Prolonged Severe Drought Across Central America Created Food Crisis Last Year

Bad droughts have struck the region before but as the decades roll along the population, both human and livestock, grow by leaps and bounds while the water supply shrinks faster and faster and industry and agriculture make bigger and bigger demands on water. Same story of course all over the world, but we're seeing a convergence of water shortage-fueled disasters.....

2014: "While In El Salvador crops have been lost in two-thirds of the country"

Dought Hits Food Supplies Across Central America
Associated Press via ABC News
August 21, 2014

Central America is having one of its worst droughts in decades, and experts warned Thursday that major farm losses and the deaths of hundreds of cattle in the region could leave hundreds of thousands of families without food.

The agricultural losses are largely in corn and beans, basic staples of the region's diet, the United Nations' World Food Program and the Food and Agriculture Organization said in a joint statement.

"The impact of the prolonged heat wave is having on nutrition and food security in parts of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua is very worrisome," the agencies said.

The food agencies said the situation needs to be addressed immediately or what is already a food crisis could worsen in the coming months.

In Guatemala, about 170,000 families lost almost all of their crops, while in El Salvador crops have completely been lost in two-thirds of the country.

In Nicaragua, where the drought has killed more than 2,500 cattle and left 600,000 people in a state of malnutrition, the government is asking international food agencies to help it feed 100,000 families in parched areas.

Nicaragua's Institute of Territorial Studies says it is the worst drought since 1976. Prices for corn and beans have quadrupled since May In the country of 5.9 million people.

"There are communities that have no water to drink because of the drought, much less to grow food. We're letting poor people die of hunger. There isn't (food) production or assistance," said the Rev. Elias Barrera, director in Nicaragua for the Roman Catholic charity organization Caritas.
[END REPORT]
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