Hurricanes Eta and Iota – French humanitarian operation in several affected countries

The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Ministry for the Armed Forces are working together on a humanitarian operation to assist Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama, countries that were very hard hit by Hurricanes Eta and Iota.

Coordinated by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs’ Crisis and Support Center, this humanitarian operation includes a €240,000 contribution to the International Federation of the Red Cross and local Red Cross chapters to help them carry out emergency actions to assist people affected in these five countries as well as a contribution by the Airbus Foundation, which has already provided for 30 helicopter flight hours needed for emergency actions in Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras.

Thanks to the contribution from the Ministry for the Armed Forces, the overseas offshore support and assistance vessel (BSAOM) Dumont d’Urville departed Pointe-à-Pitre for Honduras and Guatemala, carrying – thanks to support from the CMA-CGM foundation – 35 tons of humanitarian aid from the stockpiles of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the French Red Cross in Guadeloupe. These supplies will be handed over to the Red Cross in both countries. The transportation of these supplies (tents, aid kits) for those affected has the support of the EU, which activated the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) at the request of those two countries.