El Salvador Rocked by Earthquakes

Stewardship of Public Life - Latin America
2nd Quarter, 2001

On January 13, 2001 El Salvador was rocked by a 7.6 point earthquake. About 1,000 people died and 100,000 homes were destroyed. Thousands of aftershocks pulsed through the country after the initial quake terrorizing the population. Then, exactly one month to the day after the first quake, another one struck, this one ranked 6.6 on the Richter scale. About 300 people died and an estimated 32,000 homes were destroyed. A million people in El Salvador are now homeless. Important agricultural production lands were devastated by landslides. The Pan American highway was seriously damaged. National reconstruction costs are estimated to be about 2.5 billion dollars.

The terror and devastation have reached biblical proportions.

During the first week of March, President Flores of El Salvador visited Washington to discuss the challenges facing his country with U.S. officials. He appealed for both disaster assistance, and "Temporary Protected Status" (TPS) for Salvadorans living in the United States. TPS is a temporary suspension of deportation that under current law can be granted to nationals of a country experiencing either civil war or natural disaster. It is an unusual measure that requires the approval of both the Secretary of State and the Attorney General.

When President Flores met with President Bush, a grant of TPS was announced. Under this provision, Salvadorans present in the U.S. prior to February 13, 2000, who might be subject to deportation, are allowed to remain in the United States for 18 months. They can also apply for work permits. For the President Flores, TPS is "immensely important ….because it will allow Salvadoran families here in the United States to send their help to Salvadoran families in the devastated areas of the country." (Washington Post 3/3/01). In normal times Salvadorans living in the United States send home $1.7 billion a year in remittances to their families. This direct family-to-family assistance is important because it is very direct and because it requires nothing from the U.S. government's budget.

During the second week of March, El Salvador made its case for assistance to the international community at a "Consultative Group" meeting in Spain. Consultative Group meetings are often convened by first world (Northern) countries and the international lending institutions in response to an emergency. At this meeting, El Salvador presented a damage assessment and an initial outline of reconstruction needs in hopes of garnering the attention and support of the international community. By meeting's end, the donor countries and institutions had pledged $300 million in new grants, $700 million in new loans and $300 million by reprogramming current loans to focus on reconstruction. The donor institutions also called for greater donor coordination and a follow-up meeting to monitor and assess progress.

A strong message was delivered to the Salvadoran government at the Consultative Group meeting by the donor nations and other non-governmental organizations. The message was that to assure the effectiveness of relief and reconstruction efforts, the Salvadoran government needs to create a mechanism that involves local mayors and civil society organizations in developing and monitoring the national reconstruction plan. Many consider this one of the important lessons to be taken from the Central American experience dealing with assistance issues after Hurricane Mitch.

The total U.S. contribution to relief and reconstruction efforts in response to the earthquakes is yet to be determined. The U.S. is reported to have already provided $18 million in assistance. The budget request for foreign assistance to be presented to Congress shortly, is expected to include $52 million to be reprogrammed from other categories and given to El Salvador for 2001 and $58 million to be reprogrammed for 2002.

However, many consider this figure to be too low and are asking that the Administration seek new supplemental funding in response to the Salvador crisis. In early March, 75 members of Congress, led by Rep. Moakley (D-MA), signed a letter to President Bush asking that, "the Administration request a significant multi-year package for El Salvador. This funding must be appropriated and delivered quickly, so we request its inclusion in an emergency supplemental appropriations bill."

The rainy season in El Salvador begins in May. Disaster relief planners are now preparing for another major event in El Salvador. The earthquake caused landslides in mountainous regions of the country. While these landslide initially damaged agricultural production and roadways, when the rainy season hits they will run-off and erosion that is expected to lead to flooding. This coming crisis also highlights the need for the implementation of development practices and planning that focus on environmental concerns.

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If any word describes the people of El Salvador, it is long-suffering. Middle-aged Salvadorans have already lived through a major civil war, a devastating earthquake in 1986, Hurricane Mitch in 1998, the two earthquakes of 2001 and if analysts are correct the severe flooding in just a few months.

Action:

Prayer: Remember the people of El Salvador in prayer. Ask that the Lord bring them comfort and calm.

Aid: Help provide for the reconstruction of El Salvador. Make a contribution to Presbyterian Church (USA) Disaster Relief (please designate with number 9-2000140).

Advocacy: Contact your Representative and Senators and ask that as Congress considers next year's budget appropriations, that they provide significant assistance to El Salvador's long-term reconstruction effort.

Representatives:
The Honorable….
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Capitol Hill Switchboard: 202/224-3121

Senators:

The Honorable…..
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510

General Assembly Guidance

In 1974, the General Assembly interpreted Biblical faith and U.S. citizenship to mean that: "The United States, as the wealthiest nation in the world and the principal food supplier to the world, has a moral obligation to assist impoverished and hungry nations," and it petitioned the U.S. government to take "all responsible actions in this cause even though they may require increased taxes."

And in 1977 the General Assembly declared that "the United States should adopt policies that provide poor nations more equitable opportunity to execute their own development" and that national leaders should "help build a more just international economic order."

And these statements from "Hope for a Global Future: Toward Just and Sustainable Human Development"(1996):

"The number of desperately poor people in this world continues to grow. Yet, external aid from various affluent nations, including the United States, is contracting. "

"Rather than resign itself to current political realities, the church's proper role is to look beyond them for ways to transform assistance policies to correspond more closely to the norms of justice and sustainability. Agenda 21 calls for equitable burden-sharing by affluent nations in proportion to their resources. This is a demand for justice, not charity. Considering the wealth and the waste in the United States, the low and declining level of United States development assistance is a serious expression of injustice."

The 208th General Assembly, among other recommendations, "calls upon the president and the Congress to increase substantially overall United States financial and technical support for just and sustainable human development. A doubling of funding would be appropriate if prospects are good that it can be well spent."

Stewardship of Public Life - Latin America
Is published quarterly by the Presbyterian Church (USA) Washington Office, 110 Maryland Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel. 202-543-1126.

This article was written by Joy Olson of the Latin America Working Group (LAWG). Series editor: Rich Houston. Issue date: April 2001. For information about regular or email subscriptions or reprint permission, please contact Rich Houston.