The Salvation Army has been in and around Tecpán, Guatemala, helping local inhabitants come to terms with the devastating effects of the mudslides caused by Tropical Storm Stan in September 2005.

|TOP|More than 300 families still living in Tecpán’s community centre and 500 families from six villages in the area continue to gain strength, comfort and practical support from Salvation Army personnel.

So far The Salvation Army has helped more than 14,000 people, providing meals, clothing, medical care, counselling, safe play areas and activities for children.

It said, however, that family-size shelters and drinking water were still needed for the families in order to prevent the outbreak of diseases.

The Salvation Army has joined with the Rotary Shelterbox Programme to provide 120 Shelterboxes, each containing temporary shelter and necessary household items for 10 people, and 140 Aquaboxes, each of which can purify 1,000 litres of water, at the cost of around £120,000.

|AD|The container of Shelter and Aquaboxes is due to arrive mid-January for immediate distribution among the Tecpán communities.

The ongoing recovery work by The Salvation Army will focus on the support of single women and children, as well as continue its support of the communities in their long-term redevelopment programmes.

The Action by Churches Together Guatemala Forum brought together Christian Aid, the Conference of Evangelical Churches of Guatemala, DanChurchAid, HEKS (Swiss Interchurch Aid), the Lutheran World Federation and Norwegian Church Aid to back up the relief operation in the most affected communities where other humanitarian agencies are not able to cover.

The United Nations said that demographics of the affected area showed that most of the victims of the tragedy were children.