Dear Friends of MASCP,

Thousands of families who are still facing dire living situations  in El Salvador due to COVID 19 now are facing tremendous flooding because of Tropical Storm Amanda. 

MASCP is fortunate to be a part of the US-El Salvador Sister Cities network, where again, our sistering partner CRIPDES (Association of Rural Communities for the Development of El Salvador) have sent us an urgent plea to support cleanup efforts in wake of the devastation.  Madison's Sister City of Arcatao is part of this large organized network.

Please see the message below from our Sister Cities Network . If you are in a position to donate please support through our national organization.

Thank you!

Brayan Ernesto, son of Maria Eva, head of the Embroidery Coop in Arcatao

Dear Friends of US-El Salvador Sister Cities,

We are writing to ask for your emergency solidarity once again to support our sister communities in El Salvador as they face devastation from the impact of Tropical Storm Amanda. You can donate online or, if you prefer, by check. 

We thank all of you that recently contributed to our emergency fundraising campaign to respond to the needs of many people in our sister communities who were struggling due to the measures implemented in response to the covid19 pandemic. With your help, in partnership with CRIPDES and the communities, we were able to help ensure that hundreds of families had access to food during this period. 

This past weekend, many of these same communities faced a new life and death situation as Tropical Storm Amanda hammered the country destroying crops, roads and even entire houses in many communities. The intensity of the storm shows the impact that severe weather events, influenced by climate change, are having in El Salvador. And, of course, these events always expose the unjust social structures that leave the poor most vulnerable in these moments. 

We have been reporting the updates from the different CRIPDES regions and we want to support our partners in their response efforts. As you can read in our post, providing food, clothing and blankets is urgent for affected families. As the water clears out, as always,  organizing to meet immediate needs and to advocate for resources from the authorities will be essential for our friends in the most affected areas of San Vicente, La Libertad and other regions.

Please join us to express our solidarity and accompany our Salvadoran sisters and brothers at this moment. Again, you can donate online or by check. All amounts are welcome. 

Please also share this information with your networks and invite them to read more about US-El Salvador Sister Cities and the work we do alongside CRIPDES everyday to fight for justice and dignity in the Salvadoran countryside. 

Let’s show them we are all in this together!