The Salvation Army reinforces Hurricane Stan relief team in Chiapas, southern Mexico

The Salvation Army has increased its aid relief efforts in the southern state of Chiapas, Mexico, by sending an officer and eight cadets from the School of Officer Training in Mexico City to the region. They are helping officers and volunteers already working at four feeding stations along the Cuatan River, not far from the city of Tapachula, providing vital assistance in an area devastated by flooding caused by Hurricane Stan.

The feeding stations are in a bus repair garage, a dance hall and donated homes in relatively flood-free areas. The officers and cadets are sleeping on the floor of a donated house which is used as a kitchen and warehouse. As they have no vehicles, they use taxis, buses and borrowed cars or trucks for transportation, paying only for the fuel.

On arriving in the area, the team found hundreds of homes had simply been washed away and hundreds more were filled with mud and debris from the river. Around 6,500 homes were destroyed in the Chiapas region, displacing more than 12,000 people. In Tapachula alone, 13 neighbourhoods were heavily damaged.

Because of the constraints on resources, the Salvation Army teams limit themselves to feeding the neediest each day, serving a simple breakfast of coffee/tea/milk and bread, and a full midday meal which includes beans, meat and vegetables. All cooking is done by local volunteer women, with supervision by the cadets. The cadets have also participated in counselling, door-to-door visitation in the flooded areas, children’s meetings and public worship services.

Impressed by The Salvation Army’s quick response to the emergency, the United Way of Mexico decided to direct half of its donated resources to the Army’s relief effort. This gave an immediate boost to the team as five tons of packaged refried beans, mayonnaise, boxed cereal, cookies, banana chips, blankets and feminine hygiene items were handed over to the team leader.

The International Headquarters of The Salvation Army has released US$10,000 to help with costs of supporting the relief work in Mexico.