September 3, 2008 flood in Soloy

The evening of September 3, 2008, Western Panama near the Costa Rican boarder was slammed with a powerful storm. The Fonseca River cuts through the Ngobe Bugle Comarca (Indigenous reserve); under normal conditions it is large enough that energy companies want to build dams on it. However, less than a week ago, its shores grew 300 meters: the worst flooding in recent history. As the Ngobe depend on this river for their vitality, many communities bordered the Fonseca. The entire community called 19 de abril, home to about 400 people, and the community Nueva Generacion were wiped out by floodwaters. Parts of other communities: Alto Soloy, Boca Huso, Boca Remedio and Cerro Banco, are unrecognizable due to the damage. As of September 11, 8 bodies have been recovered. One of the deceased is a young community leader, cofounder and organizer of  the local grassroots organization for sustainable development, Medo.

Sanitation is worrisome for many health officials. Many latrines were flooded and water sources were ruined.

Seven suspension bridges crossing the Fonseca River were washed away, leading to isolation of communities from one another and isolation from basic health care and food.



Hurricanes and tropical storms around the world make the headlines

Hurricane season has come and sadly, Haiti has been devastated by the storms. More storms are coming and thousands are fleeing the Southern and Eastern United States. Although an inconceivable amount of help is needed in these areas (and I urge you to support their relief efforts in any way you can), there is a group of people in Western Panama called the Ngobe Bugle who need your help as well.  The Ngobe, who, before this flood, fell far below the extreme poverty line and lack even basic necessities such as latrines and clean water, but on top of this poverty, the tropical storm that hit the night of September 3 left hundreds homeless and without even a change of clothes.

Page made and updated by Amanda Gabster