Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association relief news update from Guatemala.
On May 27 and 28, the volcano Pacaya erupted near Guatemala City, claiming at least three lives and devastating homes and crops with a thick layer of rock and sand.

These effects, which forced 2,000 villagers to evacuate, were worsened by Tropical Storm Agatha, whose floods caused at least 15 people to go missing, with landslides that blocked roads and access to supplies.
Supreme Master Television’s Correspondent was on location.

Correspondent in Guatemala (F): This mountain was burned with this gravel, burning the trees, destroying everything it could on the way. The inhabitants say that it was about ten centimeters thick on the ground.
You can see the size of the stones. After this gravel fell, later came the disaster of the storm Agatha that added weight to the roofs of the town.

Victim (F): The neighbors were in the church when the sand began to fall. Then it started to bend the (metal) sheet and people had to flee because they didn’t have any other option. They saw that the walls from the church were really falling.  

Correspondent (F): Here, there were many coffee farmers; therefore they lost their coffee. People are suffering from severe shortages in everything, in food, in water. To them it has been very hard because two disasters came in a row.

VOICE: With loving prayers and deep condolences, Supreme Master Ching Hai donated US$10,000 for flood relief as well as an additional US$1,000 to help the bereaved family of one of the volcano victims, reporter Mr. Anibal Archila who had been covering the eruption.

The total US$11,000 could buy US$98,000 in needed materials if obtained in the United States, based on Guatemala’s cost of living.

Our Association’s relief team from Costa Rica traveled to the Amatitlán municipality and, in cooperation with local officials, delivered much-needed food supplies.
They then traveled to the village Caserio de la Cuchilla, where some 100 large packages of food and other necessities were distributed to the grateful villagers, many of whom were elderly and widows.

Head of Las Cuchillas Hamlet (F): To the Supreme Master Ching Hai, I am very grateful to her.

Relief recipient – father with kids (M): I give the best thanks to the Supreme Master Ching Hai for giving us this support.

VOICE: We are grateful for the Guatemalan local government’s helpful assistance as well as Supreme Master Ching Hai’s considerate aid to the remote villagers in need and our Association relief team’s caring endeavors.
With prayers for the families of those who lost their lives, we look forward to the volcano- and storm-affected people’s full recovery and the lessening of such events through our gentler regard for the environment.