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UN, International Agencies Prepare Relief Effort for Countries Hit by
Hurricane Eta

Lisa Schlein

   GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - U.N. and international aid agencies are gearing
   up to mount a massive relief operation for Central American countries
   battered by Hurricane Eta, one of the fiercest storms seen in decades.

   Eta has lost much of its power as it heads toward the southern state of
   Florida in the United States. However, Jens Laerke, spokesman for the
   U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, says the
   storm remains a threatening and potent force.

   "It continues to cause rains throughout much of Central America. It is
   causing rising rivers. It causes high risk of flooding and landslides
   in parts of Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and
   Guatemala. U.N. teams and humanitarian partners are working with
   national authorities as well'¦'¦to prepare response efforts and support
   assessments and other response mechanisms when Eta clears the area."

   The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
   says the situation in Honduras is especially critical. It reports
   flooding has caused widespread damage to homes and other
   infrastructure. It says an estimated 400,000 people have been directly
   affected by the storm, a figure that could double in the coming days.

   Honduran authorities have issued a red alert, as have the governments
   of Nicaragua and Guatemala. The Red Cross has released half a million
   dollars from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund to bolster relief
   efforts in Nicaragua. It says it expects to launch emergency appeals
   soon for Honduras and Nicaragua.

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