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The Republic of Honduras | Urgent call for assistance

Hurricanes Eta and Iota

Year of publication 2020

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 4p.

Author FAO

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Brochure, flyer, fact-sheet

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) Hurricanes Eta and Iota are the most severe natural hazards that have hit Honduras in more than 20 years. Early November, Category 4 Hurricane Eta started bringing torrential rains and winds as strong as 275 km/h in northern Honduras. During its slow three-day journey over Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala, Eta downgraded to a tropical storm and then onto a tropical depression, with heavy rains in much of Honduras and causing river levels to rise, flooding and landslides across the country. On 16 November 2020, Category 5 Hurricane Iota made landfall, which went from being a major storm to a tropical depression following almost the same path as Eta. Hurricane Iota caused even more flooding and wind damage, affecting already vulnerable communities following the passage of Eta, further aggravating humanitarian needs and food insecurity. In a country where 1.65 million people were facing acute food insecurity at crisis or worse levels, the impact of the hurricanes is likely to have increased the number of people in IPC Phase 3+. This is linked to the sudden decrease in food access and availability, labour, loss of productive assets and crops, damage in production areas, supply and the depletion of food reserves. The livelihoods of rural populations are devastated and the situation is threatening the most vulnerable population groups, who experience higher constraints in accessing food, and will face a rapid deterioration of their food security and nutrition, forcing them to adopt negative coping mechanisms.

Last updated date 17/02/2021, see corrigendum

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