The agency also provided essential drugs, blankets, hygiene items, food, clean water, and logistical support for medical teams to assist thousands of children and women in shelters in the north and south of the country. The storm left tens of thousands of homeless in Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala. Costa Rica and Belize have also required urgent emergency assistance. The rehydration kits, used to treat diarrhoea, are being distributed to displaced children and families who have taken shelter in schools, churches, and other sites. The hurricane is one of the worst natural disasters to hit the region in the 20th century.
Officials say the death toll is unlikely to be known with accuracy for months.