Guatemala City, by Yuliza Muñoz -AGN- The United States Government, through its Embassy in Guatemala, reaffirmed its commitment to provide support to Guatemalans in response to the emergency caused by the forest fires.
According to the U.S. Government, support has been provided through USAID Guatemala, the U.S. Forest Service in Guatemala and Belize, and AMEDICAusa.
The Embassy stated through its social media accounts: “We continue to support the brave efforts of volunteers, Conred, and the Government of Guatemala with training, fuel, and protection equipment to prevent and combat forest fires.”
The U.S. Government also mentioned that protecting the flora and fauna is everyone’s responsibility, so these contributions respond to this environmental commitment.
El cuidado de la tierra, la flora y fauna es una responsabilidad compartida de todos. Por medio de @usaidguate, @forestservice🇬🇹 y @AMEDICAusa seguimos apoyando los valientes esfuerzos de voluntarios, @ConredGuatemala y @GuatemalaGob con capacitaciones, combustible y equipos de… pic.twitter.com/3tErHwkpsH
— US Embassy Guatemala (@usembassyguate) February 25, 2024
International support
During a press conference on February 23, Vice President Karin Herrera explained that the international community has approached to ensure that the country’s active fires are under control as soon as possible.
Herrera mentioned the United States, the Republic of China (Taiwan), Mexico, and Honduras are among the countries that have been asked for their support. She added that the United Nations agencies have responded to the situation by providing tents, hydrating drinks, food, and personal protection equipment.
The vice president said that Guatemala has not yet exceeded its capacity for assistance; however, support has been requested to efficiently combat each active disaster throughout the country.
The Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) announced that $300,000 has been destined for Guatemala for supplies to strengthen the operational equipment. The Taiwanese government emphasized that these actions are part of the good relationship between the two nations.
