Emergency Earthquake Response in Mexico

IsraAID has had a team in Mexico since a 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit near Puebla in September 2017, just two weeks after the previous lethal earthquake in the area. The crisis caused hundreds of fatalities, and severe damage to multiple buildings and infrastructure including access to water, electricity and roads. Just days after the second earthquake hit, IsraAID sent a team for initial emergency response in the community. Since then, IsraAID Mexico has served tens of thousands of individuals through immediate response, and in long-term recovery and development programming. 

Due to its geographic location, Mexico is at a high risk of more disasters in the future. It has therefore been vital that IsraAID's work is not only in recovery and response to the most recent earthquakes, but also in increasing resilience in the case of future disasters. IsraAID has worked in hundreds of schools around the country to prepare the staff for future emergencies, as well as working with community leaders and parents to similarly be prepared in the home.

More specifically, IsraAID has developed a Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) program which focused on providing training and socio-technical support to 20 public schools (kindergarten, elementary and high schools) in Morelos state. The DRR program integrates elements of mental health and psychosocial support; recommends preventative measures before, during and after an emergency situation; and provides structure to support the creation and education of a school safety plan. 

Due to the recent COVID-19 crisis and many schools closed, IsraAID Mexico's work has changed, but we are still able to support school communities through our Health and Hygiene program. In partnership with the Ministry of Education and the Secretariat of Comprehensive Risk Management & Civil Protection, IsraAID has developed a four-session workshop, as well as a guide, with practical steps on how to ensure a safe and healthy return to schools - once they are reopened.

Even when the schools do reopen, there may still be a risk of infection from the virus, so the program teaches the educational staff how to monitor water and hygiene practices in the school setting. There is a lot of misinformation about COVID-19 which causes confusion and can actually prevent people from taking the appropriate hygiene measures, so also included in the training is information about the virus to ensure that the education staff fully understands what the virus really means for them and their students. In our first live online workshop, we reached 91 people among school staff, supervisors and educational authorities. The aim is to reach all high schools in Mexico City. As we are taking a holistic approach, IsraAID is also providing classroom hygiene kits and school sanitation products. The online sessions are joined by local staff in Mexico, as well as our WASH coordinator in IsraAID's HQ in Israel.

Thank you for supporting our work in Mexico, especially during this especially challenging time.