Days of heavy rains sent torrents of mud and boulders tumbling on mountainside towns across El Salvador over the weekend. Rescue workers used heavy machinery and shovels to dig through the rubble Tuesday, while survivors helped with any equipment they could get their hands on.
The WFP is helping feed 500 people in shelters in San Vicente, one of the worst-hit provinces, the U.N. agency said in a statement. But it said thousands more would need help in the coming days.
"Severe flooding washed away entire harvests, homes and livelihoods," said Dorte Ellehammer, WFP representative in El Salvador. "This disaster has compromised the food security of thousands of people."
The WFP said 90 tons of high-energy biscuits will be ready for distribution in two days, a supply that can feed 70,000 people for four days.
The floods have left at least 13,680 people homeless. The Salvadoran government has not given an estimate of the extent of crop and infrastructure damage.
The WFP said it was working with the government and other U.N. agencies to assess the situation, but said it was "a difficult task due to the fact that many municipalities are only accessible by helicopter since bridges and roads have collapsed."
