And speaking of under reported stories, and…..Just so it is on the Front Page somewhere…
Though news reports are sketchy and unreliable….as can be deduced from the fact that the reporting states that only about 10 people have died in a disaster of this magnitude….
…there are around 300,000 people still stranded by floodwaters in Tabasco, particularly in Villahermosa. Up to 800,000 people are homeless. The State of Tabasco is roughly the size of Belgium….and 80% of it is flooded.
Mexico has called out its entire army to help, but food and water are running low as people are living on their rooftops. Just as in Katrina….helicopters are plucking people from the floodwaters and delivering supplies. The government has called on everyone with a boat to help.
But. There are at the very least 300,000 human beings that need help.
All the crops in the region have been destroyed, and presumably the floodwaters have destroyed the water supplies in the region as well. No large outbreaks of disease have been reported, but there have been reports of fighting over food and water.
The flooded rivers have barely started to recede, but it is being reported that, just like in NOLA, huge areas will have to be pumped dry.
With a Hat Tip to mishima, please check the videos on this page, for a sense of the damage.
I wish I could tell people where to donate to help, but I have yet to see a consensus on a “good” charity. If you have info on how to help, please post it in the comments. And please keep the people of Tabasco in your thoughts and prayers.
16 comments
Skip to comment form
Author
I had briefly seen the reports, but didn’t realize the extent of the damage. I wonder if e-mailing TV news programs might get them to start fact finding and posting numbers of relief organizations where people could send donations.
Are the fundies blaming this disaster on the victims? Were they not perfected Christians? I was never very religious but the Falwells have made me very anti-religion.
My ignorance knows no bounds, is this where the Chiapas live, and if so, might the Mexican government mistreat the displaced the same way Bush neglected the poor Blacks in NOLA?
I’ve gotten decent enough to read the Spanish press… and I wonder if they’re going to mention all the oil infrastructure in the region. I’d like to know the environmental situation, and will let you know once I have a go at the local paper when hubby goes to the store.
We drove through the region last year, scary with heavy [censored] presence around perhaps due to oil war rubbish. Unlike the NAFTA corridor states, the region appeared poor (e.g. not so much masonry construction).
OK, reading a Spanish page, evidently navigation has been shut down/is impossible due to conditions.
Municipalities declaring emergencies:
A lot of families refuse to evacuate for fear of vandalism etc.
Will be back after looking at the papers…
They were mentioned in this NY Times article.
Here’s a link to Donate to the Severe Weather in Latin America and the Caribbean fund.
they’re calling for donations here:
http://www.unicefusa…
Hat tip to cosmic debris for the link.
Also, there’s a link to a video and more info in this essay and a video from the scene at this link.
http://www.msnbc.msn…
calling for donations.
OPUSA
Rating: 4 stars
Charities
that the Salvation Army is in there.
Sure enough there’s a donation button on their homepage here