Tears have been falling on Oaxaca. This season has brought historic rainfall courtesy of multiple hurricanes and tropical depressions in the Gulf and Pacific. Ground is supersaturated, rivers have overflowed, fields and villages are flooded, bridges have collapsed, overpasses are closed and, in the city, water has been pouring down from hills, turning city streets into rushing streams and leaving streets potholed and sidewalks covered with a fine silt. Twice in the past month a huge hole has opened up just a block away, closing a major bus route.
The damage has been occurring daily for several months and, watching CNN International, I kept asking, “What about Oaxaca? Why are they ignoring the unfolding tragedy here that has been devastating the homes and livelihoods of impoverished and mostly indigenous communities?”
Unfortunately, it took a lethal avalanche of mud and boulders tumbling down onto the remote mountain village of Santa María Tlahuitoltepec (50 miles east of Oaxaca City) in the early morning hours of Sept. 28 to bring rain-soaked Oaxaca to the world’s attention. Thankfully, early estimates of the possible death toll proved to be exaggerated, but the destruction is catastrophic and the communities require an enormous amount of assistance.
Relief efforts have begun, collection stations have been set up throughout the city, and the Oaxaca Lending Library, where I volunteer, is spearheading its own drive to gather supplies and cash. In addition, the Oaxaca Lending Library Foundation, a US tax exempt 501(c)3, is collecting financial contributions. Dr. Alberto Zamacona, a Oaxaca Lending Library board member, runs medical missions to the Santa María Tlahuitoltepec area and will be overseeing the purchase and delivery of construction materials to help rebuild this extremely poor Mixe community. If you would like to donate, please send a check to:
OLLF, c/o James Corrigan, 5443 Drover Drive, San Diego, CA 92115, USA
AND write “Flooding” in the memo portion of the check. Donations will be transferred to Oaxaca and the Foundation’s treasurer will send you a receipt for tax purposes. The need is great, so any donation you can make will be much appreciated and put to good use.
Unfortunately, this may have been another human-caused tragedy that could have been avoided. Corruption And Deforestation Caused Oaxaca’s Mudslide Disaster, an informative and thought-provoking article by Kristen Bricker explores this issue. And Oaxaca continues to weep….
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