by Ben Schnayerson, originally published in Nica News 18 (November 1998)

	Wiwilí: This small city was all but wiped out by the flood waters descending from the mountains of central Nicaragua into the drainage basin of the Coco River. That surge of water raced down-stream to the Miskito villages along the river banks in the North Atlantic Autonomous Region. Photo: Miguel Alvarez.

Normally, the indigenous peoples of the Miskito and the Mayangna (or Sumu) who live along the Coco River in the Bosawas Reserve of north-central Nicaragua are in an enviable position. Their lands are some of the most fertile in all Nicaragua. There is also a large, lush forest isolating their farms from the pollution and toxins that farmers closer to cities must deal with. However, with the passing of Hurricane Mitch, these lands became some of the most dangerous places to be in Central America.

"The river scraped away everything along its shore, even leveling the houses, the trees, and the banks of the river," said Anuar Murrar, National Director of Alistar-Nicaragua, an organization that works closely with the indigenous populations of the Bosawas Reserve. "The river, basically their lifeblood and their life, just ate up all of its children."

The huge flash floods caused by Hurricane Mitch destroyed almost all the homes along the banks of the Coco River, leaving only a few large buildings. These buildings, for the most part, churches or schools, are the only places left for the families to shelter themselves in. The town of Raití, for example, was one of the largest towns along the Coco River with over 1300 residents. Now, it consists of only five buildings, some without roofs.

Farms annihilated

Of the 67 communities from the Bosawas Reserve along the Coco River, 48 have been almost entirely wiped out by the floods. This has left about 10,000 people without homes, food, clothing, or access to clean water. Most of the refugees have been forced to put seven or eight families in the remaining houses or live in the forest without shelter.

Also, the farms of these people were completely annihilated. Farms along the Coco River flood plain are in a prime location because the river provides plenty of soil nutrients. Combined with fallow methods of farming, the indigenous people have some of the most productive land in Nicaragua. Bananas, rice, beans, corn, coconuts, and plantains are cultivated in abundance in this region. However, the flooding and landslides caused by the passing of Hurricane Mitch tore up all of the farmland. Now, the people along the Coco River are entirely dependent on food from emergency assistance programs.

Making matters worse, the indigenous people are having trouble being reached by emergency relief assistance efforts because of their geographic isolation. For land deliveries, the emergency relief crews are forced to travel through incredibly rough terrain and have to meet members of the indigenous communities at halfway points. These halfway points are usually along the course of a river to which the people can take a canoe or boat.

Also, the shortage of helicopters in the country has limited the amount of emergency airlifts. As of Tuesday, November 10, only two airlifts had been made to communities along the Coco River. These deliveries consisted of food, medical supplies, clothes, and fresh water.

Emergency relief needed

Much of this relief assistance is being arranged by non-governmental organizations that have close ties to the indigenous populations in the Bosawas Reserve. Besides Alistar-Nicaragua, the Nature Conservancy and GZT (a German technical assistance agency) have been working feverishly to provide any assistance possible.

The British military have also been able to provide help from one of its warships sailing off the Atlantic Coast. Despite all this, many people along the Coco River have gone days without any food or water whatsoever.

Though immediate rescue and relief is of the utmost importance, problems of epidemiological crises are imminent. It is likely that there will be an outbreak of cholera, already a regular problem for the people living near the Coco. Water from the river, with its load of human and animal waste, has contaminated local wells, and in most cases, is the only water supply currently available.

Government agencies have issued numerous warnings about a cholera epidemic and the NGOs have made cholera prevention a number one priority. Thse recommendation is to boil the water and add a few drops of bleach to each gallon, letting it sit for ten minutes before drinking.

Nevertheless, for the indigenous people, possible epidemics are problems too far in the future to concern themselves with. "They are still in shock... they are living day to day, and aren't thinking about these things," said Murrar.

Murrar predicts that relief efforts will be needed for the next three to five months. After that, there will most likely be a reconstruction period lasting several years. This will consist of rebuilding houses, schools, and churches, and the reorganization of farms. In terms of development, it is estimated that these communities have been set back almost ten years.

Close to nature

Fortunately, the indigenous people's long history of living and farming along the river has allowed them to gain extensive knowledge of how the river and the land works. "With the passing of each hurricane, the river always gets flooded", Murrar stated. "They know how to handle these natural disasters because they are very close to nature."

Despite the degree of devastation caused by Hurricane, there is great confidence here that the indigenous people along the Coco River will overcome this great disaster.

If you are interested in helping the people living along the Coco River, please contact:
Alistar Foundation
Tel/Fax : (505) 277-0237
alistar@ibw.com.ni
US Contact: Fred Gregory
Alistar Foundation
Tel: (425) 451-1080