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August 26, 2014

Guatemala Declares State of Emergency over Drought 
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Guatemala has declared a state of emergency in 16 out of 22 provinces
amidst one of the worst droughts in decades. Local activist Dina Cardona
said farmers are facing severe shortfalls.

Dina Cardona: "Some parts are drier and in others no crops have grown.
In others there has been a total cut of crops, not even the cattle want
to eat it because its too dry. The farmers would have liked to sell
their crops to recover what little they can but they can't, they've lost
everything."

The World Food Programme has estimated about 2.5 million people have
been impacted across Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala.
California has been grappling with similar conditions with 98 percent of
the state now deemed to be in a condition of "severe drought."

 

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