Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association relief news from Honduras and Nicaragua.
As of mid-December 2011, tens of thousands of people in Central America have still been struggling to recover from devastating floods in October, which caused over 100 fatalities and affected an estimated 1.2 million people.

When the disaster occurred, Supreme Master Ching Hai had immediately donated an initial US$50,000 for the region, asking that our nearby Association members bring emergency aid to the areas most in need.

Our Association’s relief team members from Costa Rica traveled to Nicaragua’s hard hit province of Chinantega as soon as they could, covering their own travel and related expenses of US$4,200. US$10,000 from Supreme Master Ching Hai’s donation was used to purchase food aid, an amount equivalent to US$163,000 in necessities if obtained in the United States, based on Nicaragua's cost of living.

The items included rice, beans, and corn flour provided to 750 families, or 6,000 people in one county that had not yet received help. With the cooperative support of local officials, police and others, they were able to deliver the supplies quickly.

Meanwhile, in Honduras, Supreme Master Ching Hai later sent another US$15,000 upon the Choluteca governor’s request, which, combined with our US Association members’ contributions of US$13,500, totaled US$38,500. This could purchase US$435,000 in materials if obtained in the United States, based on Honduras’ cost of living.

Supreme Master Ching Hai also reimbursed US$2,000 in travel expenses for relief team members coming from Costa Rica and Colombia.

The relief team first distributed food packages for 4,600 families in the departments of Choluteca, Paraiso and Valle.

Mayor Douglas D’Vicente – Namasique, Honduras (F): Thank you very much, Master Ching Hai, for this big embrace of solidarity.

VOICE: The team was also joined by Association members from the United States. Covering their own travel expenses, the two doctors and one nurse arrived as a medical team, offering treatments as well as US$1,850 in medicines to the flood-stricken families.

Relief recipient (F): My children, I see that they are suffering fevers. Thanks God, this medical team is like coming from Heaven.

Relief recipient (F): I’m very happy with them, so kind, and they have solved my problem, and here I am going already!

Children: Thank you, Master!

VOICE: With gratefulness for the kind help of all local personnel, we join in appreciation for Supreme Master Ching Hai's unconditional assistance and our Association’s relief team for their caring endeavors.
Our prayers for the smooth restoration of regular day-to-day lives for the flood-affected residents and that such disasters are avoided through our gentler care of the environment.

http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/65-million-in-emergency-aid-to-central-america-flood-survivors