U.S. Envoy Warns Of Hunger Crisis In Guatemala

MEXICO CITY — If the world does not respond with more donations, hundreds of thousands of Guatemalans could soon face a severe hunger crisis because of damage caused by hurricane Stan in October, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations' world food programs warned on Tuesday.

"Everybody is being stretched. We've got 40 crises in the world going on right now, so a lot of countries aren't getting attention — and this is one of them," said Tony Hall, a former Ohio congressman who is the Rome-based U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture.

Hall spent several days in Guatemala this week touring areas of the country where devastating mudslides unleashed by hurricane Stan killed hundreds and left hundreds missing and presumed dead when villages were buried in mud.

Crops were wiped out and bridges and roads were destroyed in the mountainous country where peasant farmers live in grinding poverty.

Most of those who face hunger and diseases are Guatemala's indigenous Maya people, who already suffer from high rates of malnutrition.

"One of the reasons I was drawn to Guatemala was because it has the highest chronic malnutrition rate in children of all of Latin America," Hall said in a telephone interview. "They have 50 percent rates of chronic malnutrition even without a hurricane, even without coffee prices going down."

The U.N.'s World Food Program estimates that about 285,000 Guatemalans could face severe hunger as early as Christmas time.

"Many people, if they haven't lost everything, only have enough food to last them until the harvest begins in December, assuming they will harvest anything. We are looking at a ticking time bomb with grave consequences for thousands of people," said Duilio Perez, World Food Program emergency coordinator for Guatemala.

Aid officials are also concerned that damage to water and sanitation systems could result in outbreaks of potentially deadly gastro-intestinal diseases, especially in children weakened by hunger.

After touring areas in Guatemala where the U.N., the U.S. government and private agencies like Catholic Relief operate aid projects, Hall said he was convinced that more global help is urgently needed to feed victims while Guatemala rebuilds.

"In Rome, they are thinking about aid for the tsunamis, Sudan, Pakistan [after the recent earthquake]," Hall said. "They're not thinking about Guatemala."

Because of mudslides, many peasant farmers lost the land they have planted corn and other crops on year after year. They no longer even have a place to plant crops for next year, Hall said.

The World Food Program estimates it needs $14.1 million to help hurricane victims for the next six months. As of Monday, the program had only received pledges totaling less than $5 million.

The United States initially contributed $2 million and gave another $2 million this week.

Norway has contributed $615,000, Switzerland $230,000. Japan and Spain were considering what amounts to donate, said Maria Gabriela Flores, a public information officer with the World Food Program in Guatemala.

She said Mexico, which probably would have donated, is stretched so thin right now with its own hurricane damage that it can't afford to give.

Program officials hope that other Latin American nations will contribute.

Hall said he plans to return to Rome and try to convince ambassadors from other developed nations to also offer food aid to Guatemala.