GFDRR extends support to El Salvador in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida

Experts from the Global Fund for Disaster Risk Reduction (GFDRR) and the World Bank are currently in El Salvador to assist the Government in assessing the impact of hurricane Ida and develop comprehensive disaster recovery, reconstruction and risk reduction.

The hurricane, which hit El Salvador on Saturday, November 7, caused devastation in the country with torrential rains, flooding, and mudslides, burying entire neighborhoods over the weekend. Eight of El Salvador’s 14 regional departments have been hit hardest, including the capital San Salvador and the departments of San Vicente and Cuscatlán. More than 75,000 people (15,000 families) have been affected.

A kick-off meeting between GFDRR, the World Bank and the Presidential Secretariat along with a briefing to all line ministries took place last week to mark the beginning of a Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) exercise. This exercise will enable the Salvadorian government to plan for accelerated recovery, resilient reconstruction and long-term risk reduction. GFDRR assistance to El Salvador has been possible due to the generous support of the Government of Norway into GFDRR's Standby Recovery Financing Facility (SRFF).