President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo estimated that 100,000 homes were affected by the rains in Hidalgo, Veracruz, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, and Puebla.
“This is a completely preliminary figure; we won’t be able to provide a final figure until the census is completed,” Sheinbaum Pardo said during her morning press conference this Monday, October 13, at the National Palace.
In the Treasury Room, the federal president assured that there are sufficient resources and that, although the Natural Disaster Fund (FONDEN) no longer exists, there is a budget allocation of 19 billion pesos.
“FONDEN doesn’t exist as a trust fund, but there is a budget allocation for all the support needed in response to these emergencies. This year, that allocation is 19 billion pesos; nearly three billion pesos have been allocated to date for the various events we’ve had, primarily in Guerrero and Oaxaca with Hurricane Erika,” he explained.
“There are sufficient resources; we won’t be scrimping on anything related to the emergency, because we’re still in the emergency period,” he added.
Sheinbaum is grateful for the support of private companies.
She noted that today she is traveling to Hidalgo and Querétaro to assess the damage, and that later this week she will visit San Luis Potosí and return to Veracruz, particularly to Poza Rica and Álamo, the two most affected municipalities in that state.
Sheinbaum thanked private companies that have supported their equipment and organizations that want to donate food supplies, which will be provided through state governments.
She reiterated that the 079 number has been set up for people who have not yet found a family member.
She commented that 64 people have died and 65 people are still missing, and she guaranteed that help will arrive.
Expressing that “it is our obligation to provide care,” Sheinbaum Pardo acknowledged the desperation of families who lost everything, which is why there were complaints during her visits to the affected states.
Families living on the riverbanks will be relocated.
She indicated that the Ministry of Defense has a stockpile of household goods that will be provided at the appropriate time, and that there would be relocations of families due to the location of their homes on the riverbanks.
“We are conducting censuses, also to be able to offer housing to many people who had their homes on the riverbanks and who, evidently, cannot return to these areas because they are at risk. There will be relocations,” he said.
He added that there will also be support for those who lost a family member, and the National Search Commission will assist in locating people who went missing due to the rains.
Source: eldiariodecoahuila
