* Any views expressed in this article are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Preliminary Appeal
Guatemala
Drought induced food crisis in Guatemala GUA141
Preliminary Appeal Target: US$ 483,955
Balance Requested: US$ 342,343
Geneva, 15th October 2014
Guatemala, one of the worst affected countries by climate change, is now facing a food crisis due to the significant impact of drought, which according to a number of experts will further increase in the next year, with the regions impacted also growing.
The drought is causing high losses of corn and beans, the basic grains for the population, in the dry corridor affecting 236,000 families due to their dependence on these for subsistence farming.
The government declared a State of Calamity, in 16 of the 22 departments. The eastern side of the country is the most affected, specially the Chortí indigenous people.
CONASAN (the Departmental Committee on Food and Nutrition Security) has said this could be the worst drought in 40 years, with 478 eastern communities the most impacted regarding food security, 26 confirmed deaths due to malnutrition among children.
For the full appeal document, please click here.
