From: donq@acs.bu.edu (Jose Otero)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.latin-america
Subject: NICARAGUA: AID ARRIVES AS THOUSANDS SEARCH FOR SURVIVORS
Date: 8 Sep 92 02:56:48 GMT
Organization: Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
Originator: donq@acs.bu.edu



managua, sep 3 (ips) -- as international aid began arriving for
the victims of the tidal wave that struck nicaragua's pacific
coast on tuesday evening, thousands of dazed survivors searched
beaches and devastated buildings in the hope of finding missing
relatives and personal belongings.

''i just want to find the body of my three year-old daughter
so that i can give her a decent christian burial. the sea swept
her away and the sea will bring her ashore,'' said a heartbroken
mother, as she desperartely sifted through the rubble in what
remains of the fishing village of el transito.

the 40-foot tidal wave was triggered by an earthquake
measuring 7.2 on the richer scale, whose epicentre was about 75
miles offshore from the village of masachapa.

according to the latest red cross figures, 100 people have
died, hundreds more are missing, and 300 were injured in the
disaster. at least 300 homes were completely destroyed and 50
communities scattered along a 200 kilometre stretch of coast
suffered severe damage.

however, relief workers believe the final death toll will be
much higher, since help has so far reached only 27 coastal
villages. many fishermen who were at sea when the tidal wave
struck are also feared drowned.

meanwhile, relief aid began arriving from the governments of
costa rica, panama, the united states, france, spain and norway,
as well as the united nations development programme and the
french humanitarian organisation, ''medecins sans frontieres''.

according to the nicaraguan foreign ministry, governments and
non-government organisations have so far pledged 360,000 dollars
in aid, as well as supplies of food, medicines and tents.

on thursday, the mexican government sent a plane load of
emergency aid, including eight tons of food and five tons of
medicines as well as a team of doctors and nurses.

the nicaraguan president, violeta chamorro, visited the
stricken area on thursday, and called for efforts to ensure ''an
effective and immediate distribution of food supplies'' among the
disaster victims.

the deputy foreign minister, jose pallais, has invited the
international diplomatic corps in managua to a meeting to present
a list of required emergency supplies, including construction
materials and medical equipment.

hundreds of families have been made homeless in the villages
of el transito, masachapa, jiquilillo, salinas grande and the
beach resort of san juan del sur. (more/ips)
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nicaragua: aid

although government officials hope to provide construction
materials to stricken villages by the week-end, many of those who
lost relatives in the disaster have said they want to be
transferred to inland areas.

''how can i live here? i've lost my children, my house and
everything i had in life,'' a visibly distressed 40 year-old man
said as he crouched amid the ruins of his home.

''the sea has always been our livelihood. we never thought it
would do this. it swept away everthying we had,'' said ariel
segura, a local fisherman. his two children, aged five and three,
were drowned and his wife is in hospital with serious injuries.

many fishermen in the area have also lost their boats and
are therefore unable to earn a living.

meanwhile, health officials are warning that diseases,
especially cholera, could break out in the worst affected
comunities, where the ''deadly wave'' destroyed water supplies
and letrines. (ends/ips/trd/sp or en/fj/oh/cg/92)
----