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PAHO mobilizes SUMA team to El Salvador 2009

The combined effect of Tropical Storm Ida and a low pressure system off the Pacific coast resulted in heavy rains in El Salvador, between 7 and 8 November 2009, causing severe flooding and landslides in seven of the 14 departments. 

As a result of the emergency in El Salvador, due to the influence of Hurricane Ida, which caused torrential rains that caused landslides and landslides in different regions of the country causing significant material and human damage, the national authorities asked PAHO for support for the deployment of SUMA in this emergency, with the objective of managing national and international assistance directed to the affected population and displaced to shelters.

PAHO has displaced emergency care personnel and has proceeded with the mobilization of two experts in the implementation of the SUMA system, from Nicaragua and Colombia, which are supporting the work and the Civil Protection authorities of the country.

So far the SUMA system has been installed at the airport of Ilopango and Comalapa to receive and classify international aid and at the level of San Salvador in the wineries that have been opened at the International Fair, a site designated to handle the inputs received at locally or moved there, before being sent to the affected areas.

Similarly, it has been installed in the office of the Presidency to centralize the information of the different points. The President of the Country has given instructions to the authorities so that all information on supplies and humanitarian aid is handled with the SUMA system.

LSS Data Area

"Cascos Blancos de Argentina" mobilizes personnel to support operation with SUMA in El Salvador

November 11, 2009, San Salvador: At the request of national authorities in El Salvador and PAHO, Cascos Blancos de Argentina is moving, two volunteers trained in SUMA, who have experience in using the system in emergency situations, in order to support the implementation and deployment of SUMA in the present emergency at different points where it is being installed.

NEWS - El Salvador - November 2009

Hurricane Ida

Hurricane Ida formed along the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua on November 5. Although it was later downgraded to a tropical depression, Ida brought heavy rains and flooding to Nicaragua and El Salvador. In Nicaragua, more than 1,000 people sought refuge in shelters. In El Salvador, hundreds of miles away from the eye of the storm, more than a hundred people have died in the mudslides caused by the rain. An orange alert has been declared in four departments. PAHO/WHO has mobilized three experts to help in the assessment of damage and needs.