World Food Programme Fighting Hunger Worldwide

Besides the food distributed by the World Food Programme, the affected families also received blankets and other items to help them during their temporary stay at the shelter.

The World Food Programme delivered emergency food items to the families living in shelters in the village of Muqubalbitz, in Chichicastenango, department of Quiché.
 

The temporary shelter of the Muqubalbitz village was established in the multi purposes community lounge. The name of the village “Muq ubal bitz” corresponds to the Mayan phrase “Place where smoke is buried” due to its past as a producer of carbon wood. Nowadays the people dedicate themselves to the harvesting of corn and beans and vast majority of those affected by the earthquake do not own land and work for others.
 

The families in the shelter spend their time out in the open. The children play and the smaller ones, such as 3-year-old Ernesto, are taken care of by their mothers.
 

“The inter-institutional coordination has been key for this emergency operation,” said Marco Merida, WFP Field Monitor in charge of the region.
 

“I would like to thank publicly the World Food Programme for their support and quick response,” pointed out the Governor and General Coordinator of the Departmental Emergency Committee, Heber Cabrera, when he addressed those living in the shelter during the food distribution.