Another disaster looms for children in the path of Hurricane Iota in Nicaragua and Honduras

Iota is being described as a potential “second, fatal blow” to children and their families.

Hundreds of thousands of children in Nicaragua and Honduras may be in the path of Hurricane Iota just two weeks after Hurricane Eta battered the same region, impacting over two million people[1] and leaving children without food, shelter and an education.

Hurricane Iota is scheduled to make landfall[2] on Monday evening or Tuesday early morning local time in Nicaragua.    

“Iota might be the second, fatal blow to children and their families who were already suffering after Eta struck exactly two weeks ago. Many people lost everything to Eta – their houses were destroyed or badly damaged, their possessions washed away, livelihoods and crops were destroyed. That has a deep impact on children and we already know many will need aftercare to support them to recuperate from their experiences,” said Victoria Ward, Regional Director for Save the Children in Latin America.

“Now a new disaster awaits, with heavy rains and possible floods; all we can do is prepare for the worst, and ramp up support as soon as possible,” warned Argentina Martinez, Country Director in Nicaragua. 

“We had just started our support to 24 communities that had been hardest hit by Eta, and we are planning to deploy more frontline workers on Wednesday depending on the needs, and if it’s safe. But whatever happens, these countries need support and they need the eyes of the world on them.”  

To support the most vulnerable children and their families in Nicaragua, Save the Children has started to provide food, safe drinking water, blankets, personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies to prevent COVID-19 and other diseases from breaking out in. The organisation is also delivering recreational materials to the local government, so children in shelters can play and recover from their experience.