
Heading back to SPS, we gave a lift to a tired bicyclist into La Lima Nueva, where we ran into the ALERT personnel
from Michigan, USA who are down here assisting with the crisis. We have discovered that they desperately need a
liaison with the firefighters and the Regional Emergency Command since they are not receiving much aid to distribute.
We therefore plan to work with them tomorrow and hopefully send them down the Ulua River with supplies in their
three boats to assist those same communities that we visited the day before and commented on their dismal
situation. In other words, through Honduras.com's direct intervention and efforts, the cavalry will soon arrive to Naranjo Chino!!!
While we were coordinating this cavalry, we stumbled into a press conference in which the General Manager of the
Tela Railroad Company - the local subsidiary of Chiquita bananas - categorically stated that their company will not
leave Honduras even though their estimated losses are US $100 Million. We took advantage of this fortuitous
situation and asked the GM, Mr. Arnoldo Palma, about their plans for the fruit already on the trees. He expressed to
us that it can be taken by whomever, just as long as they respect the company's infrastructure. We told him about
yesterday's security encounter and he stated that there may be isolated incidents like the one we witnessed, but
that the company is allowing people to take bananas before they rot.
In summary, Honduras.com scored some key goals today in its efforts to assist Mitch's victims.)
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