Strong Winds Leave Families Homeless in Panama

Strong winds accompanied by heavy rains recorded in recent hours have caused serious damage to several families in different communities of the Ngäbe Buglé region, leaving them without shelter and exposed to the elements. For this reason, the affected are urgently calling on authorities to provide help. The community leader added that she is still awaiting reports from other communities in the area, as strong winds continue to hit the region. The affected families reiterate their call to government agencies and emergency organizations to conduct inspections in the area and provide humanitarian aid, especially construction materials, before weather conditions worsen. However, she lamented that so far no authority has come to officially assess the damage or coordinate assistance actions. “The roofs were ground to pieces by the force of the wind, the houses no longer offer any protection,” she explained. According to her, the intensity of the climatic phenomenon has been unusual and has generated concern among residents. Jovita Méndez, a resident of the Guayabito community, Ñurúm district, reported that the condition of the affected families is delicate, as the zinc roofs of numerous houses were completely destroyed and cannot be reused.