Drought in Honduras Overshadowed by Haiti

The United Nations (UN) Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is warning that more than 100,000 people in Honduras may be at risk for famine in the next few months if severe drought conditions continue and if international aid organizations and Honduras' government and society do not mobilize to meet the emergency food and water needs of people in Atlántida, Choluteca, Comayagua, Francisco Morazán, Intibucá, La Paz, Lempira, Paraíso, Valle, Yoro, and parts of Olancho. Seven departments-- Choluteca, Francisco Morazán, Intibucá, La Paz, Lempira, Paraíso, and Valle--have been the most affected by the drought. It has not rained in the past five months. Nearly 200 municipalities have been identified as currently having a large percentage of their population suffering from extreme malnutrition.

The UN's Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) in December allocated US$1.5 million to humanitarian agencies in Honduras to provide food and nutritional assistance for drought-affected areas. With so much international attention and financial resources focused on the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti, there is concern that the evolving food crisis in Honduras may go unnoticed. (1/17/10) (map courtesy of ReliefWeb)