In the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch's devastating pounding of Central America thousands more may fall victim of famine and disease because of delays in relief and the lack of resources in the impoverished region. It is estimated that 18,000 people or more were killed by the severe winds, torrential rain, flooding and mudslides caused by the hurricane before it dissipated over the weekend. Honduras and Nicaragua, the two poorest countries in the hemisphere after Haiti, suffered the greatest death toll and property damage. The Honduran and Nicaraguan ambassadors to the US said Tuesday that at least 70 percent of the infrastructure in their countries was destroyed. Roads, bridges, telephone lines and almost every other means of communication have been wiped out.
Millions are homeless.
Six days after Hurricane Mitch and its remnants dumped 50 inches of rain, authorities say 9,000 people are known to be dead, about 7,000 in Honduras and 2,000 more in Nicaragua. About 13,000 people are still reported missing in the two countries, and authorities acknowledge that many victims swept away by floodwaters or buried in mudslides may never be found. The Honduran government said roughly 2 million of the nation's 6 million people, most them living in the north and along the Caribbean coast, had either lost their homes or possessions. The floods have not just damaged December's crop but also new seedlings planted for next year. According to the Care International aid agency, farmers' storerooms were already empty as the storm disaster followed on the heels of one of the worst seasons on record, partly because of the El Nino phenomenon.