FAO/GIEWS - Foodcrops & Shortages 11/98 - HONDURAS (23 November)
Torrential rains, flooding, landslides and winds of different intensities caused by Hurricane “Mitch “affected the country for the full week extending between 26 and 31 October. “Mitch” started as a hurricane off the Caribbean coast and swept through the country as a tropical storm before moving north- west into the neighbouring country of Guatemala by 30 October. By 15 November, about 6 600 persons had been confirmed dead while 8 000 had been declared missing. The affected population is estimated at about 2 100 000 persons, of which 70 000 have totally lost their homes or have suffered severe damage to their properties. Disastrous flooding has swept away over 25 small villages in the northern parts of the country and it is reported that as much as 60 percent of the country’s infrastructure has been destroyed or seriously damaged. Immense damage has been inflicted to the agricultural sector. Every important coffee producing area, a vital foreign exchange earner, has been affected, and large warehouses and coffee store rooms of main exporters inundated. Preliminary estimates put the coffee losses at about 20 percent of expected production this year and further losses are anticipated because of blocked access to coffee farms. Planting of the country’s 1998 main season cereal crops, which includes about 80 percent of annual maize production, was underway when the hurricane struck. Beans, oil palms, citrus and other fruit crops, some of which for export, including the important banana crop, have also suffered immense damage. Severe losses have been inflicted to the livestock sector with large scale animal deaths reported. Tourist resorts have been severely affected. The losses incurred represent a significant blow to the economy of Honduras, which is one of the poorest countries in Latin America. A large scale relief assistance is being provided by the international community. About 600 000 people will be receiving food aid for the next six months. Plans are being prepared for the immediate rehabilitation of agricultural production.
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