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| Buried Alive in a River of Mud |
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| BBC News |
| Guatemalan Villages Declared 'Mass Graves' |
| BBC News |
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In October 2005, in the Lake Atitlan district of Guatemala, torrential rains triggered numerous mudslides that buried hundreds of people as they slept in their beds - an entire village and the hospital were lost. Those that weren't killed were left homeless with their livelihoods ruined.
A UN appeal was immediately launched only to be swamped and forgotten by
news of the Asian earthquake just 24 hours later.
My daughter Kate and I found ourselves in the middle of this catastrophe as
it unfolded. We witnessed appalling grief and anguish as our helicopter
lifted us away to the safety of our own lives. Two days later exhausted
relatives gave up digging for their loved ones and the villages were
declared mass graves.
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My husband Stephen and I set up the Guatemalan Disaster Fund in response to
this tragedy, and its success has exceeded all expectation. We were able to
return to Guatemala in January 2006 and personally handover financial aid
and supplies, having raised £8,000 in donations, and over £100,000 of equipment.
Stephen and I thank you very much for your support,
and encourage you to read our report of the Guatemalan
Disaster Fund's efforts to date. Please click here.
Gilly Pembroke
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