Hurricanes Georges and Mitch: As the world media have pointed out, Hurricane Mitch has produced a still undetermined number of victims. Today the numbers were given as 24,000 injured with more than 2.5 million persons directly affected and enormous material damage throughout Central America. Although all countries of the isthmus have suffered the terrible consequences of this phenomenon, Nicaragua and Honduras find themselves in an all-out emergency situation with nearly 70% of the infrastructure damaged.

At the Institute level we have only a rough approximation of the damage level because communications with the interior parts of the countries are difficult. In Nicaragua the ministry most affected is the La Salle Polytechnic Institute in the city of León, where a wall collapsed, many trees were downed and some of the workshop equipment was damaged. In Nicaragua also several of the families of our Brothers have been seriously affected and the grandfather of a postulant died. In León as well as in San Pedro Sula several teachers and a good number of workers lost almost everything. The Lasallian school in San Pedro Sula is providing shelter for 60 families and a community of Augustinian Sisters.

Some weeks prior to this, Hurricane Georges also caused serious damage in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Cuba. The first of these islands was the most seriously affected. On the Lasallian level the ministries that suffered the most were the John XXIII School in the city of Higüey, with damage sustained in the library, the computer centers and the multi-purpose rooms. At the Technical School in the Simón Bolívar neighborhood the roof was blown off and at the Lasallian Dominican School in the capital a rear iron railing was totally destroyed.

The Center of the Institute by means of SECOLI and Brother Superior's Fund stands in solidarity with both of these Districts. Some Districts have also sent funds through the District of the Antilles. We suggest that any aid for either of these two Districts be channeled through SECOLI.