Urgent Appeal for the Maya Ixil After Storm Eta

In the first week of November, Storm Eta brought torrential rains to the rural highlands of Guatemala. Roads became rivers and bridges leading to remote mountain communities were entirely washed away. 

This is the landslide which swept away eight people in their family home in Palop

Nebaj, 240 kilometres to the north of Guatemala City, is an isolated and under-resourced region which has endured armed conflict and targeted genocide against the Indigenous Maya Ixil people. It has one of the highest rates of migration to the USA in all of Guatemala. 

On the 5th November, the community of Palop became a river. A family of eight, including three young children, were swept away in their home. With a lack of coordinated rescue efforts and no search and rescue helicopters at all, neighbours and relatives searched for 20 kilometres downriver. They have found six bodies; two family members are still missing.

The one route into Salquil, Palop and the surrounding communities is now impassable - the road bridge has been entirely destroyed. Prices are rising in the community as all food and supplies are now being brought in on people's backs. Six families from Salquil and nearby villages have lost their homes and all of their possessions.


Along with a group of local teachers who are coordinating distribution of donations on the ground, we are raising money to:

- Provide emergency relief and basic necessities to families who have been left with nothing
- Aid in the reconstruction of homes
- Support grassroots initiatives to help women and children (such as support for women weavers and children's remote learning and online classes)


While the under-resourced region needs long-term systemic change and increased government response, all immediate and urgent donations will be transferred directly to local teachers and students who are coordinating with the indigenous authorities to reach the worst affected families.


New Humanitarian Article, 10 Nov 2020:
'The Ixil helping the Ixil': Indigenous people in Guatemala lead their own Hurricane Eta response 


Mothers and children who fled their homes during the heavy rains wait for help at a neighbour's house

These three photos show the remains of houses after the village of Palop was almost entirely destroyed

Bringing in food donations on people's backs