Caritas is sending staff to support parts of El Salvador hit by floods and mudslides after days of heavy rains have left over 120 people dead and thousands of people homeless.

El Salvador has been on a state of alert since Thursday after being battered by heavy rains . The rains have coincided with the nearby passing of Hurricane Ida, which is currently moving through the Gulf of Mexico.

“We’re gearing up to respond to the aftermath of the hurricane by sending staff out to the worst-affected sites to look at the damage and limit further risks,” said Wilfredo Ramírez Escobar from Caritas El Salvador. “The Government has declared a national emergency and schools and sports buildings have been made available as temporary shelters.”

The capital San Salvador and central San Vicente province were the hardest-hit regions. Large parts of El Salvador are without electricity or clean water and remain cut off from assistance. Collapsed bridges and damaged roads have worsened the isolation of some communities.

Neighbouring Nicaragua has also been hit by heavy rains which have left some 13,000 people homeless. The hurricane poses a threat to oil and gas fields as it moves through the Gulf of Mexico. It is next expected to weaken as it heads towards the US coast between Louisiana and Florida.

Please click here for photos from Verapaz

Please click here for photos from San Vicente and also here

For more information, please contact Michelle Hough on +39 06 69879721/+39 334 2344136 or hough@caritas.va