Many houses like this one were destroyed across Guatemala as Tropical Storm Agatha swept across the nation.

GUATEMALA – As Amada and her five children slept soundly in the predawn hours on May 29, they had no idea the imminent danger headed their way.
 
Tropical Storm Agatha had made landfall and her heavy rains were beginning to take their toll.

Amada’s husband is a farm worker and was already at work that morning when he realized that the rivers were beginning to swell and overflow their banks.

He ran home at 4 a.m., rushing to wake his family and get them to safety.

It only took 10 minutes for the floodwaters to destroy everything the family owned. They were now homeless, without beds to sleep on or food to eat.

Amada’s children receive new shoes thanks to an OB Guatemala relief distribution.

The family sought refuge at a local school being used as a shelter. There, Amada, her husband, and their children were provided with food, clean water, hygiene products, and shoes, thanks to Operation Blessing’s relief distributions.

Operation Blessing teams have been partnering with CONRED, a local disaster authority, as well as pastors and churches to help distribute emergency aid to shelters helping hundreds of families like Amada’s. According to CONRED, more than 152,000 people have been affected by Tropical Storm Agatha, which followed on the heels of the eruption of Mt. Pacaya.

In addition to distributing relief supplies, OBI doctors have also been providing medical care to victims—checking for injuries and treating illnesses—after several health centers lost all of their medical supplies in the floods.

HOW YOU CAN HELP
You can help by making an online donation toward OBI's disaster relief efforts. With your support, we can continue to provide emergency relief and recovery. Please make an on-line donation today.

 

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