Guatemala – Over 500 Evacuated After Floods in Alta Verapaz and Izabal

Disaster authorities in Guatemala report that over 1,600 people have been affected by flooding in the departments of Alta Verapaz and Izabal.

Members of the Humanitarian and Rescue Unit of the Army of Guatemala, deliver humanitarian aid to flood victims in Chahal, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, January 2020 Photo: CONRED

Flooding began around 17 January, 2020. According to Guatemala’s National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED), 636 people have been affected in the municipalities of Chahal and Fray Bartolomé de las Casas in Alta Verapaz, where over 100 homes have been damaged and 125 people evacuated.

In Izabal Department over 1,062 people were affected and more than 70 homes damaged, and 426 people evacuated. CONRED reported that the San Carlos river had broken its banks, flooding some roads in the department.

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