Hurricane Felix made landfall in Nicaragua today at Puerto Cabezas, a city on the North Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua, and moved inland and north into Honduras.  This particular region of Nicaragua has about 400,000 indigenous inhabitants living very subsistence lives. Ninety percent of the transport in the region is by water, with only 10 percent of the access by air and land, making assessment and access difficult.  Nearly 75,000 people live where Felix made landfall.  Nearly 20,000 people have been evacuated from this region in Nicaragua; an additional 70,000 have been evacuated to shelters in Honduras.

Early reports from our partners in Nicaragua are that they are currently preparing their formal request for immediate response funds of $50,000. Immediate response is being done through Accion Medica Cristiana (Christian Medical Action) that has long worked in this region of Nicaragua and was very active there in response to Hurricane Mitch. PDA Latin America representative Carlos Cardenas is based in Nicaragua and is engaged with this response.

As soon as possible, the team in Nicaragua will make and send an assessment regarding resources needed for rehabilitation of this region.  We anticipate this being a very comprehensive response requiring significant resources.

PDA will share updates from partners in Honduras as soon as we receive them.

Please pray for survivors and partners in the region.  We are anticipating mudslides from heavy sustained rain, tidal surges and flooding throughout the region. For many people this will trigger many difficult memories of the loss and helplessness after Hurricane Mitch.

Thank you for your generous giving to make an immediate and sustained response possible.