07 September 1999

Bonn, Germany: Lucila Ramón Lorenzo, a UNV nutritionist from the Dominican Republic with a Master's degree in social work, has been working since 1997 as an assistant officer with the World Food Programme (WFP) in Choluteca, Honduras. In November 1998, she was one of the first relief workers to organize food, clothes and medicines for Honduras during the Hurricane Mitch. In recognition of her team's work, she received WFP's Annual Merit and Efficiency Award this May in Rome, Italy. Honduras was the country most affected by the natural disaster.

The following are translated excerpts of an interview she gave during a visit to UNV in Bonn :

Lucila Ramón Lorenzo: "With food reserves available in the municipalities, the WFP was able to help the population in the first days of the crisis. The UN Volunteers formed a team. The situation was very difficult, because the people were disoriented; it was simply not possible to have order. From the very beginning, the local population tried to organize as much relief supply as possible. Emergency committees and commissions were formed. In order to get the medicines, clothes and food to the needy people, relief and church representatives had to organize themselves, to have better management. In the affected provinces, private non-governmental organizations were set up to identify the relief supplies that came - from where and from which source - manage relief statistics and distribute supplies to the people.

Ten days after starting the relief work, the electricity was restored, so that they could make use of the telephone and other facilities. Nevertheless, many families lost their homes and did not know where to live. But the most important fact was that they survived Mitch. Other organizations came in the wake of Hurricane Mitch, for example GTZ (the German agency for development cooperation) and MSF (Doctors without Borders), which worked from their action plans ranging from six months to a year. International and national volunteers from other institutions came to support the UNVs. The feedback they got was absolutely necessary to survive the situation and affected the collaboration between the different groups in a positive way. There was complete solidarity throughout the process - without knowing each other, without identifying oneself - just by being a human being. I believe in the people. I am working with and for the people, the human element, which is my most important concern."