Global Communities and PCI Launch Integrated Regional Response to Hurricane Eta

Silver Spring, MD – Global Communities and PCI, a Global Communities Partner, are quickly mobilizing for an integrated regional response to Hurricane Eta, which brought life-threatening storm surges, damaging winds, flash floods, and landslides to Central America last week. Global Communities and PCI have decades of experience in Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, as well as highly trained country teams prepared to partner with communities to address the immediate humanitarian needs and longer-term response.

Since Hurricane Eta made landfall with winds of 140 miles per hour, Global Communities and PCI have marshalled existing resources to prepare for a response across the region. Immediate priorities include mobilizing country teams currently on the ground to conduct rapid needs assessments in affected communities. Community needs are most likely to include urgent Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) support to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 as well as shelter and infrastructure repair to mitigate displacement and assistance to farmers and fishermen whose livelihoods were wiped out by the storm. All assessments will be conducted through a protection lens, focusing on the needs of the most vulnerable.

In Honduras, Global Communities is coordinating with USAID’s Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance to assess the feasibility of pivoting existing programming to combat the spread of COVID-19 to reduce transmission of the disease in collective shelters that have been established for those fleeing the storm. Program shifts could accommodate critically needed WASH items, personal protective equipment and information and tools to help families in shelters reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

Both organizations currently operate in Nicaragua, the nation where Hurricane Eta first made landfall.

About Global Communities:

Global Communities is a global development and humanitarian assistance organization committed to working in partnership with communities worldwide to bring about sustainable, impactful changes that improve the lives and livelihoods of the vulnerable. Currently working in 27 countries in Africa, the Middle East, Central and South America, Asia and Europe, Global Communities was founded in 1952 as Cooperative Housing Foundation, and until 2012, was known as CHF International. Today, areas of expertise include innovation in rural sanitation, market-based workforce education, and strengthening civil society. Learn more at www.globalcommunities.org. 

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About Project Concern International (PCI), a Global Communities Partner: 

PCI is a San Diego-based international health and humanitarian organization that partners with the most vulnerable communities in San Diego and around the world to implement programs that improve access to health services, nutritious food, clean water, education and economic opportunity. In San Diego, PCI improves the health of moms & babies; strengthens food security; fights human trafficking; and implements programs to strengthen community health, including COVID-19 emergency response programming. Last year alone, PCI impacted more than 21 million lives across Asia, Africa and the Americas, including here in the United States. For more information, visit www.PCIGlobal.org.