Disaster Relief in Guatemala

Disaster Relief in Guatemala

©Photos by Lois Siegel

Guatemala recently suffered severe natural disasters. The first was from the ash, rock and lava spewed out by the eruption of the Pacaya volcano, followed two days later by torrential rain from tropical storm Agatha.

Unfortunately, the death count is 174, 113 are missing, and 140+ are injured. However, the flooding caused by the torrential rainfall of Agatha has damaged more than 39,000 homes, displacing 160,000+ people, of whom 30,000 are living in government shelters. It also destroyed 18 main bridges, 1,280 schools and ruined the subsistence agriculture of roughly half a million people in a country the 10th of the size of Ontario.

The amount of rainfall surpassed that which fell during Hurricane Mitch in 1998 and tropical storm Stan in 2005. It was the most in a 24-hour period on record since 1947, causing the President to declare a ‘State of Calamity.’

The Ambassador of Guatemala in Ottawa, Georges de La Roche and his wife Alice, with the help of other embassies and community friends raised $16,000 to send directly to the Disaster Relief Institution in Guatemala to help those affected and in need, which total about 400,000 people in all.

Friends, colleagues, and acquaintances attended a benefit June 30, 2010. There was live music, Latin American delicacies donated by Latin Embassies, and an auction of unique prizes.

Guatemalan Ambassador Georges de La Roche

Helen Somerville, donated her home on North River Road for the fundraiser
Alice de La Roche, wife of Guatemalan Ambassador Georges de La Roche

Peter Thompson, Borden Ladner Gervais, Lawyer
Dr. Tracey Thompson, Plastic Surgeon

Charles C. J. Teng, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Canada,
Executive Assistant Director
Grace Chang

Philip Yung and Evelina Stypulkowski-Yung

Alice de La Roche, wife of Guatemalan Ambassador
Georges de La Roche
Clare Cary, wife of British High Commissioner Anthony Cary

Lawrence David Lederman, Carleton University, Distinguished Senior Fellow
The Norman Patterson School of International Affairs
Former Ambassador for Canada to Chile and Former Chief of Protocol
Melanie Mullen, United Nations Association in Canada

Dr. Tracey Thompson
Shane Roberts, United Nations Association in Canada

Amarilis (7) and Laura Alvarado

Anne-Marie Robinson, Health Canada, Associate Deputy Minister
Esau Guzman

Noriko Urena, wife of Dominican Republic Ambassador Jose Urena

BJ Siekierski and Tony Hancock

Delmy and Amarilis Alvarado

Panamanian Ambassador Francisco Carlo Escobar
Peruvian Ambassador José Antonio Bellina
Michael Crystal, Criminal Lawyer
Emcee and Counsel to the United National Association in Canada

Maria Eduarda, Embassy of Brazil, Counsellor
Ernesto Araujo, Embassy of Brazil, Minister Counsellor
Lois Walker Gillin

Marie Angelica Olmedo, wife of Argentine Ambassador
Arturo Bothamley
Risto Piipponen, Ambassador of Finland
Noriko Urena, wife of Dominican Republic Ambassador Jose Urena
Rosa Bellina, wife of Peruvian Ambassador José Antonio Bellina