Guatemala
Arnulfo Mejía Ovalle stands with food rations that will be distributed in the Sanajaba community in the Northern highlands of San Marcos. Photo by Sara A. Fajardo/CRS
With Central America's largest population—13.8 million—and a highly unequal distribution of wealth, Guatemala has one of the highest poverty rates in Latin America. Poverty is particularly widespread in the countryside and among indigenous communities, while infant mortality and malnutrition are among the highest in the region. Global financial crises along with a drop of remittances sent to Guatemala by relatives working in the United States in 2009 have increased the cost of the basic food basket for Guatemalans. In addition, a drought in 2009 has devastated staple crops throughout Guatemala's East Central Pacific Corridor, causing food shortages and increased malnutrition rates in already vulnerable populations.
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Stats
| Population: | 13,824,463 (July 2011 est.) |
| Size: | 42,042 sq mi, about the size of Tennessee |
| People Served: | 661,193 (2011 est.) |
History
Catholic Relief Services has worked in Guatemala since 1963, targeting the poorest and most vulnerable sectors of the Guatemalan society. This decade was marked by the beginning of the country's 36-year internal conflict, where 200,000 people were killed, over 40,000 persons disappeared and about one million people became internally displaced or fled the country. Initially, CRS programs focused on humanitarian assistance to alleviate poverty and bring a better standard of living to the needy. Over the years, CRS has extended the scope of its assistance by implementing a variety of development-oriented programs.
Partners
Casa del Migrante This shelter located in Tecún Umán, Department of San Marcos, next to the State of Chiapas, Mexico, was founded in September 1995 by the Scalabrini missionaries. It offers humanitarian and legal assistance to people who are about to cross into Mexico and/or have been deported from Mexico on their way to the United States. They also educate migrants about HIV and AIDS, their rights, risks and consequences of traveling to the United States without documentation. http://www.migrante.com.mx/TecunUman.htm
