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Disaster Relief4 min read

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More than 600 hurricane victims rescued from starvation

Blog Team
Nov 25, 2020

The coastal village of Laguna Kukalaya, Nicaragua has practically disappeared — destroyed by Hurricanes Eta and Iota. Metal rooftops are peeled off. Houses are now piles of splintered wood. Electricity is gone. And everything is covered in a thick layer of mud.

What’s worse, when our partners arrived there this past weekend, families hadn’t eaten in over four days.

Thankfully, World Help donors like you came to their rescue. Because of generous donations over the past few weeks, our partners were able to deliver lifesaving supplies like food, clean water, and hygiene kits to those in desperate need!

But it wasn’t easy.

“We traveled using two boats and a team of 15 people,” one of our partners in Nicaragua said. “Due to the supplies we carried, it was 11 hours of travel by boat in the afternoon and night.”

The motorboats slowly cut through the dirty water and sludge toward what remained of the village. The team’s flashlights darted back and forth as they struggled to see in the dark.

Finally, the boats drifted onto shore at midnight. The people of Laguna Kukalaya saw them coming and immediately flocked to the dock.

Families gathered around, standing in mud and debris and waiting to see what was inside the bags and boxes.

Soon, a bonfire was lit, and the team got right to work as soon as their feet hit dry ground.

One medical team member began taking blood pressure readings and checking on the people’s health. Others quickly gave water to the dehydrated. And some prayed with the waiting families.

You should’ve seen the smiles on everyone’s faces!

When the sun came up, an assembly line formed as the supplies were unloaded from the boats. People held out their hands, eager to receive items like bread, canned meats, hygiene kits, solar-powered lights and radios, and so much more.

Children lined up to receive new clothes. Families were able to visit a pop-up medical clinic. And everyone in the village received several gallons of clean water to take home. Previously, they had been drinking dirty, contaminated water that was making them sick.

“We served more than 600 people with food, water, and clothes,” our partner said.

By the time they packed up their boats and headed back, 145 families — 143 of which are now completely homeless — had received lifesaving supplies!

“There are no words to describe what it feels like,” the response team said. “Now we will begin the second phase, which is the rebuilding of houses and restoration of agricultural production.”

None of this would have been possible without the generosity of donors like you seeing the urgent need and taking action. Now, people in Nicaragua and throughout Central America are receiving physical help and spiritual hope.

Please continue to remember Central America in your prayers.

You can also click the button below if you would like to make a gift to help with the ongoing recovery efforts and rush emergency aid to families struggling to survive.

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