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| The road to the border region in El Paraíso is under military and police control. Reports not officially confirmed say that around 4000 Hondurans have passed the border to Nicaragua to show their support to the ousted president Mel Zelaya. |
The political crisis in Honduras could evolve into a humanitarian crisis in the department of El Paraíso, the border region between Honduras and Nicaragua.
Several thousands Hondurans in the department of El Paraíso at the border region to Nicaragua are facing an emergency situation after the Honduran authorities have prolonged a curfew from 6. am to 6. pm to avoid that citizens travel to the Honduran/Nicaraguan border, reports Elke Gottschalk from DCAs regional office in Tegucigalpa.
DCA and parter oganizations are closely monitoring the humanitarian development in the border regions.
Humanitarian situation expected to aggravate
Over the past month ACT Honduras Forum members have been active in bringing water and food to the affected population, transporting persons in need of humanitarian assistance, bringing information to the communities and supporting local organizations.
The Honduran Red Cross decided last Sunday, 26 of July to establish a relief post in the region. But the emergency situation is likely to get worse as there is little hope that a solution will be found in the short term.
COPECO, the governmental authority in charge of responding to emergencies has limited capacity to deal with the emergency as it suffers from the country instability as other public services do, and from the general movement restriction, it says in a background briefing and alert from ACT International.
Confrontations
The 150 km long road from Tegucigalpa to the border with Nicaragua in the department of El Paraíso is controlled by the military and police forces who have established about 20 control stops.
Several thousands Hondurans have tried to walk or drive to the border region at El Paraíso to show their support to president Zelaya who is staying nearby the border - but on Nicaraguan territory.
There are reports about continued confrontations between demonstrants and patrolling military units, including attacks with tear gas, arrests and persecutions.
The prolonged curfew and the military control means, that about 2000 persons are trapped between the different control posts. These people are walking and trying to reach their destination. Due to their special situation they are suffering stress, deficient nutrition, low water consumption and/or consumption of contaminated water causing diarrhea.
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A lot of people stay outside overnight without shelter in the mountains.
Some people suffer from affectation of the respiratory system because they have been exposed to tear gas, and part of the population at the border region is facing scarcity of food staples.