The casket of Anahí Cruz Hernández, 15, in San Cristóbal, Chiapas Photo: AP / Rebecca Blackwell

A note from the Chiapas Support Committee: We are asking you to make a donation to help the people who endured an 8.2-magnitude earthquake in Chiapas. The earthquake destroyed communities and created thousands of people who are now homeless.

“Solidarity is the tenderness of the people,” said the Nicaraguan poet Gioconda Belli, reminding us that solidarity is both an act of justice and caring for our communities who struggle for liberation across the world. And in this spirit of solidarity, we are asking you to be generous and help the people in Chiapas rebuild their homes and lives with a donation.

Funds will be sent, via international wire transfer, to the Centro de Derechos Humanos Digna Ochoa AC (Digna Ochoa Human Rights Center) in Tonalá, Chiapas. The Center works with adherents to the EZLN’s 6^th Declaration in a region that was hit hard.

The National Indigenous Congress (CNI) has asked people of good will to help the earthquake victims and has approved the Digna Ochoa Center as a recipient of funds for Chiapas. The donate button (on our web-page) is on the bar at the top of this page for PayPal donations, or go to https://chiapas-support.org/home/donate/

In the alternative, you can mail a check payable to the Chiapas Support Committee to P O Box 3421, Oakland, CA 94609. Please write in the note section: Earthquake relief for Chiapas. Many thanks! Your donations are tax deductible if you itemize. Some details of the tragedy are described below.

A report on the earthquake devastation from Elio Henríquez via La Jornada

There are 50,582 homes in Chiapas that suffered damage from the earthquake; 16,826 are collapsed or uninhabitable and 33,756 are left with diverse damages.

The state’s civilian protection agency pointed out that the number of deaths remains at 16 and the number of injured remains at 27 in the municipalities of San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Jiquipilas, Villa Corzo, Pijijiapan, Tonalá, Suchiapa, Villaflores, Chiapa de Corzo and Cintalapa.

It reported that there are 8 temporary shelters that offer food and medical attention where 209 families (834 persons) are staying.

“It also estimates that 17,920 families are spending the night in the home of relatives, in order the to avoid sleeping in homes that were damaged by the earthquake.”

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2017/09/13/politica/013n3pol

*Further information from Isaín Mandujano via Proceso.com.mx: Aftershocks continue!

One thousand schools are affected, 48 health buildings are damaged, 115 public buildings, 250 churches, 176 businesses, 92 highway stretches are affected and eight bridges damaged, as well as damages to 107 federal highway stretches and four federal bridges.

This Tuesday, Civilian Protection reported registering 1,357 aftershocks of the 8.2-magnitude earthquake and did not discard that more telluric movements will continue, which are normal as the tectonic plates re-accommodate.

http://www.proceso.com.mx/502951/damnificados-chiapas-claman-apoyo-osorio-chong-les-pide-paciencia