Hurricane Eta made landfall in Honduras on November 3, impacting almost two million people in the country. The country was also hit by Hurricane Iota just a couple weeks later. Thousands of Compassion children and their families were impacted by flooding and landslides and had to evacuate to shelters.

A man and two children ride a blue fishing boat through a flooded street.

Twelve-year-old Daniela’s family had to use her stepfather’s fishing boat to navigate the flooded streets of their neighbourhood in the aftermath of Hurricane Eta, in order to assess the damage.

One of those families was Javier and his mother Iris. “In the blink of an eye, the water level got to my chest,” Iris recounts. “I grabbed Javier and a neighbour put him on his shoulders. Though we were feeling fatigue, we did not give up until we found a safe shore.”

Javier and Iris were evacuated to a local government shelter, as they grappled with the reality of losing everything. Yet despite the chaos and devastation, they are grateful to be alive.

A boy in a face mask and a red shirt stands in the green doorway of his home. The floor and walls are muddy.

Javier stands in the doorway of his home. The muddy devastation is sobering—but he and his mother are not alone.

And they are not alone. Compassion centre staff regularly visit Compassion children staying in shelters and provide groceries, water, hygiene kits, mattresses, blankets, clothes and medical care. “We are checking on them daily and providing not only relief support but phycological and spiritual support as well,” says Anthony, a Compassion Honduras staff member.

As the rebuilding begins, Compassion children know they are not alone. They have the support of their Compassion centre at the local church and the prayers of sponsors around the globe.

 

As always, if your sponsored child and their family were directly affected by an environmental disaster, we will contact you with more information about the impact and how you can help.

____

Beyond the COVID-19 crisis, several other crises, including environmental disasters, have affected the countries where Compassion works this year. Read more about our disaster response efforts around the world.

Read more

 

Photos and field reporting by Juana Ordonez Martinez

Alyssa Esparaz

Alyssa Esparaz

Alyssa is Compassion Canada's Manager of Content and Public Relations, telling stories that inspire and equip Jesus followers to live compassionate lifestyles. She is a recent graduate of the University of Toronto, where she studied International Development.