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Mudslides devastate communities

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Guatemala has endured by mudslides that have buried entire communities following Hurricane Stan that brought torrential rains to the region. Hurricane Stan struck Guatemala from October 4 to 9 and the storm left weakened terrain throughout the country. Mudslides were constant in the following hours and days. At this moment, MSF is conducting assessments in the worst hit regions to determine the priorities and establish access to the isolated areas. In Solola, in the villages around the Atitlan lake where 800 people were found in disastrous conditions on Friday, MSF has sent a convoy of 7,000 kgs of humanitarian material, including water, chlorination supplies, medicines, blankets and plastic for shelters, In Coatepeque, where MSF is running an HIV project, staff are assessing the surrounding area. However access to the area is very difficult. MSF has also done assessments in Chiquimulilla, Quetzaltenango and Juitiapa. Official figures say that there are more than 500 hundred dead, 1,000 people have disappeared and many villages are currently inaccessible.