Action Against Hunger teams on the ground are working in coordination with local institutions and populations to identify evacuation routes and safe places of refuge in the face of the imminent risk of rivers overflowing with large quantities of ash.
Water and basic sanitation are already being provided in evacuation centres, where more people are arriving in recent hours.

New threats
Further eruptions of Volcán de Fuego are not expected to cause damage and casualties like those of the first day, as nearby communities at risk are already displaced. However, there is now a growing risk of lahars and flooding that goes far beyond the area directly affected by the recent eruptions.

Potential flooding throughout the current rainy season may result in the evacuation and deterioration of livelihoods for a much larger number of people. Lower basin municipalities that have typically been affected by severe flooding, such as those caused by storm Agatha in 2010. "In this context, we are prioritising this preparedness approach to the high probability of short-term flooding (anytime throughout the June-November period)," explains Velasco. Preparedness measures include knowing in more detail which communities may be affected by overflowing rivers where a mixture of water and ash is now flowing, identifying evacuation routes and safe points where people can take refuge in the event of a warning, or protecting water systems and livelihoods from incoming floodwaters.

The number of people in shelters is on the rise
The number of people sheltered has been growing over the past few days, with more than 4,500 people already accounted for. "In the shelters, there is a lack of sanitation considering the minimum humanitarian standards of 20 people per toilet and bathing point. And although at least in these first moments there is access to water, it is necessary to address some hygiene issues because as the number of people sheltered increases, overcrowding could be a problem in the coming days," says Victor Velasco, head of the Action Against Hunger emergency team, who has been deployed to the disaster area. "We are working to respond to these needs by installing portable toilets and showers and washing points, as well as launching hygiene promotion campaigns. On the other hand, we are finding that access to water in the communities is more complicated. The amount of debris and ash accumulated from the pyroclastic flows has contaminated water points.